The Diocese of Camden will recognize the service to Catholic health care of three individuals with the presentation of the St. Luke Award at the annual White Mass for Healthcare Workers on Sunday, Oct. 19, 1 p.m., in the chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden. Msgr. John H. Burton, vicar general of the diocese, will be the principal celebrant.
The event is co-sponsored by the Diocese of Camden and the South Jersey Catholic Medical Association. A reception, sponsored by Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center will follow the Mass.
The keynote speaker at the reception this year will be Father Terry Odien, vicar for clergy. The topic will be “Spiritual Issues in End of Life Care.”
The White Mass is scheduled each year on a Sunday near the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, who tradition holds was a physician. All healthcare workers and their families are invited to attend.
The St. Luke Awards recipients this year are Joseph W. Devine, president and CEO of Kennedy Health Systems, and member of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Turnersville; Father James J. Durkin, retired chaplain, St. Mary’s Catholic Home, Cherry Hill; and social worker David Haggerty of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Haddon Township.
Under Joseph W. Devine’s leadership, the Kennedy Health System has been honored as one of the best hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report (2014-15), as well as being named a Top Workplace by Philly.com. This year Kennedy received an award from the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ network as Top Performing Hospital for safe, high-quality and effective patient care.
Devine serves as a Eucharistic minister at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish and was parish council president for many years. He is frequently seen on nights and weekends visiting Kennedy patients at all three hospitals to see how they are feeling and praying with them.
Devine has championed behavioral health initiatives in southern New Jersey and organized all of the health system CEOs in the region to conduct a summit to address mental health issues.
Devine’s other achievements include receiving the Community Benefit Award at a Dancing with the Gloucester County’s Stars event by raising $62,000 for Kennedy’s Ronald McDonald House Charities Pediatric Center and, in 2013, receiving the Gloucester County NAACP’s Corporate Diversity Award in recognition of Kennedy’s commitment to diversity in the workplace.
Devine serves as a member of the Adam Taliaferro Foundation, which supports athletes with spinal cord injuries. He has also been chairperson for the South Jersey Heart Walk, chairperson for the regional Arthritis Foundation Walk, and is active in many other charitable events.
Devine holds a master’s degree in business administration from Philadelphia’s St. Joseph’s University. He is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, its highest level of recognition.
Devine and his wife, Dina, have two married daughters.
Father James J. Durkin was resident chaplain at St. Mary’s Catholic Home, Cherry Hill, until he retired on June 30.
During his five years as chaplain, he “demonstrated by his words and actions a true caring and compassionate affection for the residents and staff,” the diocese said in a statement.
“He has enhanced the spiritual principles of the nursing home by interacting with residents, staff and family members. He has formed a monthly Scripture group for Manor residents. Over the years he has distinguished himself as a tireless minister of the Gospel and a compassionate and caring priest in the service of God and his people,” it said.
Father Durkin was raised in Gloucester City where he attended St. Mary’s Elementary School and Gloucester Catholic High School, graduating in 1958. In September of 1958 he entered the Salvatorian Jordan Seminary in Menominee, Mich., and then Mount St. Mary’s College and Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md. He was ordained May 18, 1968.
During his 46 years of ministry he has been parochial vicar in numerous parishes. He has been pastor of St. Lucy’s Parish, Blue Anchor, St. Matthew’s Parish, National Park, Our Lady of Pompeii Parish, Vineland, and St. Luke’s Parish, Stratford.
Since 1983, David Haggerty, a licensed clinical social worker has been in full time private practice, specializing in individual, marriage and family therapy in Voorhees.
Married 43 years, he and his wife, Marge, have three children and nine grandchildren. They were active in the Pre-Cana Program for five years and have taught CCD and are Eucharistic ministers.
For the past 18 years, Haggerty has led a prayer/rosary group at his parish to pray for the pope’s intentions, world peace, and the sanctity of human life at every stage.
He received a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work and completed partial studies as a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the Fielding Institute in California. He completed one year of internship at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center in the mentally impaired program, a one year internship at the Jewish Family Services in Philadelphia with their Family Aide Bureau and an 18-month internship in neuro-psychology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
He has worked with the juvenile delinquents at St. Gabriel’s Hall in Phoenixville, Pa. He worked as an outpatient therapist with the Camden County Mental Health Clinic at Lakeland and was a school social worker with the Washington Township School District in their alternative high school program. He was director of Social Services for the Camden County at the Lakeland complex. He has also been director of the group therapy program for alcoholic patients at the Camden County Psychiatric Hospital and clinical supervisor for Catholic Social Services in the Camden Diocese and served as a consultant to the Camden Diocesan offices for Vocations and Priest Personnel.
To attend the White Mass please RSVP to 856-342-4150 or email Katherine.boyer@camdendiocese.org
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