The Atlanta Guild of the Catholic Medical Association is sponsoring its 17th annual program on Saturday, March 10, at Mary Our Queen Church, 6260 The Corners Parkway, Norcross. The program will begin with the 5 p.m. vigil Mass with the parish.

Mass will be followed by the guild’s annual banquet and program in Kiernan Hall. Petite Auberge, a French and German restaurant in Toco Hills, will cater the event. The after-dinner program will feature Dr. Christopher Rosko, an emergency room physician at the University of Alabama University Hospital and the Veterans Administration Medical Center, who will speak on “The Catholic Physician and the Gospel of Life.” Pope John Paul II’s encyclical is probably one of the most important Church documents on bioethics and topics pertinent to the practice of medicine.

Rosko was one of the founders of the Birmingham guild of the Catholic Medical Association and he completed the health care bioethics certification program through the National Catholic Bioethics Center. In addition to his medical responsibilities, he is a permanent deacon at St. Peter’s Church in Birmingham, Ala.

The Catholic Medical Association, founded in 1932, is the largest national organization of Catholic physicians and is based in Philadelphia. Its mission is for its members to witness to the truths of the Catholic faith as applied to the science and practice of medicine. On a national level, it works with other Catholic and Christian biomedical organizations to promote a culture of life. Locally, its members are active in medical missions, marriage preparation, teaching natural family planning, and speaking on the various life issues.

Advance registration by Tuesday, March 6, is required for the event with no registration at the door. The dinner is $50 per person and $90 per couple. Checks may be made out to CMA-Atlanta, 2167 Northlake Parkway, Suite 105, Tucker, GA 30084. To register by credit card, call (770) 491-0353, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.