National Catholic Health Care Week is marked Feb. 2 to 8 in Canada to raise awareness about the contributions and importance of Catholic health care.

( Post. updated on Feb. 7, 2025)

In the diocese of Saskatoon the week concludes with Bishop Mark Hagemoen celebrating the annual Compassionate Healers’ Massat 9 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Cathedral of the Holy Family, 123 Nelson Road, Saskatoon, with special prayers for all health care providers, professionals, volunteers, and caregivers.

Prayers for the sick will then be the focus of the World Day of the Sick Feb. 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

• Bishop Mark Hagemoen’s message for the 2025 Compassionate Healers’ Mass – PDF

• Resources for parishes for Compassionate Healers’ Mass from Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan – PDF
• Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of the Sick “Hope Does Not Disappoint” – LINK
• CCCB media release for World Day of the Sick – LINK
• Hospital Chaplaincy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon – LINK
• Horizons of Hope toolkit on palliative care – INFO
• Horizons of Hope March 22 in Saskatoon – INFO

The diocesan Compassionate Healers’ Mass with Bishop Hagemoen will be live-streamed at saskatoonmass.com  beginning at 9 a.m. Feb. 9, 2025.

Everyone is welcome to the Compassionate Healers’ Mass, which is an initiative of the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan (CHAS) chassk.ca. This year’s celebration echoes the 2025 Jubilee Year by blessing and praying for the ministry of Catholic health care which is essential to the Church’s pilgrimage of hope. It also marks the culmination of National Catholic Health Care Week (Feb. 2 to 8) with its focus on care for creation.

National Catholic Health Care Week is a time to:

• Honour the Legacy of Catholic Health Care
  • Catholic health care in Canada has a long history, dating back to the 17th century when religious communities founded hospitals and care homes.
  • This week recognizes the role of faith-based health care providers in serving the most vulnerable populations.
• Raise Awareness of Catholic Health Values
  • Catholic health institutions operate with a mission to provide patient-centred, ethical, and spiritually sensitive care.
  • The week highlights values such as respect for life, social justice, and the dignity of every individual.
• Recognize Healthcare Workers and Volunteers
  • National Catholic Health Care Week is an opportunity to celebrate the dedication of health care professionals, including doctors, nurses, chaplains, and volunteers who provide compassionate care.
• Advocate for Social Justice and Equity in Health Care
  • Catholic health care providers often advocate for fair access to healthcare, support for marginalized communities, and ethical medical practices.
    • The week raises awareness of issues such as elder care, mental health, and palliative care from a faith-based perspective.
• Engage Communities in Faith-Based Healing
  • • Many Catholic hospitals and health organizations hold events, prayer services, and community outreach programs to promote holistic healing and spiritual support.
    • It’s a time to reflect on how faith and health care intersect in providing comfort and dignity to patients.
• Support Ethical and Holistic Approaches to Medicine
  • • Catholic health care institutions emphasize ethical decision-making in medicine, including respect for human life from conception to natural death.
    • Discussions during the week may focus on issues such as palliative care, medical ethics, and end-of-life care.

“Catholic Health Week in Canada is a vital observance that not only celebrates the contributions of Catholic health care organizations but also reinforces their commitment to compassionate, ethical, and faith-based care. It serves as a reminder of the integral role that Catholic institutions continue to play in shaping a health care system that prioritizes human dignity and social responsibility.” – Corey Miller, President & CEO of Emmanuel Health in Saskatchewan.

In addition, the week is intended to:

• Amplify the shared mission of Catholic health care through a consistent, strong collective voice,
• Showcase the role, value, and impact of Catholic health care in local communities and across the country,
• Demonstrate that Catholic health care providers are people-centred, expert contributors to the health system,
• Engage the public in conversation about Catholic health care.

National Catholic Health Care Week leads into The World Day of the Sick on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Feb. 11, a Catholic day of observance established by St. Pope John Paul II to encourage prayers and reflections for those who are ill and for all those who care for them.

Caring for our Common Home

(From the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada)

The 2025 theme of National Catholic Health Care Week celebrates the inter-connectedness of all creation and reflects on how our individual  and collective actions and our systems—health, social, economic—can promote a healthy world where all can thrive.

The 2025 theme emphasizes the integral connection between human health and the health of the planet, echoing Pope Francis’ call to care for the earth as our common home (Laudato Si’).

The Catholic Health Alliance of Canada works with many partners—in the Catholic community, the health system and beyond—to contribute to and help shape an ever-evolving health system, drawing on our Catholic values, and a legacy of innovation and ethical reflection.

Catholic health is committed to environmental stewardship and conservation and actions to promote human flourishing. This week calls us to put the love at the heart of our ministry into action and inspires us to work towards environmental sustainability and human health and well-being in our homes, workplaces, communities and our world.

The Courageous Gift of Catholic Health Care

During National Catholic Health Care Week, the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada invites Canadians to reflect on and share the story of the courageous gift of Catholic health care (LINK).

Representing Catholic health organizations across Canada, the alliance is united in a 400-year healing mission and are inspired by a calling to care for all with compassion and humanity—body, mind and spirit. Catholic health care is driven to improve health care for all Canadians – especially those at greatest risk – as innovators, advocates and strong partners across the health care system.

This year, National Catholic Health Care Week celebrates the inter-connectedness of all creation and reflect on the integral connection between human health and the health of the planet.

• “We are driven to make the world a better place, where everyone finds belonging, dignity and worth. In this, we reach out and take action with others to mend and bridge gaps, open doors and create the conditions for a society  where all are seen and heard.” – Catholic Health Alliance of Canada
• “When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves.” – David Orr
• “We are children of the earth: people to whom the outdoors is home. Nothing can separate us from the vigour and vibrancy of this inheritance.” – John O’Donahue

 

Several resources are available on the CHAC website (www.chac.ca) including:

• A video on Catholic Health Care (posted above)
• NCHCW 2025 Daily Reflections and Prayers
• NCHCW 2025 Key Messages and Resources
• The Courageous Gift and facts on Catholic health care in Canada

 

CCCB Resources for World Day of the Sick Feb. 11:

Media Release from Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)

Earlier this year, the Vatican published Pope Francis’ message for the 33rd World Day of the Sick, which is celebrated each year on Feb. 11.

In his message, Pope Francis offers a reflection on the theme, “‘Hope does not disappoint’ (Rm 5:5) but strengthens us in times of trial,” emphasizing the profound role the Christian tradition accords to the theological virtue of hope in moments of illness and suffering.

Pope Francis reminds the faithful that physical illness can have emotional and spiritual effects. The Holy Father calls for our renewed commitment to caring for the sick with love, compassion, and faith, recognizing that hope is a gift that sustains both those who suffer and those who accompany them.

Jesus earnestly calls us to visit and care for the sick (Matthew 25: 35), teaching us by example through His solicitude for the sick and His miracles to free men and women from sickness.

Inspired by our Lord, the Church desires the faithful to contribute to building a culture of care wherever we live—one that responds to the dignity of each person from conception to natural death, and that offers spiritual support in times of trial.

Established by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1992, the World Day of the Sick is observed annually on the liturgical Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, a significant day of devotion to the Blessed Mother, who is a powerful intercessor for the sick.

In a particular way on this day, the faithful are invited to reflect more deeply on the Church’s teachings about sickness and caring for the sick, as well as to express solidarity with the sick through works of charity and special prayers, including the option of attending Mass, and by encouraging and expressing appreciation toward caregivers.

CCCB resources for World Day of the Sick 2025 are available at LINK   and include;

• Pastoral Suggestions for Families and Parishes – PDF
• WDS 2025 Prayer Card – PDF

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