Father Jim Callan: A true leader

I was thinking about Father Jim Callan and his legacy, especially during the darkest days of the AIDS crisis in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

What a difference he made.  He was a man of faith, action and humanity.

Before the term DEI existed, he took it and turned it into action. His action steps were welcoming people with AIDS into the church. He was one of the first local religious leaders to do that. He and Bishop Matthew Clark were really instrumental in terms of getting other religious leaders on board.

In the late 1980s when he was at Corpus Christi, they established Isaiah House, the first hospice in this area to accept AIDS patients. He was a great partner to the work that we were doing in terms of trying to take care of patients and keep them healthy if we could. But certainly help them die with dignity, respect and lack of stigma.

I remember the decision-making around Isaiah House hospice. He came to an AIDS Rochester board meeting and talked about the hospice movement and the role it could play in helping people with AIDS. After that, we became friends and colleagues. My brother in arms.

Father Jim Callan in a candid moment on July 21, 2021. Provided by Frank Valenti.

I received a call from a New York Times reporter who was writing the obituary of Father Jim, who died Dec. 13. The reporter asked me, “What do you think makes people take action the way he did?” I said, “Clarity of thought.”  In other words, you can see the problem and see the solution and you do it, you take action.

General MacArthur said, “Lead, follow or get out of the way.” Jim Callan was a leader. Absolutely no question about it. Follower maybe for a little bit when necessary. But he did not get out of the way.

I think the whole community will feel his loss. You know, it’s hard not to like a nice guy. And he was a nice guy. It showed in his faith, his action and his humanity.

We need more Jim Callans in this world. A lot more.