Prior to the opening session of its 2026 conference on Feb. 28, members and guests of the Cleveland Guild of the Catholic Medical Association gathered for Mass in St. Albert the Great Church in North Royalton.
Bishop Edward Malesic was the principal celebrant, with Father Ed Estok, St. Albert pastor, Father Dominic Gideon and Father Kyle Rosser, St. Albert parochial vicars, Father Cirilo Nacorda, the group’s chaplain, and Father Kazimierz Chwalek, a conference speaker, as concelebrants.
“Always remember that Jesus is the divine physician,” the bishop said.
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He reflected on Lent, noting we spend time in prayer, fasting and almsgiving during the season. Prayer is not intended to change God’s mind as much as it is to change our minds, he explained.
Almsgiving means more than simply making a donation, the bishop said. Many people have what he described as “poverty of spirit … They are physically exhausted, emotionally overburdened and weary in soul.” He said St. Francis reminded us that in almsgiving, “We receive of God’s economy,” something the saint who lived a life of simplicity, embraced.
Every major religion has some form of fasting, but it’s not always depriving ourselves of food. “Yes, we hunger, but we have a hunger for things other than food,” he said, noting justice and freedom as examples. “We hunger for the bread of life … which we receive at Mass … To fast from sin is more important to fast from something like chocolate,” he said. In addition, the bishop encouraged the faithful to fast from other evils like slander and words of hatred. “Live God’s way,” he said, which is to turn again violence, injustice and lying, things that are not pastoral. “And never deny the dignity of life … There is an inherent dignity in every person.” He also said he “hopes the evil of assisted suicide never takes root here.”
Bishop Malesic encouraged the group to “Be ministers of mercy, of life … As Christians, we don’t look like everyone else. We are different. We are enslaved on the side of light. Never lose sight of that. Always shine with the light of Christ,” he said.
After Mass, the bishop greeted the faithful before they moved to the Parish Life Center for the daylong conference. Theme for this year’s event was “Innovative Approaches to Compassionate Healthcare: The Ministry of Mercy.” Attendees – both in person and virtual – were health care professionals and others with an interest in the topics.
Sessions included arrythmias of the heart, reflections on serious mental illness, the role of sacraments in healing, emotions that impede or enhance the healing process and patient well-being, Catholic bioethics, support for those with HIV and restoration of health in oncology.
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