Women, Health Care, and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition

Seton Hall University’s Catholic Studies Department, along with the University Core, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, SHMS and the School of Nursing, announces a panel discussion entitled “Women, Health Care and the Catholic Intellectual Traditions.” The discussion will be held 2 p.m. Nov. 21 at the University Center Event Lounge and on Teams. 

As the Jubilee Year 2025 begins, a time to reflect on God’s mercy, love and hope for all, this discussion will explore the influence of women in the Catholic intellectual tradition, who expressed their faith through ministries of compassion and justice, particularly in health care.

The panel will highlight the lives and legacies of several holy women: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), St. Frances X. Cabrini, Servant of God Dorothy Day and St. Teresa of Calcutta. Each demonstrated remarkable dedication to serving others, including in health care, and deepened the meaning of peace, hope and charity.

Mary Ellen Roberts, D.N.P., R.N., A.P.N.C., FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, will present on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint and an inspiration to Seton Hall University, who was the daughter of a physician. She founded hospitals and laid the groundwork for Catholic education in the U.S., becoming a beacon of faith and healing for many.

Josephine DeVito, Ph.D., R.N., will offer insights on Dorothy Day, now being considered for sainthood. Day was a mother, writer and leader who, through the Catholic Worker movement, provided housing, health care and sustenance to the poor. Her legacy of charity and social justice continues to inspire, as does her early career as a nurse.

Dianne M. Traflet, J.D., S.T.D., will cover Edith Stein, known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Stein was a convert from Judaism who was martyred in a Nazi concentration camp. In her final days, she cared for fellow prisoners with profound compassion, embodying the mercy central to her faith.

Josephine DeVito will also speak on St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants, who tirelessly worked to establish hospitals and orphanages for immigrants and the marginalized, ensuring they received the care and hope they needed as they arrived and settled in America.

Ines Murzaku, Ph.D., will examine the life of St. Teresa of Calcutta, whose life is a testament to the power of small acts done with great love. Mother Teresa devoted herself to serving the poor, sick and dying. Her work in health care remains a vital part of the global mission carried out by her sisters today.

Please join us for this insightful presentation as we honor their legacies and reflect on how their missions continue to guide and inspire our own acts of mercy and love.

Categories: Health and Medicine