December 2002

Historically Caring: St. Mark’s

The AIDS Support Network at St. Mark’s in San Antonio, one of this year’s NEAC Award winners, is deeply rooted in both American history and the history of the AIDS pandemic.

The church’s history of work with those affected by AIDS began in 1987, when it became home to RAIN—the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network. RAIN remained headquartered there for 7 years before moving on. Then in late 1996, the Reverend Mary Margaret Mueller, an assistant rector, at a service for someone who had died of AIDS, announced there would be care teams started by St. Mark’s itself. She has had active support particularly from the Rev. Michael D. Chalk, who has been at St. Mark’s for 7 years.

One of the persons who became active in the care teams was Ruth Peyton, who now often acts as their spokesperson. Before she retired she had been a nurse-practitioner in the San Antonio health system. She had been working with 1987 with people infected by HIV. Recognizing the need for some organization she first became a community liaison and then in 1990 worked on a team that wrote a successful grant proposal to start a special clinic for patients who were HIV-positive.

Today there is one care team that remains active at St. Mark’s and another whose care partner died early this year that is about to return to action. As Ruth says, “We all have different feelings about why we joined. The work is there. It’s a call to ministry—and I don’t know why.”

History

A history of concern is part of the fabric of St. Mark’s, which currently has about 1,000 active members—and so is American history. Construction of the church, a National Historic Landmark, began in 1859. At the time, Robert E. Lee, who was stationed in San Antonio till 1861, was a member of the vestry and taught Sunday School; he helped lay the stone work for the new church. However, the building was not consecrated until it was paid for, in 1875. The bell in the east tower is from an 1812 cannon used during the revolt of Mexico against Spain.

As happens so often, the city has moved in around the church, which is now definitely in downtown San Antonio. The church takes its community responsibility seriously, supporting Habitat for Humanity, and the San Antonio Metro Ministry among the homeless. It offers a free concert series, often with international artists. There are three choirs—adult, youth, and cherub—and the music director is a member of the AIDS Support Network. It is, says Ruth, “an active church—and a blessing to belong to.”

More information: www.stmarks-sa.org.