Health and Wholeness: A Symposium of Health Care Providers

By Andrea King
Special to the HERALD
(From the issue of 4/5/01)

McLEAN — The first Health and Wholeness Symposium, a day of "education and inspiration" for those interested in health care and faith-related issues, was held last Saturday at St. Luke Church in McLean.

Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus St. Luke Council No. 11122, the event focused on sharing the message of health, holiness and integrity of the human person in light Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, "The Gospel of Life."

The symposium was a result of the vision of Dr. Ronald Bashian. After spending many years in the medical profession feeling misunderstood and attacked for his moral principles, he came to the conclusion that physicians who hold beliefs such as his need to be in a community in which they could adhere to an undiluted but passionate approach to health care. He noted that there is an uncomfortable reality in relating morality and faith with the wellness of the person. He wanted to encourage other health care providers who might be feeling isolated and help inspire them with the courage to defend their moral beliefs within the context of their profession.

The symposium was comprised of several presentations from local experts in the field of medicine and morality. Panelists included: Dr. Bashian, moderator; Dr. John Bruchalski, OB/GYN; Dr. Chau Lam, pediatrician; Dr. Joseph Evers, pediatrician; Dr. William McCarthy, family practice, Dr. William Nordling, psychology; and Father Curtis Clark, moral theology.

Dr. Bruchalski’s presentation, entitled "This is My Body," explored the issues a Catholic obstetrician/gynecologist faces in daily practice. During his years in residency, Dr. Bruchalski was indoctrinated with the idea that contraception and sterilization would make life better for women. He recounted how he came to realize in his years of practice that the opposite was true. Through the years, he saw contraception and sterilization result in a host of negative physical and social effects. He alluded to the broken relationships, diseases and complications that find their roots in contraception. He noted how all the social and physical ills associated with contraception were predicted in the encyclical "Humanae Vitae" in 1968 by Pope Paul VI.

Dr. Bruchalski re-iterated that "we are a Church of compassion and not condemnation and unless each of us is born anew, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

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