By Deacon Bill Blanke
Catholic Medical Association
On Oct. 15, Bishop Joseph M. Siegel will celebrate the annual White Mass for the Evansville Diocese at 6:30 p.m. EDT at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jasper. The tradition of the White Mass in the United States finds its origins in the development of the national Catholic Medical Association in the early 1930s. From its inception, the medical profession has been understood as a healing profession, a way in which Christ’s work continues upon the earth. Moreover, since the apparitions at Lourdes in the late 19th century, the plight of the infirmed, and those who care for them, have taken on renewed appreciation in participating in the mysteries of Christ’s own life. Those who have been on pilgrimage to Lourdes cannot help but be moved by the long winding procession of pilgrims during the candlelight rosary each evening. Volunteers push wheelchairs that carry the sick, each praying for a miracle.
The Church has long offered Masses that recognize special occasions and special needs. Among such Masses are those for professional groups, traditionally popularized by names of a color: Red Mass (lawyers and politicians), Blue Mass (law enforcement and first responders), and White Mass (healthcare community). The White Mass, so named by the color worn by those in the healing profession, gathers health care professionals under the patronage of St. Luke to ask God’s blessing upon patients, doctors, nurses and caregivers alike. The White Mass is traditionally celebrated near the feast of St. Luke (Oct. 18).
In Colossians 4:14, Paul refers to Luke as “the beloved physician.” Because of his background, Luke includes many significant stories of healing in his Gospel. We see Christ’s healing power displayed in the account of the man with the withered hand, and the story of the crippled man who was so desperate for healing that his friends lowered him through a hole in the roof to see Christ. Today, Luke is recognized as the patron saint of physicians.
In perhaps the first account of professional courtesy and giving the benefit of the doubt to one’s colleagues, it’s interesting to note that in the Gospel accounts of the healing of a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years and was therefore ritually unclean, Mark makes the following statement:
“There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse” (Mark 5:25-26).
Luke’s version seems to leave a better impression of the medical community: “A woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years who was unable to be cured by anyone” (Luke 8:43).
While St. Luke is known as the patron of physicians, no matter the specialty or field, there is a traditional intercessor to call upon for strength, protection and peace for those in healthcare. Some of these saints include: Albertus Magnus: medical technicians; Apollonia: dentists; Basil the Great: hospital administrators’; Blaise: veterinarians; Camillus of Lellis: nurses; Catherine of Siena: nurses; Cosmas and Damian: doctors, pharmacists, surgeons; Dymphna: mental health professionals, psychiatrists, therapists; Gemma Galgani: pharmacists; James the Greater: veterinarians; Lucy: opticians; Martha: dieticians (I loved this one); Michael the Archangel: EMTs, paramedics, ambulance drivers, first responders; Raymond: midwives, obstetricians, Roch (Rocco): surgeons. I encourage you to pray for the intercession of your patron saint!
Please join Bishop Siegel and the Catholic Medical Association on Oct. 15 at the White Mass. This is not a Mass only for physicians, rather for all in the healthcare profession and caregivers. We had a wonderful gathering of a variety of healthcare professionals at a meeting earlier this year, and we look forward to celebrating Mass together next month.
For trivia lovers, which was celebrated first? Think of America’s colors: Red, White and Blue. The first recorded Red Mass was celebrated in Paris in 1245, the first White Mass was celebrated in the 1930s, and the first Blue Mass in 1934. The fact that lawyers as a profession started celebrating a Mass almost 700 years before doctors can be interpreted as they are a more spiritual profession, or more in need of prayers. The discerning reader is encouraged to ponder your own interpretation.
Dr. Bill Blanke practices family medicine in Evansville. He and his family are members of Evansville’s Good Shepherd Parish, where he is assigned to serve as a permanent deacon.