SAN DIEGO (Jan 2010)— For more than a decade, Thomas J. McKenna envisioned the creation of an organization for Catholic physicians.

In 2006, that dream became a reality when he founded the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild, a not-for-profit organization that assists physicians and health care workers in giving public witness to the sanctity of human life and the value of faith.

The guild is named after St. Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian physician who was canonized in 2004 by Pope John Paul II and is beloved by the pro-life community for a selfless decision that cost her life but saved that of her unborn child.  
McKenna, who has devoted 28 years to various Catholic lay organizations, has come to understand that arguments based on scientific fact or the natural law can many times be more effective than direct appeals to religion when it comes to building support for the Church’s teachings.

“I also realized that ... the opinion of a physician, someone who had a scientific degree recognized by society in general, could have more of an impact and get the attention of people who otherwise would not listen,” McKenna said, explaining his reasons for founding the guild.

Though not a physician himself, McKenna is married to a gynecologic oncologist. Their relationship has given him “a greater insight into the demanding and rigorous lifestyle of physicians,” he said, and his wife has been a constant source of encouragement and support. Also supportive of his efforts is the family of the guild’s namesake, St. Gianna; he now proudly counts members of the Molla family among his close friends.

McKenna recently spoke with The Southern Cross about St. Gianna Molla and the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild.

The Southern Cross: When and how did you first learn about St. Gianna Molla? Why did you find her story so inspiring?

Thomas J. McKenna: I first learned about St. Gianna back in the late 1990s after her beatification. She especially caught my attention because she was a Catholic who took an active role in promoting and defending her faith. From a very young age, she was an active member of a movement called Catholic Action, a lay movement which promoted greater involvement in proclaiming the faith. She is well-known for declining to have a hysterectomy to remove a tumor from her uterus while pregnant with her fourth child. The surgery would have resulted in the death of her unborn child. 

SC: What makes her such a positive example for Catholic physicians? 

McKenna: She is a positive example for physicians because she was not only an accomplished physician herself, but also cared for the souls of her patients. In her writings, she referred to the practice of medicine as a “priestly mission.” She said that many times physicians have opportunities that a priest does not have; that the mission of a physician does not end when medicine is no longer of help; that there still remains the soul that must be brought to God. She used to say that, “Just as the priest can touch Jesus, so we doctors touch Jesus in the bodies of our patients: in the poor, the young, the old and children.”

SC: What is the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild? What is the organization’s mission?

McKenna: The mission of the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild is to unite and encourage Catholic physicians, as well as others in the health care profession, to promote and defend Catholic principles in a public way, by word and example, and to inspire sanctification in their lives. It seeks to use the influence and expertise of the medical profession to clarify and support sound ethics and morality in the practice of medicine and proclaim them in the public forum. To promote these values, the guild teaches about St. Gianna’s life and virtues.

SC: What are members of the guild expected to do?

McKenna: Guild members are encouraged to use the materials and activities of the guild to reach out to others and promote Catholic principles. One of the main features of our outreach is an enshrinement ceremony I developed, during which a beautifully framed picture of St. Gianna, accompanied by a relic, is enshrined in a church, hospital, clinic or physician’s office. The picture of this saintly mother, holding one of her children in her arms, is a convenient way to spark interest in her life and bring up topics of the faith. Whether the person is Catholic or not, the story is moving and has a moral. The goal of this program is to spread devotion to St. Gianna and promote her as an example, most especially for physicians. We also have a pin that physicians can wear on their white coats. People will see the pin and ask what it is, providing the physicians with a convenient way to bring up the subject of faith without seeming like they are preaching. We also have a beautiful gold pin that associate members can wear.

SC: What else must a physician do to become a member of the guild?

McKenna: They must sign an oath we created. It is an adaptation of the original Hippocratic Oath, which we call the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild Catholic Hippocratic Oath. It is usually signed during the enshrinement program. Many of the doctors now ask for an extra copy, so they can frame it and hang it alongside the picture, where their patients can read it. The oath is our security that the doctor is faithful to Church teachings.

SC: Is the guild only for doctors?

McKenna: No, the guild is open to anyone. The only requirement is to be faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Though it is focused on physicians and others in the health care profession, we also have associate members who assist in introducing doctors to the goals and programs of the guild and who spread devotion to St. Gianna. These can be nurses, priests, pro-life advocates, housewives, students and others.
Many times someone who is not a physician has more time to dedicate to organizing events. We have produced an inspiring 30-minute video of St. Gianna’s life, with almost 100 photos obtained from her family, which volunteers and associates can screen at churches, schools, pro-life groups and other places where her story can touch people. We also have retired doctors with many contacts in the medical field.

SC: How large are the guild’s membership rolls? How much interest is there on the national and international scale?

McKenna: Up until now, we have been focused on establishing the programs and now we are launching a membership drive. We currently have about 150 members across the country. I have also been contacted by people in Australia, the Philippines and the Ukraine asking for assistance. There is a group of clergy and health care professionals in the Ukraine who have invited me to go there in June for an eight-day speaking tour to introduce the guild and explain its activities to clergy, physicians, hospital administrators and medical students. They said there is an urgent need to introduce good moral ethics in health care, and they feel the guild can do just that.

SC: Why should a person join the guild? What spiritual benefits will they receive? How will their membership help them?

McKenna: By becoming a member, people will be part of a growing network and can use the resources of the organization to evangelize. Uniting with other guild members increases the impact and influence of the organization in defending and promoting Catholic principles.
We have already seen the results. Physicians have told us of the interest their patients and staff have in St. Gianna and the guild. 
We recently received a call from a woman in Houston who has suffered for years with a brain tumor. Her neurologist had recommended she contact the guild to learn more about St. Gianna and the spiritual consolation of praying to her. In a case like this, the doctors are consoled to have something spiritual to offer their patients that gives them hope and confidence in their faith.

SC: You have met the family of St. Gianna. How did you meet them? What are they like?

McKenna: I met the family members through friends of mine in Italy who are active in pro-life work. Since then, I have developed a very close relationship with St. Gianna’s three children — Pierluigi, Laura and Gianna Emanuela — as well as with her brother, Father Giuseppe Beretta, and her sister, Mother Virginia Beretta. They are all like any other people. But they are honored that their mother and sister was canonized a saint, and they realize an obligation and responsibility to respond to that by attending requests and engagements to speak about her.

SC: What does the Molla family think about the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild? Did the family have any involvement in its creation or any recommendations for its future?

McKenna: Before founding the organization, I traveled to Italy to meet with the family to outline my ideas for the guild. They were extremely enthusiastic and supportive of the idea from the beginning and have given a lot of assistance. Since then, we have become very close friends and I consult with them regularly. I keep them informed of our programs, and they are working with me on future plans with the guild. I have invited St. Gianna’s son, Pierluigi, to visit California to speak about his mother, and we hope to host him here next fall.

SC: Recent efforts to reform the U.S. health care system have generated heated debate. Critics have warned that the proposed reforms will result in the federal funding of abortion, the promotion of euthanasia and the rationing of health care services, with the elderly and those with special-needs most in danger of being denied treatment. What direction can the example — and intercession — of St. Gianna provide at this critical moment?

McKenna: I would say that St. Gianna’s witness and principles she followed reflect the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and are the basic guidelines that should be followed when addressing any issue related to health care. St. Gianna’s husband, Pietro, once said that St. Gianna lived her life like any other person of her time. She cared for her family, drove a car, went to the opera and attended dinner parties and many other activities that someone of her age would do. However, he said that St. Gianna’s moral compass in life was her Catholic faith. She judged her actions and opinions always in light of her Catholic faith. I think, when addressing public legislation, the same principle should be considered.

SC: For those who want to learn more about the guild or who are considering joining, where can they turn for more information?

McKenna: They can write to us at P.O. Box 910308, San Diego, CA 92191; visit us on the Web at www.stgianna.net; or call (858) 461-0777.

Reprinted with permission from the Southern Cross. The official newspaper of the diocese of San Diego.