Laying the Foundation for 2024

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We started the year with our annual Winter Board Meeting held January 4-7, 2024. The Board met at Marytown Retreat and Conference Center in Mundelein, Illinois for a very productive retreat.  We have many important actions to do as a Board but before we perform these actions, we must take time to contemplate God. Before we act on our mission and vision, we must first behold God in silence, making space for Him.

It is important for us to recall frequently this principle –– the interior life of our souls directly correlates with the success of our organization.  A deep interior life within each of us will generate a fruitful apostolate, a true sharing of Christ’s work of saving souls.

During our meeting, we spent time contemplating what it means to continue fostering CMA’s vision, “Inspiring Physicians to Imitate Jesus Christ.” We are reminded that each one of us is collaborating with God as His instrument to carry out our mission and vision. Only when we have formed Jesus Christ in ourselves, will we be able to give Him to others.

This past month, I was also able to attend my first March for Life in Washington D.C. along with Executive Director Mario Dickerson and other CMA members to lend our voices to the most vulnerable in our society.

The closing Mass of the March for Life was celebrated by Bishop Earl Fernandes. His father and two brothers are physicians, so he knows well the difficulties physicians face defending the dignity of human life. During his homily, he reflected on a few things he learned from his father. He told us of a story where his father helped a woman who was pregnant with triplets and wanted to terminate her pregnancy due to the burden of having three children at once.  His father accompanied this woman during her entire pregnancy, visiting her in the hospital, letting her know she was not alone and extending her compassionate care. His father taught his children by example, telling them that he did this because it was “his duty as a Christian.” Bishop Fernandes also reminded us that “the battle is not merely a political one. The real battle is for the conversion of hearts.”

While in D.C., we also met with other leaders of organizations working alongside the Catholic Medical Association to defend the dignity of human life.  I am grateful to all CMA members who marched, and helped organize such an amazing event.

In the next few months please mark your calendar and plan to attend the CMA Town Hall in your region. At the town halls, we hope to reinforce our mission and vision, improve communication within the organization, and listen to the voice of our members.

In Christ,

Michelle K. Stanford, M.D.

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