Faith
Spiritual Fellowship
Supporting doctors and healthcare workers in integrating their Catholic faith with everyday medical practice, ethics, and patient care.
Faith • Ethics • Excellence in Care
Inspiring Physicians, Healing Patients, Living the Faith in Medicine.
The Catholic Medical Association of Lubbock unites physicians, healthcare professionals, residents, and medical students across West Texas in upholding the dignity of the human person from conception to natural end.
Who We Are
The Catholic Medical Association in Lubbock
Forming a community of conscience, compassion, and professional excellence.
Mentorship
Student Formation
Walking alongside Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) medical, nursing, and pharmacy students facing modern ethical dilemmas.
Ethics
Defense of Human Life
Promoting Hippocratic medicine and defending the sacred dignity of every patient from conception to natural death in hospitals and clinics.
Photo Album
White Mass and Guild Photo Album
Spiritual Foundation
Prayer of the Catholic Physician
Bestowed by Pope Saint John Paul II • The Vatican, June 29, 2000
Lord Jesus,
Divine Physician, who in your earthly life showed special concern for those who suffer and entrusted to your disciples the ministry of healing, make us ever ready to alleviate the trials of our brethren. Make each one of us, aware of the great mission that is entrusted to him, strive always to be, in the performance of daily service, an instrument of your merciful love. Enlighten our minds, guide our hands, make our hearts diligent and compassionate. Ensure that in every patient we know how to discern the features of your divine Face.
You who are the Way, provide us with the gift of knowing how to imitate you every day as medical doctors not only of the body but of the whole person, helping those who are sick to tread with trust their own earthly path until the moment of their encounter with You.
You who are the Truth, provide us with the gift of wisdom and science in order to penetrate the mystery of the human person and their transcendent destiny as we draw near to them in order to discover the causes of their maladies and find suitable remedies.
You who are the Life, provide us with the gift of preaching and bearing witness to the 'Gospel of life' in our profession, committing ourselves to defending it always, from conception to its natural end, and to respect the dignity of every human being, and especially the dignity of the weakest and the most in need.
Make us O Lord, Good Samaritans, ready to welcome, treat, and console those we encounter in our work. Following the example of the holy medical doctors who have preceded us, help us to offer our generous contribution to the constant renewal of health care structures.
Bless our studies and our profession, enlighten our research and our teaching. Lastly, grant to us, having constantly loved and served You in our suffering brethren, that at the end of our earthly pilgrimage we may contemplate your glorious countenance and experience the joy of the encounter with You in your Kingdom of joy and everlasting peace. Amen.
History and Leadership
Catholic Medicine in West Texas Since 1997
Honoring the physicians who first gathered to establish the Lubbock CMA Guild.
Our Origins in Lubbock
In 1997, as the national organization transitioned from the National Federation of Catholic Physicians Guilds to the Catholic Medical Association, local physicians in Lubbock established the guild to provide camaraderie, bioethical guidance, and faithful witness across the healthcare institutions of the South Plains.
Under the leadership of clinicians including Dr. Kenneth E. Kruczek, Deacon Dr. Benny Phillips, and Dr. Gary Simmons, the guild established annual White Masses, patient referral directories, and student engagement with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Today, the Lubbock Guild continues this mission under the leadership of current president Dr. Karl G. Pankratz, M.D., uniting Catholic healthcare professionals across West Texas in faithful service to God and neighbor.
Guild President • Orthopedic Surgery
Dr. Karl G. Pankratz, M.D.
Current President of the Catholic Medical Association Lubbock Guild, leading regional clinical fellowship and student mentorship.
Guild Pioneer • Internal Medicine & Cardiology
Dr. Kenneth E. Kruczek, D.O.
Dedicated physician and advocate for ethical clinical care and guild fellowship in Lubbock.
Guild Pioneer • Deacon • Obstetrics & Gynecology
Dr. Benny Phillips, M.D.
Longtime champion of maternal health, natural procreative care, and the defense of human life.
Guild Pioneer • Pathology
Dr. Gary Simmons, M.D.
Respected educator and pathologist committed to scientific truth, research, and Catholic formation.
Find Care
Physician and Healthcare Directory
Connect with Catholic physicians, specialists, dentists, and allied healthcare professionals in Lubbock and surrounding counties.
Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine
Dr. Karl G. Pankratz, M.D.
Lubbock Sports Medicine & Rehab
Address: 4110 22nd Place, Lubbock, TX 79410
Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
Dr. Michal M. Pankratz, M.D.
Texas Tech Physicians of Lubbock
Address: 4004 82nd St, Ste. C, Lubbock, TX 79423
Internal Medicine & Cardiovascular Care
Dr. Kenneth E. Kruczek, D.O.
Lubbock Practice
Address: 3506 21st Street, Ste. 605, Lubbock, TX 79410
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Dr. Christina Belle-Henry, M.D., FACOG
Women's Health Associates
Address: 5847 25th Street, Lubbock, TX 79407
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Dr. Benny Phillips, M.D.
Lubbock Practice
Address: 3621 22nd Street, Lubbock, TX 79410
Anatomic & Clinical Pathology
Dr. Gary Simmons, M.D.
Pathology Consultation
Address: 4005 24th St., Lubbock, TX 79410
Are you a Catholic physician, dentist, nurse, or therapist in Lubbock? Join the directory.
Submit Your Practice Listing
Gatherings and Liturgy
Guild Events and Traditions
Uniting for prayer, fellowship, and continuing formation.
Upcoming Social
Adult Prom
An evening of dinner, dancing, and community fellowship for healthcare professionals, physicians, spouses, and guild supporters.
Annual Liturgy
The White Mass
Celebrated annually for all healthcare personnel: doctors, nurses, technicians, residents, and medical students. White coats encouraged.
Past Gathering
Thanksgiving Dinner
A festive evening of gratitude, communal dinner, and fraternal fellowship bringing together Lubbock Catholic physicians, healthcare staff, and families.
Formation
Bioethics and Dinner Discussions
Evenings of discussion on end-of-life care, Catholic reproductive technology ethics, and conscience rights in modern medicine.
TTUHSC Outreach
Medical Student Mentorship
Connecting established Lubbock Catholic practitioners with TTUHSC medical students seeking faithful mentors in residency matching.
Get Involved
Join the Lubbock CMA Guild
Whether you are an active physician, retired clinician, nurse, dental practitioner, resident, or medical student, there is a place for you in our fellowship.
- Fellowship with like-minded Catholic healthcare colleagues
- Guidance on medical ethics and conscience protection
- Mentorship opportunities for healthcare students
- Inclusion in the local Catholic Provider Directory
- Affiliation with the National Catholic Medical Association (cathmed.org)
National Affiliation
The Catholic Medical Association is the largest association of Catholic physicians and healthcare professionals in North America. Visit cathmed.org for national conferences and journals.