The New Zealand Catholic Medical Association (NZCMA) was founded in 2019 with the support of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference. It aims to support health practitioners, drawing on the treasures of our faith, especially in regard to the ethical challenges of healthcare today.
Although primarily set up to serve doctors, it is inclusive of all those who work in healthcare or in roles which support healthcare such as administration or health leadership. We wish to involve nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapists, counsellors, social workers, chaplains, dentists, health administrators, navigators, lawyers, medical students, and anyone who works in allied roles.
Its purpose is to provide pastoral care and collegial support to Catholics working in healthcare in New Zealand.
We aim to support one another in living our vocation and share resources, particularly on issues of conscience. Our chaplain is Fr Chris Denham.
Update 2023
A warm welcome to our website. As Catholics working in healthcare, we are aware that our work is a vocation. We find joy, satisfaction and fulfillment in serving God and our patients, using the talents and resources we were freely given. At times our work can be very challenging and at present face more ethical challenges than ever in our work, so it is good to be aware that we are not alone and to draw on the warmth and treasure of wisdom in our church.
We also have our fellow Catholic health workers, who have a special understanding of the challenges we face and can be a source of advice, prayerful support, and companionship. This is the gift we have in the Catholic Medical Association. We join a worldwide network of others in our church, living their vocation in healthcare. We provide links to some of these international resources via this site.
We are looking forward to our next national seminar in Wellington on 9th and 10th of June and look forward to seeing any who can attend (see link below).
Dr Joseph Hassan
