Please join us for a Catholic Professionals Conference and Mini-Retreat at the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, NY. The conference theme is Living by the Light: Virtue, Ethics and Professionalism.
The morning professional program will focus on conscience protections in the medical workplace context (see full morning program description below). The afternoon mini-retreat will address the question of conscience formation for Catholics from a spiritual perspective (see full afternoon program description below). The day will close with opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and Mass celebrated by Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger.
When: August 19th, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Where: The National Shrine of the North American Martyrs, 136 Shrine Rd #2, Fultonville, NY 12072
To what extent may a medical professional decline to participate in some treatment or procedure on the grounds of conscience? What are the ethical and legal implications for decisions based on conscience? The issue of conscience protection promises to be an increasingly important topic for professionals, and particularly for medical professionals. This year’s Catholic Professionals Conference includes a morning program on the topic from medical and legal perspectives. Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, M.D. will speak on “Referral vs. Transfer ofCare: Ethical Options when Values Differ.” Attorney Michael Kenney will speak on “Medical Workplace Conscience Rights: New York andNational Considerations.” The New York CLE (1 hour) application is pending; The event has been approved for 4 hours of CME.
Conscience formation is more than memorizing correct moral principles. St. Pope John Paul II spoke often of what he called “The Law of Freedom,” by which he meant that the only way for people to live a full and integrated moral life is to gain an understanding of the truth about the good. Likewise, the nature of virtue, its acquisition, and the role it plays in the realization of our vocations are matters poorly understood today. For many people, virtue commonly evokes the idea that it limits human freedom, creativity, and spontaneity, and furthermore that virtue is a chain that restricts, a burden that oppresses, and a static conformity detrimental to human happiness. This year’s Catholic ProfessionalsConference includes an afternoon program on these topics, from medical and legal perspectives. Peter Colosi, Ph.D. will speak on “Conscience Formation and Professionalism in the Workplace.” Stephen Loughlin, Ph.D., will speak on “Virtue Formation in the Workplace.”
Location: Visitors Center
"Referral vs. Transfer of Care: Ethical Options When Values Differ," with Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
"Medical Conscience Rights: New York and National Considerations," with Michael Kenney, JD
"Conscience Formation and Professionalism in the Workplace" with Peter Colosi, Ph.D.
"Virtue Formation and Professionalism in the Workplace" with Stephen Loughlin, Ph.D.
Location: Colosseum
Dr. Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD is a family medicine specialist in Milwaukee, WI and has over 42 years of experience in the medical field. She graduated from LOYOLA University of Chicago / Stritch School of Medicine in 1980. She received her masters in bioethics from Ohio State University. She has published multiple articles in the field of bioethics, including "Linacre Quarterly" where she serves as a reviewer. She has lectured on the topic of bioethics at Catholic Medical Association national meetings and serves on the Catholic Medical Association bioethics committee. She is also a moderator and contributor for the National Catholic Bioethics Center Member Forum. She now divides her time between working in bioethics in this country and as a medical missionary in Uganda.
Michael practiced law for 13 years before serving as Assistant Dean at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and as Associate Dean at Ave Maria School of Law. He later served as Vice President at Madonna University and as President of Father Gabriel Richard High School. He has taught Constitutional Law, Professional Responsibility, and Environmental Law. He has written numerous articles and co-authored "In God We Trust: Morally Responsible Investing." Michael currently serves as President of Pro-Life Partners Foundation. He holds undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Notre Dame and a masters of law in Environmental Law from The George Washington University Law School.
Dr. Stephen J. Loughlin is President and Professor of Philosophy at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry in Rochester, NY. Dr. Loughlin earned his Master's and Doctorate in Philosophy at the University of Toronto. Before coming to St. Bernard’s, Dr. Loughlin was an Associate Professor of Philosophy and the Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Theology at DeSales University in Center Valley, PA., a position he held for almost 20 years. Dr. Loughlin’s academic work has appeared in The Thomist, Nova et Vetera, Pro Ecclesia, and Josephinum, and his areas of research interest include Medieval philosophy and Thomistic anthropology. Dr. Loughlin deeply loves teaching, having engaged in the profession for over 25 years. Dr. Loughlin has been married for the past 30 years to his lovely wife Carol who recently retired as a NICU nurse.
Peter J. Colosi, Ph.D. is associate professor of philosophy at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. He also taught for Franciscan University of Steubenville at their program in Gaming, Austria, and at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He earned his B.S. in mathematics from Franciscan University, an M.A. in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure University, and his M.Phil. and Ph.D. from the International Academy of Philosophy in the Principality of Liechtenstein. His research interests center around philosophical personalism within the Catholic intellectual tradition and its application to ethics, and a few of his favorite thinkers are Socrates, Plato, Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II, and Max Scheler. Dr. Colosi has published in: The Linacre Quarterly, for which he is a Contributing Editor; Logos: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture; The Catholic Social Science Review; The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly; and Franciscan Studies. Every summer Colosi lectures at the Catholic Medical Association’s summer program for Catholic medical students. He is the main organizer of the Theology of the Body International Symposia, which have thus far been held in Austria, Ireland, England, Portugal and Holland. His personal website is peterjcolosi.com.
Catholic Medical Association - Albany Guild
Catholic Medical Association - Finger Lakes Guild
Catholic Lawyers Guild of the Diocese of Albany
St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry
The conference and mini-retreat can be attended in its entirety (full day), or partially (the afternoon sessions). Please enter your registration details below! Any questions can be directed to either Angela Maupin Kristan, MD, at [email protected], or Tom Venditti, PA, at [email protected].
The AAFP has reviewed "Living by the Light: Virtue, Ethics, and Professionalism" and deemed it acceptable for up to 4.00 Live AAFP Prescribed credits. Term of Approval is from 08/19/2023 to 08/19/2023. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)™ toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award.
This includes the two morning workshops, lunch, the two afternoon sessions, Adoration, Confession, and Mass
This includes the two afternoon sessions, Adoration, Confession, and Mass
Attorneys earning less than $50,000 per year may pay only the half-day rate
