Archbishop Vásquez at White Mass: Healing ministries are sacred encounters

Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez preaches the homily as he celebrates the White Mass for healthcare communities on Oct. 16 at Holy Rosary Parish in Houston. The annual Mass draws healthcare professionals from across the Archdiocese, including those serving in the Catholic Chaplain Corps. (Photo by James Ramos/Herald)HOUSTON — Some 150 members from a cross-section of the massive health care industries from around the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston gathered for the annual White Mass for Healthcare Communities on Oct. 16 at Holy Rosary Parish in Houston. The color white is a symbol in the Catholic Church of hope and comfort to the ill and hospitalized. The Mass honors those who work in the healing medical professions.

The Church’s role in the healing ministry is essential to its identity and mission, said Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez, who celebrated the Mass. 

Many of the area’s healthcare professionals in attendance serve in the Texas Medical Center, a world-renowned hub that employs more than 120,000 people. The center is comprised of the largest concentration of medical facilities in the world, including the world’s largest children’s hospital and cancer hospital, as well as the 75-plus medical facilities spread throughout the 10-county Archdiocese. More than 10 million patients visit Texas Medical Center institutions each year.

These locations are served by Catholic doctors, nurses, students and a host of other health care professionals, as well as Catholic priests, chaplains and pastoral care workers.

Inspiration for healing

The Church is called to heal others not just physically, but also spiritually and mentally, Archbishop Vásquez said in his homily. cHe highlighted five figures as inspiration for healing ministries, including Jesus Christ, King Hezekiah from the Old Testament, St. Paul the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta and the late Pope Francis.

Throughout His ministry, Archbishop Vásquez said, Jesus was filled with compassion and acts of healing, as seen in the story of the 10 lepers, setting the foundation for the Church’s healing mission. 

In King Hezekiah, his story demonstrates faith in God’s healing power. When faced with mortality, Hezekiah prays for healing; God responds with compassion, granting him extended life and protection for his city.

On his missionary journeys, St. Paul was known for healing the father of his host and many others, demonstrating that the Church’s mission has always included caring for the sick and restoring well-being in body, mind, and spirit.

Though not a biblical figure, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Archbishop Vásquez said, is a modern example of Christ-like compassion and care, focusing on the dignity and presence of God in every person she served.

The late Pope Francis had desired to attend the Jubilee for the Sick and Health Care Workers but was unable to due to his illness that led to his eventual death. Before he died, his homily was read at the early April Mass, which Archbishop Vásquez said reinforced that encounters between the sick and their caregivers are sacred, and that the Church’s healing mission is both spiritual and practical, turning care settings into “holy places.”

Healing today

Healthcare professionals today are encouraged to continue the Church’s healing tradition by treating not only physical illnesses, but caring for the whole person — spiritually, emotionally and mentally, Archbishop Vásquez said. They are called to show respect, compassion and love to every patient, recognizing the inherent dignity in each individual as being made in God’s image.

Archbishop Vásquez expressed deep gratitude to healthcare professionals for their sacrifices, knowledge and special gifts in caring for the sick. He encouraged them to say “yes” to their vocation and reminded them that “more than just treating illness, you are serving a person every time you go to the hospital and enter the room of a sick patient.”

Archbishop Vásquez also highlighted the importance of prayer and the Eucharist in strengthening healthcare professionals and said that through these spiritual practices “Christ allows us to see the face of Christ in those entrusted to our care, the sick, the disabled and the dying.”

“When we show compassion and care for the afflicted, we touch the suffering body of Christ,” he said. 

Archbishop Vásquez thanked healthcare professionals for their “sacrifices, commitment, goodness and love,” and prayed that the mother of God would keep them close to Christ.

Following the Mass, at a reception and dinner, Dr. Martin J. McCaffrey, a physician specializing in the field of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, spoke about the current ethical issues regarding prenatal diagnoses in the current medical landscape.

McCaffrey, a Catholic doctor, is a member of the International Trisomy Alliance Board and serves on the board of directors for Be Not Afraid, a Catholic ministry that offers medical and emotional support to families dealing with difficult diagnoses in their unborn and born children.

In the Archdiocese, officials are planning on launching a local chapter of Be Not Afraid in 2026, with plans to support families in the Archdiocese in dealing with prenatal diagnoses, such as genetic abnormalities, including Down syndrome and Trisomy 13 and 18.

The Office of Pro-Life Activities, the Catholic Chaplain Corps of the Archdiocese and San José Clinic hosted the White Mass. 

To learn more about Be Not Afraid, call 713-440-3443. For more information about health care pastoral ministries in the Archdiocese, call 713-747-8445. ​