March 30, 2021

Happy National Doctors’ Day!

As we celebrate and honor all of our nations’ doctors, I want to thank each of you for your dedication to health care, but also for your dedication to the Catholic faith. 

Understanding health care as a vocation is something we as members of the Catholic Medical Association experience in a deep and meaningful way. 

The role of doctor is not simply a job, nor is it merely a title. Rather, it’s a commitment to caring for others and living out- to the best of our abilities- the actions and intentions of Jesus Christ, the Divine Physician. 

As Catholic physicians in 2021, we face more than the ordinary challenges which come with caring for patients. In these extraordinary times, our rights to conscience and religious freedoms are increasingly vulnerable. The Board of the Catholic Medical Association, our Health Care Policy Committee and members are aggressively fighting to maintain rights of conscience for all our members.

Being a doctor means more than curing illness, it means treating our patients body, mind, and spirit. It means upholding the dignity of the human person and respecting the sanctity of life. 

Thank you for continuing to answer “yes” to the vocation of being a Doctor. Your dedication to the practice of ethical medicine, guided by science and faith, is what we need now more than ever. 

I hope you enjoy this day and remember your hard work makes a difference. We are blessed and grateful to have you as a member of the Catholic Medical Association. 

Sincerely in Christ, 

Michael S. Parker. M.D.
President, Catholic Medical Association (USA)