NCR's Person of the Year for 2010: Sister Carol Keehan, Daughter of Charity

Dec. 31, 2010
An NCR Editorial
http://ncronline.org/news/people/ncrs-person-year-2010
"In the spring of 2010, as the national debate on health care reform seemed deadlocked, Sr. Carol Keehan, the Daughter of Charity who is president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, led her organization to endorse the legislation and thus helped pass it through Congress. The move put health care coverage within the reach of an additional 32 million Americans..."
And then, last month, Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted withdrew the “Catholic” designation from St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center because he said the hospital wouldn’t accept his full authority about a medical case that he had deemed to be an abortion. The hospital had said it was acting to save a life.
As NCR tried to report on St. Joseph’s losing its Catholic status, we sought comments from ecclesial authorities and canon lawyers. Despite copious commentary produced over several months from ethicists and moral theologians who reasoned the hospital had acted compassionately and morally, no one had much to say for the record on this latest development, beyond acknowledging Olmsted’s right to do what he thinks best in his own diocese. No one, that is, except the Catholic Health Association, led by Keehan, who supported the hospital... "
"And that’s why Sr. Carol Keehan is NCR’s person of the year for 2010..."

Bridget Mary's Reflection
Congratulations, Sister Carol Keehan, for speaking truth to power and reflecting the highest ethical, moral standards, our Church teaches. Sometimes, the bishops, including Bishop Olmsted get it wrong. This is one of those times. Let us pray for the courage to follow Sr. Carol Keehan's example in not keeping a low profile as advised by the "don't rock the hierarchial boat" crowd. In my view, our institutional church needs a good rocking now and again to set it on course !www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org