Catholics and Health Care

In this issue of Catholic Update, Franciscan priest Fr. Thomas Nairn tracks the long tradition of Catholic health care in America, tracing it from the beginning when the Ursuline sisters became the first Catholic congregation of women to come to America. He notes that one of their express apostolic missions was care of the sick. During the 1800s, over 400 Catholic hospitals were created to serve a dual purpose: to serve where Catholic immigrants were discriminated against and to serve all patients, providing not only for their medical needs but also their spiritual needs. He writes, ""Almost invariably, the mission and/or vision statements of the various Catholic health-case systems articulate that the work of the system is a participation in the healing ministry of Christ, which includes a commitment to the poor and vulnerable."" Thomas Nairn, O.F.M., is the Senior Director of Ethics at the Catholic Health Association, U.S.A. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School and has given lectures and workshops on five continents.