Bishop brings message of mercy, hope, care to World Day of the Sick Mass in Willingboro
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Georgiana Francisco | Correspondent
The look on the faces of the almost 100 healthcare professionals who attended the Mass that Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrated Feb. 11 in Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County, Willingboro, revealed how moved they were by his message of hope, both for the sick and for those who care for them.
To view photo gallery on this story, click here.
To read Bishop O’Connell’s homily, click here.
“And you, in the profession of healthcare, are invited to show them God’s merciful face and hands and comfort the crosses you help them carry,” he said.
World Day of the Sick is a commemoration instituted by St. John Paul II that takes place each year on Feb. 11 on the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. On this day in particular, Catholics are asked to focus on the redemptive value of human suffering and on the important role of those who are sick in the work of spreading the Gospel. Every year, the Bishop celebrates Mass in one of the Catholic healthcare facilities in the Diocese, which also includes St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, and Morris Hall/St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center, Lawrenceville.
The Mass in Lourdes Medical Center was hosted as a diocesan celebration under the auspices of the diocesan Department of Pastoral Care. Several priests concelebrated the Mass with Bishop O’Connell, including Father Joseph Jakub, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, and Father Roberto Ignacio, who serves in Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton, and is Catholic chaplain at the medical center.
Bishop O’Connell spoke with appreciation for those who work in healthcare ministry, especially after having endured a serious illness which resulted in the amputation of his lower left leg. Those who cared for him, he said, offered him love, kindness, mercy, and the healing of the Lord.
“And they do that every day for those who need them and who give them hope” he said. “That is what you do. You give them hope by the way you do your daily work; by the way you look at them, by the way you touch them and their fragile bodies. That’s what makes the difference.”
Before giving his final blessing, the Bishop praised those in attendance and caregivers all over the world for the mercy and care they show those who are ill and infirm.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the Mass here today and to celebrate ourselves, because I’ve been on the other side of the love and mercy that you show every day, he said. “Each day when I put on my shoes, “I’m reminded of what you do, because you’re the ones that made it possible.”
Following the Mass, Dr. Thomas W. Grookett, critical care physician shared that while his medical duties keep him busy, as a Catholic, he was honored to have the Bishop at LMBC and spoke of the privilege it was to participate in the presentation of the gifts.
” I believe the Bishop’s message of hope and mercy through compassion will make a big difference in how we minister to the sick,” he said.
The way Rosemary Bender, sees it, the World Day of the Sick gave medical professionals “the opportunity to remember and pray for those who may have to deal with medical issues.”
“We are very fortunate in the U.S. to have such an abundance of great medical care,” said Bender, who is employed as a medical technologist in the laboratory in Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County.
“Unfortunately, some other countries do not and this day reminds us that there are many suffering who need our help.”
Bender said that as a Catholic institution, Lourdes demonstrates its concern for those in need when it celebrates World Day of the Sick.
“As employees, we show our compassion to those we care for and all sick when we celebrate this day especially by going to Mass and praying,” said Bender, a member of Corpus Christi Parish. She added that she found her participation in her first World Day of the Sick Mass to be inspiring, especially in listening to Bishop O'Connell who recalled his own battle with illness and the support he received from medical caregivers.
“Having the shepherd of our Diocese take the time to commemorate this event in our hospital is something I will never forget,” Bender said.
Alexander J. Hatala, president and CEO of Lourdes Health System for the past 30 years, echoed Dr. Grookett’s comments.
“The Bishop brought home to our associates the impact that hope and mercy can have on those in our care,” he said. “It was inspirational for us to remember that as we carry out our mission.”
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By Georgiana Francisco | Correspondent
The look on the faces of the almost 100 healthcare professionals who attended the Mass that Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrated Feb. 11 in Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County, Willingboro, revealed how moved they were by his message of hope, both for the sick and for those who care for them.
To view photo gallery on this story, click here.
To read Bishop O’Connell’s homily, click here.
“And you, in the profession of healthcare, are invited to show them God’s merciful face and hands and comfort the crosses you help them carry,” he said.
World Day of the Sick is a commemoration instituted by St. John Paul II that takes place each year on Feb. 11 on the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. On this day in particular, Catholics are asked to focus on the redemptive value of human suffering and on the important role of those who are sick in the work of spreading the Gospel. Every year, the Bishop celebrates Mass in one of the Catholic healthcare facilities in the Diocese, which also includes St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, and Morris Hall/St. Lawrence Rehabilitation Center, Lawrenceville.
The Mass in Lourdes Medical Center was hosted as a diocesan celebration under the auspices of the diocesan Department of Pastoral Care. Several priests concelebrated the Mass with Bishop O’Connell, including Father Joseph Jakub, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, and Father Roberto Ignacio, who serves in Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton, and is Catholic chaplain at the medical center.
Bishop O’Connell spoke with appreciation for those who work in healthcare ministry, especially after having endured a serious illness which resulted in the amputation of his lower left leg. Those who cared for him, he said, offered him love, kindness, mercy, and the healing of the Lord.
“And they do that every day for those who need them and who give them hope” he said. “That is what you do. You give them hope by the way you do your daily work; by the way you look at them, by the way you touch them and their fragile bodies. That’s what makes the difference.”
Before giving his final blessing, the Bishop praised those in attendance and caregivers all over the world for the mercy and care they show those who are ill and infirm.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the Mass here today and to celebrate ourselves, because I’ve been on the other side of the love and mercy that you show every day, he said. “Each day when I put on my shoes, “I’m reminded of what you do, because you’re the ones that made it possible.”
Following the Mass, Dr. Thomas W. Grookett, critical care physician shared that while his medical duties keep him busy, as a Catholic, he was honored to have the Bishop at LMBC and spoke of the privilege it was to participate in the presentation of the gifts.
” I believe the Bishop’s message of hope and mercy through compassion will make a big difference in how we minister to the sick,” he said.
The way Rosemary Bender, sees it, the World Day of the Sick gave medical professionals “the opportunity to remember and pray for those who may have to deal with medical issues.”
“We are very fortunate in the U.S. to have such an abundance of great medical care,” said Bender, who is employed as a medical technologist in the laboratory in Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County.
“Unfortunately, some other countries do not and this day reminds us that there are many suffering who need our help.”
Bender said that as a Catholic institution, Lourdes demonstrates its concern for those in need when it celebrates World Day of the Sick.
“As employees, we show our compassion to those we care for and all sick when we celebrate this day especially by going to Mass and praying,” said Bender, a member of Corpus Christi Parish. She added that she found her participation in her first World Day of the Sick Mass to be inspiring, especially in listening to Bishop O'Connell who recalled his own battle with illness and the support he received from medical caregivers.
“Having the shepherd of our Diocese take the time to commemorate this event in our hospital is something I will never forget,” Bender said.
Alexander J. Hatala, president and CEO of Lourdes Health System for the past 30 years, echoed Dr. Grookett’s comments.
“The Bishop brought home to our associates the impact that hope and mercy can have on those in our care,” he said. “It was inspirational for us to remember that as we carry out our mission.”
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