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Honouring the History and Impact of Catholic Healthcare: UIW Hosts 2026 Pierre Lecture
A February 2026 lecture at the University of the Incarnate Word by Sr. Teresa “Tere” Maya of the Catholic Health Association, titled “Care for All: What Does ‘Catholic’ Mean in Healthcare?” It presents Catholic healthcare as rooted in the healing ministry of Jesus and shaped by health equity, Catholic Social Teaching, mercy, dignity, and whole-person care. The piece emphasizes the historical role of Catholic institutions in serving vulnerable and marginalized communities and argues that Catholic healthcare should continue to adapt to changing needs while remaining faithful to its mission.
By: University of the Incarnate Word
TN Hospital Denies Woman Sterilization Surgery, Citing Her “Sacred Fertility”
A Tennessee woman says Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown cancelled her scheduled sterilization procedure while she was already undergoing pre-surgery preparation, after the hospital’s Catholic Ethics Oversight Committee intervened. The piece links the incident to Tennessee’s Medical Ethics Defence Act, which allows providers and medical centers to refuse procedures that conflict with their moral beliefs. It presents the case as an example of how religiously based hospital governance can shape access to contraception-related care, especially in a state with highly restrictive abortion laws.
By: Chris Walker
Letters: Remembering Catholic Health-care Pioneers
This article is a short letter to the editor responding to The B.C. Catholic’s recent coverage of the history of Catholic healthcare in Canada. Marianne Nederend recalls that her grandmother worked in 1929 with the Sisters of Service at a small hospital in Edson, Alberta, where she did physically demanding laundry work. The letter uses this family connection to express gratitude toward the women and men who helped build Catholic health services in Canada. It serves as a personal reflection on the historical foundations of Catholic healthcare.
By: Letters To The Editor (B.C. Catholic)
A warning from the Canadian Physicians for Life
A message from Canadian Physicians for Life warning against the scheduled 2027 expansion of MAiD eligibility to persons whose sole underlying condition is mental illness. It cites personal testimony, including MP Andrew Lawton’s account of surviving a suicide attempt and living with depression, to argue that extending euthanasia in these circumstances would abandon vulnerable people rather than care for them. The article also points to the ongoing parliamentary review and urges readers to contact their MPs in support of Bill C-218, which would cancel the planned expansion.
By: The Catholic Register
An Alberta man wanted MAID. Instead, he died in a Catholic hospital, waiting to be transferred
An Alberta man who was approved for Medical Assistance in Dying but was unable to receive it at Edmonton’s Grey Nuns Hospital because the site is run by Covenant Health, a Catholic provider that does not allow MAiD on-site. He instead had to be transferred to another facility, but died before that could happen. It also includes commentary from Dr. Andrea Letourneau, a critical care specialist and MAiD provider, who argues that forced transfers impose additional burdens on patients seeking an assisted death. The piece presents the case as a concrete example of the practical consequences of institutional non-participation in MAiD within a publicly funded health system.
By: Stephanie Dubois
Days after MAiD trial ends, Archbishop urges vigilance for Catholic hospitals
Archbishop Richard Smith urged Catholics to remain vigilant in defending the mission of Catholic healthcare. The piece explains that the case centers on whether publicly funded Catholic hospitals in British Columbia can continue operating according to their religious ethics, particularly under the 1995 Master Agreement between the province and the Denominational Health Association. In his World Day of the Sick homily, the Archbishop describes Catholic hospitals as central to the Church’s healing ministry and argues that their mission and integrity should be recognized, valued, and protected within the wider provincial health system.
By: The B.C. Catholic
Accommodating Catholic health care presence and conscience
This article illustrates how Catholic healthcare has long been part of Canada’s publicly funded health system and that its continued presence depends on preserving space for institutional and individual conscience. The piece also claims that newer federal standards are increasing pressure on healthcare workers by expecting them to raise euthanasia with eligible patients and, in some cases, make effective referrals. It presents these developments as part of a broader shift from accommodation toward coercion in matters of conscience.
By: The B.C. Catholic
Are most hospitals in Tulsa controlled by the Catholic Church?
This fact brief argues that the claim that most Tulsa hospitals are controlled by the Catholic Church is inaccurate. It states that while one-third of Tulsa hospitals are associated with Catholic organizations, Catholic directives directly apply only to hospitals owned by those organizations, which it identifies as five hospitals, or 28% of Tulsa hospitals. The piece also notes that Catholic hospitals make up a larger share of general care hospitals in Tulsa than in Oklahoma or the United States overall, and highlights that these institutions are governed by the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.
By: Matthew Yin
Sister Philip Marie Wanted to Live. But a Catholic Senior Center Killed Her
Sister Philip Marie Burle, a Catholic nun living in a Missouri senior care facility, was denied the care she wanted and was instead subjected to the withdrawal of food and water and heavy sedation against her wishes. The piece presents her death as evidence that vulnerable patients can be steered toward death by caregivers even in institutions that identify as Catholic. It also uses her case to argue that some Catholic healthcare facilities have abandoned their religious mission and become complicit in broader end-of-life practices the author views as morally wrong.
By: Bobby Schindler