Taking Care of the Whole Person

Deacon Peter McCourt is happy about his new surroundings. No more snow; palm trees line the streets, and the air is warmer than in Richmond, Virginia. But even more, he is delighted to be back in healthcare after seven years as a founding president at Cristo Rey High School, a recently founded Catholic school. “Health Care really is my mission,” says Deacon McCourt. Deacon McCourt serves as the Vice President of Mission Integration for the Christus Spohn Health System, which was founded by Dr. Arthur Spohn and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio.
 
The 52-year-old has a Master’s in Liturgical and Moral Theology. He discerned in the seminary to become a priest, but understood that God was calling him to marriage. His first job after his studies was in Young Adult Ministry at a Newman Center in Virginia. Later, he earned a Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership from the University of Notre Dame and worked for 15 years in Catholic Healthcare Mission leadership for the Bon Secours Richmond Health System in Richmond, Virginia. “For decades, religious were in those roles, ensuring the spiritual background of a hospital or other care facilities. But now, with fewer vocations, lay people step in and take care of the mission.”
 
He oversees the spiritual care of the staff and patients. A significant part of his field is the chaplains and chaplains in residency. The whole department has 26 employees for the six hospitals in Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Alice and Beeville. The chaplains belong to different Christian denominations. Still, the majority of patients identify as Catholics “or used-to-be Catholics.” Three people are working in Community Outreach; one is a full-time Ethicist, and twelve ethics consultants are on call when patients or family members have questions about treatment.
 
Church relations – with the Bishop, parishes, and other religious organizations – are part of his job, as well as collaborating with non-profits and advocating for the well-being of the community, in a broad sense. “We want to care for the whole person, and advocacy for the quality of education, for jobs, and care for creation are part of that, too.”
 
“We have a strong Catholic identity,” he says about Christus Spohn. Mass is celebrated daily at Shoreline Hospital South Hospital, and regularly at our other hospitals as well as broadcast to patient rooms; the sacraments are offered, and spiritual resources are available for both staff and patients. McCourt regards this as “the basics.” Additionally, he explains that Catholics should be advocates: “Christus Spohn constantly strives to form partnerships, cultivate a sense of the common good, and influence legislation.”
 
He knew his predecessor, Steve Kazanjian, and applied for the position last year. McCourt has been married for 26 years; his wife is an architect and is finishing some projects in Richmond. They have two children, a son (21) and a daughter (20). His passion is in music – the deacon plays piano and guitar; “I studied music as an undergrad.” While Bishop Mulvey assigned him to the hospital as a deacon, he is also looking for a parish once he and his wife find a permanent house.