We will soon be marking our fifth annual National Catholic Health Care Week from Sunday, February 4 to Saturday, February 10, 2024. We invite you to participate in the Week by sharing the message of Catholic health care in your communities.
Focus: Signs of Hope
I invite everyone to renewed hope, for hope speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart... Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfillment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love. -Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti (55).
National Catholic Health Care Week seeks to build understanding and connection with our mission and contribution as a Catholic health community working with others to build a just and caring society where all are seen and heard. This year, it falls on the week leading into The World Day of the Sick, February 11, a Catholic day of observance established by Pope John Paul II to encourage prayers and reflections for those who are ill and for those who care for them. This year’s theme, “Signs of Hope,” speaks to the courageous gift of Catholic health carrying on Jesus’ healing ministry as a sign of hope in the world and offers words of blessing and hope to each person in their journey to care for themselves or others. It acknowledges and responds to the challenges faced in our communities as we continue our journey of recovery as a society and as Catholic health from the effects of the global pandemic.
Please pray for our Catholic health ministry during National Catholic Health Care Week, and use the following resources to raise awareness among leaders and in your communities.
Catholic Health Alliance of Canada has also created a set of five reflections for you to use each weekday during National Catholic Health Care Week, as a resource to open meetings or events and for discussion or learning. Click here to download. They encourage prayerful reflection on aspects of our calling to be signs hope and healing and offer words of encouragement on the journey for those both needing or providing care. These Reflections and prayers help us explore our Catholic identity and tradition. The themes were drawn from Pope Francis’ call to Hope in FratelliTutti (54 and 55).
A MINISTRY. A MISSION. A MOVEMENT.
At the heart of Catholic health care is a deep respect for the intrinsic value and dignity of every human being and an unwavering commitment to serving all people, from all backgrounds and faiths
– especially society’s most vulnerable.
