White Mass honors health care professionals

Dr. Francie Broghammer, Bishop Daniel Felton, Dr. Dan Skorich, Abbi Boehmer, and Dr. Gordy Harvieux pose after the annual White Mass Oct. 22. (Photo by Dr. Gordy Harvieux)

Healthcare professionals were invited to attend the White Mass held on Sunday, Oct. 22, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary in Duluth. Mass was celebrated by Bishop Daniel Felton, with Father Anthony Wroblewski and Father Jacob Toma as concelebrants. 

Following Mass, Dr. Francie Broghammer spoke on “A Catholic Response to the Mental Health Crisis.” Dr. Broghammer graduated from the University of Notre Dame, and she attended the University of California Irvine for medical school and her psychiatry residency. She has repeatedly been a guest on the Doctor, Doctor podcast of the CMA and has been a speaker at the Catholic Medical Association National Conferences. Currently, she is employed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services and is the medical director for the Anoka Metro Residential Treatment Center. 

In her talk, Dr. Broghammer addressed the current deaths of despair, the epidemic of loneliness, and the drivers of human happiness. She also discussed the role of technology and ways for Catholic medical professionals to build bridges between science, health care, and pastoral care. The Knights of Columbus provided brunch. The event is sponsored by the St. Raphael Guild of the Catholic Medical Association.