Dr. Schmitz is president and Deacon Dr. Scott is vice president of the newly formed Champaign-Urbana Venerable Fulton Sheen Guild of the Catholic Medical Association. Both are members of St. Matthew Parish in Champaign.

CHAMPAIGN — A new guild of the Catholic Medical Association has formed in the Diocese of Peoria to help current and future physicians in the Champaign-Urbana region live and promote the principles of the Catholic faith in the science and practice of medicine.

“A core group of Catholic physicians have been meeting on a regular basis for five years in the Champaign and Urbana area to talk about their faith and how to apply it in their secular working environment,” said Dr. William Scott, a permanent deacon from St. Matthew Parish in Champaign who is serving as the new guild’s vice president.

Deacon Scott, a specialist in preventative medicine and occupational medicine, said the new guild bears the name of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, the famed media pioneer, author, and evangelist whose cause for canonization the Diocese of Peoria is promoting.

“We pray for his intercession and leadership in guiding our group,” said Deacon Scott of Archbishop Sheen, whose beatification is anticipated following Pope Francis’ approval this summer of a miracle attributed to his intercession.

Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, has appointed Father Steven Loftus, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Danville, as chaplain of the Champaign-Urbana Venerble Fulton Sheen Guild.

Other officers include:

• Dr. Anna Lisa Schmitz, president, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology;
• Dr. Charles Morton, secretary, a specialist in pediatric child development, and
• Dr. J.R. Hoffman, treasurer, a specialist in family practice and teaching.

MEETINGS OPEN TO ALL

“We are so excited to be ‘official,’” said Dr. Schmitz, also a member of St. Matthew Parish. “Great effort went into our guild status, and now we have our work cut out for us continuing to move forward.”

Forming a Catholic Medical Association guild requires receiving permission from the diocesan bishop and agreeing to follow all the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic health care services. Guilds plan regular educational opportunities open to any health care workers seeking to use foundational Catholic principles in health care delivery.

The new guild hosted an inaugural White Mass for the region’s Catholic medical personnel on Saturday, Oct. 12, at St. Matthew Church in Champaign. Concelebrants were Msgr. Stanley Deptula, pastor, and Father Loftus. Following the Mass, Father Loftus gave a presentation on “Conscience” and how critical it is for health care leaders to form theirs.

The guild plans to host meetings every third Saturday at 9 a.m. in the parish center at St. Matthew, Champaign. The meetings are open to the public and are especially geared to “anyone wishing to learn more about sustaining their Catholic faith in working with health care,” said Deacon Scott. (See related story.)

Other Catholic Medical Association guilds in the Diocese of Peoria include the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Medical Guild of Bloomington/Normal and the Peoria Guild. Serving the Quad Cities region in both Iowa and Illinois is the St. Thomas Aquinas Guild of the Quad Cities.

More information on the Catholic Medical Association is available at cathmed.org or by writing cufultonsheen@gmail.com.

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HEALING FROM SEXUAL ADDICTION IS TOPIC NOV. 16

CHAMPAIGN — “Integrity Restored: Healing from Sexual Addiction” is the topic of presentation to be offered on Saturday, Nov. 16, by the newly formed Champaign-Urbana Venerable Fulton Sheen Guild of the Catholic Medical Association.

Father Hilgenbrinck

Father Chase Hilgenbrinck, assistant chaplain at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois, will be the featured speaker.

The presentation, open to the public free of charge and especially geared for Catholic medical personnel of the region, begins at 9 a.m. at the St. Matthew Parish Center, 1303 Lincolnshire Dr.

For more information about the newly formed guild, write cufultonsheen@gmail.com.