More than 400 healthcare professionals and caregivers gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on June 3 for the annual White Mass, where Archbishop Hicks thanked those who care for the sick, the elderly, and the vulnerable throughout the archdiocese.

Sponsored by ArchCare, the healthcare ministry of the archdiocese, the White Mass recognizes physicians, nurses, therapists, aides, chaplains, and caregivers whose work places them on the front lines of caring for the sick. This year’s liturgy also honored the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, as they conclude 74 years of service at Mary Manning Walsh Home in Manhattan.

Among the symbols featured during the liturgy was a statue of Our Lady of Good Health, a Marian devotion associated with prayers for healing. The statue was carried in procession at the start of Mass as healthcare workers from across the archdiocese gathered for prayer and thanksgiving.

Archbishop blesses healthcare workers, urges perseverance

Following the liturgy, Archbishop Hicks said the White Mass was an opportunity not only to thank healthcare professionals, but to encourage them in a vocation that can often be demanding.

“I took the opportunity at this Mass not only to thank everyone who is part of the healthcare community, but also to bless them because at times it can get weary and frustrating,” Archbishop Hicks told The Good Newsroom. “As they’re caring with skill and compassion and respect for so many, I want God to bless them so that they can continue to do good, to persevere, and really be true ministers of Christ the Healer in the world.”

The archbishop also pointed to the witness of the Carmelite Sisters, whose ministry has helped shape care for the elderly in New York for generations.

“We also had the opportunity at this Mass to really thank and bless the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm,” he said. “They have a witness, a legacy of giving with our hearts, of healing and of being true ministers who are meeting people when they need it the most.”

Carmelite Sisters leave enduring legacy at Mary Manning Walsh

Founded in 1952, Mary Manning Walsh Home became one of New York’s most respected centers for elder care and rehabilitation. The Carmelite Sisters have long been associated with the facility and its mission of caring for older adults with dignity, compassion, and respect.

For Scott LaRue, president and CEO of ArchCare, the sisters helped establish a model of care that continues to guide the ministry today.

“The Carmelite Sisters have been a part of ArchCare and the Catholic healthcare system literally since its inception,” LaRue said. “They’ve been a key part of the growth of ArchCare, and they set the tone for the love, the compassion, and the holistic approach to caring for the people that we serve.”

That approach, he said, is especially important at a time when healthcare can become increasingly impersonal.

“It’s about recognizing the person as an individual,” LaRue said. “Just because they may be aged or infirmed, it doesn’t mean that their mind and spirit is not full, bright, and continuing to grow.”

‘Our spirit remains in ArchCare,’ prioress general says

Speaking after the Mass, the prioress general of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm reflected on the congregation’s decades of service.

“I think it’s an overwhelming day for us,” she said. “One deep gratitude for the many years we were able to serve at Mary Manning Walsh, the strong foundation, the commitment of our sisters, and knowing that our legacy carries on. Our spirit remains in ArchCare.”

While leadership of the facility is changing, she expressed confidence that the congregation’s mission will continue.

“We all have the same mission, the healing ministry of Jesus Christ,” she said.

For the sisters, that mission begins with seeing each person not as a diagnosis or a set of medical needs, but as someone created in the image of God.

“We see Christ in every person we care for,” she said. “We don’t see diagnosis. We don’t see lifestyles. We don’t see challenges that they’ve had. We only see Christ.”