University of Mary, NCBC to Host Seminar on Catholic Health Care Ethics
Continuing education event highlights compassionate, person-centered moral guidance in health care
BISMARCK, N.D. — The University of Mary, in partnership with The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), will host a two-day seminar titled “Catholic Health Care System Ethics: A Tradition of Compassion and Care for the Human Person.” The event, designed for health care professionals, ethicists, clergy, students, and lay Catholics, offers continuing education credits while exploring how Catholic moral teaching guides ethical decision-making in health care.
The seminar brings together nationally recognized Catholic bioethics scholars and practitioners to provide practical insight into complex medical and ethical questions. Participants will examine topics ranging from assisted reproductive technologies and contraception to end-of-life care, organ donation, and contemporary ethical challenges such as gender ideology and palliative care.
“The NCBC’s two-day seminar gives both professionals and lay Catholics an opportunity to learn more about how the Church’s moral tradition can guide the real challenges we face in healthcare and everyday life,” said Dr. Megan Schneider, bioethics program coordinator at the University of Mary. “Participants will gain practical insight into Catholic bioethics and how its principles apply to complex medical and ethical questions while always keeping the dignity of the human person at the center. Just as importantly, the seminar creates space for thoughtful discussion and connection with others who share a commitment to living their faith in the world. That kind of formation and community is incredibly valuable as people seek to navigate today’s rapidly changing healthcare and cultural landscape.”
Speakers at the seminar include John Brehany, who will address assisted reproductive technologies and the rights of children; Sarah Denny-Lorio, who will explore contraception, sterilization, and natural family planning; and John Di Camillo, NCBC’s executive director, who will present on foundational Catholic moral decision-making and the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Additional presenters include Edward Furton on complex moral principles, Joseph Meaney on end-of-life decision-making, Fr. Tad Pacholzczyk on pregnancy-related challenges, and Joe Zalot on gender ideology and responding to euthanasia and assisted suicide. A full list of speakers and session descriptions is available online.
These seminars are intended to benefit students, health care workers, clergy, researchers in the life sciences, members of ethics committees, and others who provide spiritual support and counsel to patients and their families. Those interested in understanding and advancing the Church’s moral tradition in health care will also find them accessible, educational, and informative.
The seminar represents the University of Mary’s ongoing commitment to forming health care professionals who integrate clinical expertise with Catholic moral principles. By partnering with NCBC, the university reinforces its mission to uphold the dignity of the human person and provide ethical guidance in the rapidly evolving health care landscape.
This seminar is also part of the University of Mary’s prestigious Bioethics program, which offers master’s- training in Catholic bioethics. The program is among the many Cardinal Newman Society–recommended programs at the University of Mary that prepare students to thoughtfully and faithfully apply the Church’s moral tradition in professional, academic, and pastoral settings.
The seminar will be held at All Saints Catholic Newman Center on Arizona State University’s campus. Health care professionals, students, clergy, and interested lay Catholics are encouraged to attend. Registration, continuing education details, speaker biographies, and the full seminar schedule are available on the event webpage.