January 27, 2026 // Bishop

Healing Hands Blessed at Saint Mary’s College

Elyse Maldonado

As Bishop Rhoades celebrated Mass in the Holy Spirit Chapel at Saint Mary’s College on Friday, January 23, more than 70 nursing and health care students sat in attendance. The third annual Catholic Nurses’ Association (CNA) Mass, celebrated this year on the feast of St. Marianne Cope, brought students together from health care programs across campus.

“Vocation” is a word many Saint Mary’s students use to describe their pursuit of a nursing degree. United by a shared desire to serve others, CNA is a student-led organization dedicated to fostering a community where members can deepen their faith while preparing for a lifetime of vocational care.

That understanding of health care as a calling was central to Bishop Rhoades’ homily, which reflected on the life of St. Marianne Cope, a Catholic sister who cared for St. Damian of Molokai during his final days with leprosy. Despite the personal risk, she willingly offered herself and her community in response to a plea for help.

“Mother Marianne wasn’t afraid,” Bishop Rhoades said. “She enthusiastically committed herself and the six other sisters to go to Hawaii and care for the lepers.”

Bishop Rhoades emphasized that authentic Christian love is not merely an emotion but something lived concretely through sacrifice and service, especially in care for the sick. Nurses, he added, attend not only to physical needs but also to spiritual ones by lifting patients up in prayer and offering hope amid uncertainty.

“St. Marianne Cope brought love and joy to the lepers,” Bishop Rhoades said. “Yes, she tended to their nursing needs, but she did other things. She fixed up and cleaned their rooms. She planted trees, shrubs, and flowers. She bought light and hope. Soon there was laughter in the community as she and the sisters brought sports, games, and music into their lives.”

CNA’s mission is deeply rooted in the health care legacy of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The sisters began their ministry in health care in 1861, responding to the Indiana governor’s request to care for wounded soldiers during the Civil War. By the war’s end, approximately half of the community had served as nurses, marking the beginning of an enduring commitment to healing that CNA seeks to honor today.

Molly Gower, vice president for mission at Saint Mary’s, said this tradition continues to form students’ understanding of health care as a vocation.

“Inspired by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, the college supports students in understanding health care as a vocation of service that honors human dignity,” Gower told Today’s Catholic. “Through the mentorship of extraordinary faculty and a strong core curriculum, students learn to approach their care for others with seriousness, compassion, and a commitment to the common good.”

During the Mass, Bishop Rhoades blessed the students’ stethoscopes. The blessing emphasizes the connection between faith and practice, embodying CNA’s motto of serving as “God’s hands and feet.”

“It feels like God’s hand on my hands as I go to my patients,” said Francesca Munaretto, a senior nursing major and president of CNA. “Our tools are used to help care for and heal other people, and this blessing is a reminder that God is working through me and through those tools.”

Munaretto added that the blessing offers comfort amid the pressures of clinicals.

“Clinicals can be stressful sometimes,” she said. “Having my stethoscope blessed is a reminder that God is with me.”

Munaretto and CNA’s officers have worked to create frequent opportunities for nursing students to gather, pray, and build relationships across class years. Recent CNA activities have included rosary making, writing Christmas cards to oncology patients at Saint Joseph Medical Center, and packing baby supplies for local mothers in need.

Audrey Litkowski, a junior nursing major and vice president of CNA, said she chose Saint Mary’s specifically for its Catholic approach to nursing education.

“I think it is so important to emphasize that we are able to serve others because He first served us,” Litkowski told Today’s Catholic. “We can only go out into the world to help and heal because we get our strength from Him.”

Bishop Rhoades encouraged students to ask for the intercession of St. Marianne Cope, whose stamina and joy flowed from her prayer life and her devotion to the Holy Eucharist.

“She gave her life and love for God and His beloved children with incredible dedication,” he said. “For future nurses, health care workers, and speech-language pathologists, St. Marianne Cope is a wonderful example.”

Following the Mass, students, faculty, and Bishop Rhoades gathered for a catered dinner and reception, extending the sense of community fostered by the Mass. For many students, the opportunity to meet and spend time with the shepherd of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend especially meaningful, particularly for those who are not from Indiana or who may not have previously encountered him.

With approximately 150 active members, the Catholic Nurses’ Association continues to grow, shaped by tradition and committed to a vocation that unites healing hands with hearts formed by Christ.