Curationis et Vitae means "Of Healing and Life" and is a medical ministry designed to bring together Catholic healthcare providers who belong to the same parish for the purposes of education and encouragement.

Purpose

1) To become closer to God so that we can inform our consiences with the Truth and impart the Truth to others as we practice medicine.

2) To educate the health care professionals in our parish about what the Catholic Church teaches regarding medical ethics, to the best of our ability, and with the support of the clergy when we are not sure.

3) To get to know and encourage each other as we endeavor to be faithful to the Gospel in our work-day lives.

Participants

1) All healthcare professionals in any capacity are invited. (Doctors, nurses, therapists, medical assistants, and students in training in any of the sub-fields, such as medical students, also, lawyers with an interest in healthcare law)

2) Clergy, preferably someone with at least a working knowledge of the ERDs to help teach us.

Materials

1) A Catholic Bible

2) A copy of the ERDs

3) A Catholic Catechism

Action

1) Meet once a month on the same weekday morning before work for approximately one hour.

2) The agenda for each meeting will include:

a) Opening prayer

b) Applicable readings from the Ethical and Religious Directives of the Catholic Church, the Gospel, CCC,                Encyclicals, Catholic medical ethics articles that apply to the chosen topic.

c) Case discussions from participants’ own personal experience with application of the Gospel and ERDs.

d) Reflection and application of the Gospel and/or Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs)

e) Closing prayer

Cirriculum

Formation of conscience in Catholic healthcare

The dignity of the human person

The social responsibility of Catholic healthcare services

The pastoral and spiritual responsibility of Catholic healthcare

The professional patient relationship

Issues in care for the beginning of life