The South Jersey Catholic Medical Guild, a chartered member of the Catholic Medical Association, and VITALity Catholic Healthcare Services welcome all to celebrate Healthcare Professionals at the annual Diocese of Camden White Mass. This Mass is held in recognition of the work of healthcare providers as they continue the healing mission of Jesus.

The main celebrant is Father James King, pastor of the Parish of St. John Neumann in North Cape May. Father King also serves as the spiritual advisor for the Guild.

Each year, through the St. Luke Award, the Guild recognizes an individual who is an exemplary example of the Catholic faith in their work in healthcare and has promoted Catholic principles and values throughout their career. The 2023 St. Luke Award recipient is John F. Bertagnolli, Jr., DO.

Kindly RSVP for the reception that follows the Mass by Thursday, October 19, 2023  by email at VITALiy-Events@CamdenDiocese.org or call us at 856-583-6123.

John F. Bertagnolli, Jr., DO

Dr. John F. Bertagnolli, Jr., is an Osteopathic physician, board-certified in Family medicine and Hospice and Palliative care. He is a team director of hospice care at Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice in New Jersey and a recently retired Professor of Family Medicine at the Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Bertagnolli’s practice focused on caring for the homebound patients through house calls. An expert in the field, he has published multiple papers and chapters in the medical field and has acted as a local, regional and national speaker on the topic of palliative and hospice care.

As a Professor of Family medicine at the Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Bertagnolli played a strong role in the development and administration of the curriculum. He directed the fourth year family medicine clerkship entitled “Pain and Palliative Medicine,” lectures to the first, second and third year students and oversees a hands-on lab. His innovative teaching methods have earned him numerous national and regional awards as well as the American Osteopathic Association’s (AOA) Mentor of the Year Award.

Since 1998 Dr. B has traveled to Kingston, Jamaica leading a group of parishioners from Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Moorestown, NJ as well as medical students and residents from multiple medical schools to serve in the ghetto of Kinston. Here they assisted the brothers of the Missionaries of the Poor headed by Father Ho Lung. During these trips Dr. B directed the day to day work of his volunteers as they assisted with the day to day general and medical care of the physically and mentally disabled men, women and children residing in the homeless shelters in the inner city ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica. His journeys have inspired former students, now attending physicians, to return and accompany Dr. B as mentors of other students.

In 2011 Dr. B was ordained a Deacon in the Diocese of Trenton and currently serves in the Parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Moorestown, NJ.