DUNWOODY—The Atlanta Guild of the Catholic Medical Association is sponsoring its 20th annual program on Saturday, Feb. 28, at All Saints Church, 2443 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody.

The program begins with participation in the 5 p.m. vigil Mass in the church, followed by a catered banquet in the social hall and after dinner program.

The topic will be “Catholic Teaching on Euthanasia and End of Life.” The newly appointed chaplain of the Atlanta Guild, Father Neil Dhabliwala, will give the talk. Pastor of St. Luke Church, Dahlonega, he was also appointed chaplain to the guild by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory this year.

The Atlanta Guild is one of 90 guilds chartered by the Catholic Medical Association, the largest national organization of Catholic physicians. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the mission of the CMA is to witness to the truths of the Catholic faith in the science and practice of medicine, foster relationships among Catholic physicians and health care professionals, and help them to grow in their spiritual lives.

The Feb. 28 program is designed to be of value to all physicians and health care professionals as more states are passing physician-assisted suicide laws and the population of the U.S. is aging. There will also be a discussion about POLST (physician orders for life-sustaining treatment) and spiritual aspects of suffering.

Advance registration is required for the event with no registration at the door. The cost of the program is $50 per person and $90 per couple. The registration deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 24.

On a national level, the CMA works with other Catholic and Christian biomedical organizations to promote a culture of life. CMA, established for over 80 years, has physician representation on the pro-life and health care reform committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The 2014 annual meeting in Florida drew over 600 participants. This year’s meeting, entitled “Healing the Wounded Culture” will be held Oct. 1 -3 in Philadelphia, the week after the visit by Pope Francis.