Annual Diocesan White Mass celebrates healthcare professionals, caregivers

Bishop Joseph M. Siegel celebrated the 2026 White Mass for the Diocese of Evansville on Oct. 15 at St. Joseph Parish in Jasper. The liturgy honored physicians, nurses, healthcare professionals, volunteers, patients, and their families.

The annual Mass is held on or near the Oct. 18 feast of St. Luke, the patron of healthcare professionals. The name refers to the white lab coats worn by medical workers. The tradition in the United States began following the establishment of the National Catholic Medical Association in the early 1930s.

Father John Brosmer, pastor of St. Joseph Parish and Dean of the East Deanery, and Father Keith Hart, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, concelebrated the Mass. Other concelebrants included Father Ron Kreilein, Father J. Kenneth Walker, Father Simon Natha, and Father Ray Brenner. Deacon Gary Keepes and Deacon Bill Blanke, both physicians, assisted in the liturgy.