The Meaning of Mission

I just returned from ROME, Italy, following a spiritual retreat for the Board of Trustees of Catholic Healthcare Partners (CHP) a large not for profit system headquartered in Cincinnati OH. I have been on the CHP Board for ten years and this retreat was the culmination of our visits to the "mother houses" of the orders of sisters who have come together to help form the system. For me, this was a journey to learn more about the mission of CHP and to see it in action in real time!! We visited various key Vatican dicasteries, or Papal Offices, concerned with health care world wide. We had a chance to meet with key leaders within the dicasteries and to further our understanding of the role of the Catholic Church in global health issues. Among the highlights of the trip was our participation in the weekly Papal audience with our special seats just a few feet away from the Holy Father.CHP is a mission driven organization with a core goal of taking care of the poor and underserved. In these challenging times, seeing the mission in real life and almost being able to actually "touch" it made me better appreciate its meaning. As always, I am interested in your views here too. Thanks for your support, DAVID NASH