Local Guild of Catholic Medical Association Active in Fort Wayne Area
FORT WAYNE — Late lastsummer Bishop Kevin C.Rhoades convened a group ofFort Wayne Catholicphysiciansto discuss the possibilityof launching a local organizationof Catholic physicians and otherhealthcare professionals, said LisaEverett, co-director of the FamilyLife Office for the Diocese ofFort Wayne-South Bend. A fewof the physicians, in fact, also hada desire to launch a local guild ofthe Catholic Medical Association(CMA). “I think this convergencewas the work of the Holy Spirit,”Everett added.
Following the meeting, BishopRhoades asked Everett to serve asa liaison between the diocese andthe core group in getting the guildstarted. Under the auspices of thediocese, the local CMA guild hasbeen meeting monthly, she reported,establishing a board and electingofficers last November. Theychose as their patron a pro-lifeCatholic geneticist whose cause forcanonization has begun, naming thenew group the Dr. Jerome LejeuneGuild of Northeast Indiana.
The guild includes the easternhalf of the diocese. Bishop Rhoadeshopes to establish a separate guildfor the western half of the diocesebased out of South Bend.
Dr. Tom McGovern, partnerand part owner of Fort WayneDermatology Consultants, serves aspresident of the Dr. Lejeune Guildwhile Dr. Kate Heimann, whosepractice is in Decatur, heads thevice-presidency.
“Both are strongly committedCatholics with a desire to evangelizethe culture of their fellowCatholic healthcare professionals,”said Everett. Bishop Rhoades alsoappointed Father James Bromwich,who has a background in healthcare,as chaplain of the new guild.
According to Dr. McGovern,the guild wants to “establish camaraderieamong Catholic physiciansand other healthcare workers inthe midst of the secular cultureof death,” forming them in theirCatholic ith. The guild also wantsto “help Catholic physicians know,understand and apply Churchteaching in heir professions andeducate the public about howCatholics are called to live theirfaith when dealing with health andsickness.”
Dr. McGovern emphasized theguild physicians want to serve asresources for Bishop hoades andthe priests of the diocese whenthey have medical questions aswell as reach out to Catholic hysiciansand students-in-training forhealthcare professions so “they willlive as Catholics who happen to bephysicians or nurses or pharmacists,etc. instead of physicians, etc.who happen to be Catholics,” hestressed.
Medical practitioners interestedin becoming active members areasked to contact Dr. McGovern at(260) 437-8377.
“I hope to encourage and supportmy medical colleagues in living
out our Catholic faith, whichhas unfortunately become evenmore difficult in recent monthsthan ever before,” added Dr.Heimann.
“It is extremely exciting tobelong to a group of such intelligent,dynamic and passionatelyCatholic people,” she continued.
“I believe that being a part ofthis unique community, our professionaland spiritual lives willbecome more fervent in servingChrist and each other,” oncludedDr. Heimann.
Some of the first concrete initiativesof the guild include:
• Monthly board meetings witha two-fold focus — (1) formationas Catholics through study of the
life of Dr. Jerome Lejeune and (2)beginning in July with the studyof the new Charter for Healthcare
Workers, due from the Vatican onJune 16
• Annual Lenten evening ofreflection scheduled for March1 from 7-8:30 p.m. at St. Johnthe Baptist Catholic Church, FortWayne
• Annual White Mass for allwho work in the medical professioncaring for patients scheduledfor Oct. 2 at St. Mary CatholicChurch, Fort Wayne, with BishopRhoades as celebrant
• Outreach to local medicalstudents and family practice residents,physician assistant studentsand nurse practitioner students toinclude a Theology on Tap programfor healthcare workers-in-training
• Establish a local guild website— a place where physiciansand others can learn anonymouslyabout what the Church teachesand why, and contact informationfor questions about practicing theCatholic faith while working in themedical field
• Radio outreach, usingRedeemer Radio to establish recurringone to two minute segmentswith local physicians commentingon medical items of interest, and,establishing a half-hour weeklyshow that would include interviewinglocal, regional and nationalexperts on numerous areas of interest
• Periodic days of reflection andeducation for physicians
• An online message boardwhere Catholic physicians can askfor advice from peers regarding
certain patient or work situations.
Dr. McGovern is committed tothe promise of the guild and said,“I believe it is God’s call to me atthis point in my life to contributemy available time to the formationof this new guild. At a time whenthe government is taking over morehealthcare and greater wedges arebeing driven between patients and
their physicians, I sensed the needto do something to turn back thetide.”
He added, “The CMA gives mea venue where I can do that withother Catholic physicians. TheCMA says that since Obamacarehas been passed, the number ofnew guilds has skyrocketed….The essential interaction in medicineis not between patients andthe government or patients and their insurance company — it’sbetween a patient and his physicianor between a patient and thenurse taking care of him. We wantto return to that. We want to stopthe secular media from being theplace where healthcare workers andpatients are told how they are supposedto view medical care.”