Finger Lakes Guild has seen some significant transition this summer, with several Board Officers retiring and new ones replacing them in positions of leadership. May I yet again thank Drs. Speach, Murphy and Dalton for their years of dedicated service and welcome Drs. Dailor and Martin as they assume their new roles. For my part, I am honored to serve and hope to be able to lead our beloved Guild forward to continued success.
We have already had our first Board meeting this past month, with an active agenda and meaningful discussions. Please note that we will have our annual White Mass this November 5th at 9:30 am at St. Anne’s Church. We are thrilled that, once again, Bishop Matano will celebrate Mass. We will have a brunch reception to follow. Make sure to enter this event in your calendar! More information will follow as we press ahead with our planning. Don’t be shy about inviting family and other members of the Health Professions to attend!
As we look forward to the coming year, we can see two major priorities for the Guild. The first priority is helping our members to grow in their Faith. Coming together as a community, we can encourage each other in our journey to come closer to God. In addition to the White Mass, we look forward to sponsoring a Retreat this coming Lent. We recognize that our endeavors, both personal and professional, are hollow unless they are centered in Christ. The second priority is to help witness our values to the community. Conscience protection is a critical need for those who do not agree with modern mores, which attack the value of the human person. Physician assisted suicide is being actively promoted in our Legislature. As concerned health care workers, we can help inform our elected officials and fellow citizens of the fallacies of such an approach in dealing with human suffering.
Many members of the Board will be in Washington, D.C. next month for the annual meeting of the Catholic Medical Association. The theme is Virtuous Medicine and among the many highlights are a presentation by George Weigel and the keynote address on The New Evangelization by Ralph Martin. The CMA remains a tremendous resource for us all, promoting our Catholic values on a national level and disseminating information to all 100 local Guilds.
For the first time, the Finger Lakes Guild is instituting a modest dues structure. The CMA has ceased turning over some of national dues to the membership’s local Guilds. As such, we need to seek financial resources to fund our activities. Dues are $50 for Physicians, $25 for Allied Health practitioners and $15 for Residents. There is no charge for Clergy or medical students.
The Finger Lakes Guild remains an active, vital and relevant organization. I hope you find this update informative. Look for regular updates and be sure to visit our website at www.fingerlakescma.org.
Richard Seeger, M.D.
President, Finger Lakes Guild