Dr. John F. Bertagnolli Jr., D.O., remembers the life-changing moment when he fully realized his calling not only as a physician, but to the diaconate as well.
In was the late 1990s, and he was on his first missionary trip to Jamaica with four fellow parishioners. Their goal: to assist the Missionaries of the Poor in caring for the men, women and children residing in the area’s homeless shelters.
At first, Dr. Bertagnolli decided not to disclose that he was a doctor. However, a 20-year-old Missionary of the Poor quickly noticed the obvious as the two spent time caring for sick infants in Kingston.
“He told me he knew I was a doctor by how I examined the babies as I bathed them,” Dr. Bertagnolli explained. “Asking me if I had my medical supplies, I replied to him, ‘Of course I do.’ To this, he said, ‘Use the gifts God gave you.’”
“This is when my faith and work started to meld together,” Dr. Bertagnolli said. Indeed, a decade later, he would be ordained a permanent deacon.
For this dedication to the care of others not only oversees, but throughout South Jersey, Dr. Bertagnolli will receive the Saint Luke Award for medical excellence during the Diocese of Camden’s annual White Mass. Father James King, spiritual adviser for the South Jersey Catholic Medical Guild, will be the main presider for the Mass. All are invited; the celebration will begin at 1 p.m. Oct. 22 in Saint Luke Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Shrine, Stratford. There will be a reception following Mass.
Organized by VITALity Catholic Healthcare Services Diocese of Camden and the South Jersey Catholic Medical Guild, the Mass honors health care professionals and their commitment to serving the local community. It is typically held closest to the feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist, patron saint of physicians and health care workers. His feast day is Oct. 18.
Board-certified in family medicine and hospice and palliative care, Dr. Bertagnolli is a team director at Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice in New Jersey, and a recently retired professor of family medicine at the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine.
His innovative teaching methods have earned him numerous national and regional awards as well as the American Osteopathic Association’s Mentor of the Year Award. An expert in caring for the homebound, he has had numerous papers and writings published; he has also acted as a local, regional and national speaker on palliative and hospice care.
“Dr. John Bertagnolli embodies the essence of Catholic health care in his dedication to the profession of medicine and his commitment to his faith,” said Deacon Gerard Jablonowski, VITALity’s executive director. “As a doctor and as a deacon, John embraces the practice of medicine as a vehicle of healing for both the body and the spirit of those he encounters.”
In 2011, Dr. Bertagnolli was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Trenton, serving at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Moorestown. Father James Grogan, parish pastor, called the deacon an “exemplary Catholic gentleman [who] witnesses his faith in unique ways.”
“A significant portion of how he lives out the Gospel becomes reflected in his ministry to the poor,” Father Grogan said, referencing Kingston, Jamaica, where Dr. Bertagnolli has led a mission group of Our Lady of Good Counsel parishioners and medical students since 1998.
Deacon Jablonowski expressed similar sentiments. “His care for the terminally ill and his missionary medical service to those in the poorest areas of Jamaica serve as witness to his faith and an understanding of his life as the hands and heart of Jesus made present to those who seek God’s healing mercy. We congratulate Dr. Bertagnolli on being this year’s recipient of the Saint Luke Award.”
To attend the Mass and luncheon, R.S.V.P. by Oct. 19 by calling 856-583-6123 or e-mailing VITALity-Events@camdendiocese.org. Saint Luke Church is located at 55 Warwick Road, Stratford.
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