who has seen more people succumb to the deadly disease than he cares to count.

And the Rev. Phillip Joudry -- chaplain of the Royal Victoria Hospital -- the first English-speaking hospital to receive people with AIDS in Montreal, Canada -- said he believes Bermuda is "heading in the right direction''.

The Rev. Joudry is visiting the Island for the second time to take part in World AIDS Day activities.

He spoke at the ecumenical and candle-lighting service at the Cathedral on Sunday night.

In an interview with The Royal Gazette he said: "The more people talk about AIDS, the more stories about it that appear on television, radio and in the newspapers, the more we realise we're talking about all of us. We are all a risk group.'' Stressing that AIDS needs to take on a personal face, the Rev. Joudry said: "We have to be one step bolder (in AIDS awareness). Those who are infected or we who have a relative with AIDS all have to talk openly about it. Once it takes on a personal face you can't go back.'' This, he added, is where Bermuda as a small community has the opportunity to lead the way in AIDS awareness.

"We can no longer do education in such a way that is gentle and discreet when the disease that we're fighting is aggressive and insidious.

"When it comes to publicity about this disease all is fair in love and war and this is war.'' Rev. Joudry said the ecumenical service was important because those who had lost loved ones to AIDS needed support as much as anyone who lost a loved for other reasons.

But noting that often when one dies of AIDS it is kept "hush hush'', he said: "At the service they have a place and time to weep together, to remember their loved ones together, and to move on knowing they have the support of others.'' Rev. Joudry, who has held young children in his arms when their mothers or fathers -- who were dying of AIDS -- became too weak to rock them, admitted it can take its toll on the most faithful minister.

"I could not do the kind of work I do without a team,'' he said, explaining that he works with six other full-time chaplains who specialise in other areas such as palliative care and education.

"Often we do workshops together,'' Rev. Joudry said. "It takes special training for this kind of ministry. It takes a lot of discipline in one's life to stay emotionally and spiritually healthy.'' Royal Victoria's chaplaincy model is being copied by other hospitals in Canada, Rev. Joudry said, adding that Bermuda may also want to look at a similar programme.

But he stressed that he was already impressed with the work on AIDS locally and urged Bermuda not to stop.

"I think the church here, the Allan Vincent Smith Foundation, and other AIDS-support organisations are doing a wonderful job,'' he said. "But they should not stop.

"As long as there are people living here with AIDS, there's more work to be done.

"As long as you're kids are using dirty needles, as long as people are having unprotected sex, there's work to be done.'' The Rev. Philip Joudry.