Acronym: PACHCA
HISTORY
The late John Cardinal O’Connor(died…) of the Archdiocese of New York was committed to advancing the Health Pastoral of the Church throughout the Americas. In doing so, he organized an annual Pan American Catholic Health Care Dialogue, bringing together representatives of Catholic Health Care from South America, Central America, the Caribbean and North America. With the assistance of Oscar Andres Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras (then an auxiliary Bishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras) these dialogues continued to bring together Catholic laity leadership interested in collaborating, planning and implementing programs to support health care education, leadership formation and service provision. One of the strong recommendations from these Dialogues was to create a permanent, international structure to continue not only these Dialogues but to oversee implementation of projects and programs. The Pan American Catholic Health Care Association was founded in June 2003 within the diocese of Palm Beach by Dr Mary Healey-Sedutto, PhD, to promote charitable and social works in line with the social teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, and to minister to the needy by providing for health care needs throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It was created in response to a call from leaders of the Health Care Ministry, seeking a vehicle to demonstrate Christian international solidarity and to give witness to Pope John Paul II’s call for collaboration as manifested in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America (§ 21 and 22).
On 22 June 2009 the Pontifical Council for the Laity decreed recognition of the Pan American Catholic Health Care Association as an international association of the faithful.
IDENTITY
The purposes of the association are to promote works of charity, mercy, and social development in the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church, ministering to the needy by providing for health care needs (dental care, birth preparation, medicines etc.) and help those who serve the sick and suffering throughout the American Continent.
It collaborates with Caritas agencies and Catholic Dioceses in each of the countries where it implements programs; it collaborates also with Catholic Relief Services of the United States of America, with the Catholic Universities of the Dominican Republic and of Honduras and various Health association and facilities in the US and Latin America (Dominican Republic, Grenadines, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, and Saint Vincent). The specific goals and objectives pursued by the PACHCN within the context of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and its social justice teachings and principles are tangible manifestations of the desire of the Church in the Caribbean and Latin America to pursue greater solidarity within the Universal Church, greater responsibility and self-determination, and an advancement of its Health Pastoral.
ORGANISATION
The governing body is composed by a President, a Chairman, a Secretary, a Chief Executive Officer and a Board. The Board consists of representatives from Catholic Health Care from Latin American Countries and the United States of America.
MEMBERSHIP
The Pan American Catholic Health Care Association is present in 8 countries of South America and Carribean (7) and in North America (1).
WORKS
The association carries out various project to help improve the health situation in the American continent. It carries out various activities for fundraising in order to implement the goals of the same association. Pan American Catholic Health Care Association organizes International conferences to unite health care providers, government leaders, and Catholic organizations in improving the quality and availability of health care. An annual Pan American Catholic Health Care Dialogue is held each year.
Hope for a Healthier Humanity Foundation (HHH) serves as the implementing agency for PACHCN.
HEADQUARTERS
PACHCN
230 Vernon Avenue
Staten Island, NY USA 10309
Telephone: 001 718 966 4750
Fax: 001 718 356 8006
e-mail: infohh.us.org
PUBLICATIONS
A Newsletter is published twice a year.
WEBSITE
www.hhh.us.org
