News
Follow on all fronts as the movement around The Heart of Nuba gains momentum.
Tom Catena ’86 Names 2024 NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award Recipient
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Dr. Tom Catena, a former All-American football player and mechanical engineering major at Brown, developed a sense of service in his collegiate years. It wasn't until he was driving home from his aunt's funeral shortly after he graduated in...
Annual Amsterdam 5K Run/Walk raises funds for Mother of Mercy
The 8th annual Thanks4Giving 5k Run/Walk and 1 Mile Walk in Amsterdam, New York, was held Thursday, with 246 participants. The run, in Dr. Tom's home town, raises funds for their local hero, Dr. Tom Catena, and Mother of Mercy Hospital. read article
Newsweek: Why an American Doctor Remained in War-Torn Sudan
Should happiness be the focus of one's life, or something deeper? Tom Catena, a doctor for 14 years in the Nuba Mountains in Sudan — a desolate, rebel-held area that was bombed repeatedly from 2011 until 2018 by the Khartoum government when Omar al-Bashir was...
Dr. Tom Catena Receives Honorary Doctorate from Duke University
One of the highlights of the commencement ceremony is the awarding of honorary degrees to individuals for outstanding accomplishments and service the world. This year, President Vincent Price conferred bestowed degrees upon a medical missionary, a scientist turned...
A Chance to Give Back, by Tom Catena
This coming March, we, at the Mother of Mercy Hospital, will celebrate our fourteenth year of operation. We are located in rebel-held territory in the remote region of the Nuba Mountains in the southern part of the Sudan. Even though there is currently a ceasefire...
Dr. Tom on Events in Sudan
Dr. Tom Catena emailed Kennth Carlson (Director of The Heart of Nuba) today and spoke briefly about the current events, and coup, in Sudan. As usual, he is walking with a steadfast vision forward, to the job at hand, taking changes in stride as he continues to focus...
Video Update from Dr. Tom
Dr. Tom sent us a short video update from his phone, with some warm words for The Heart of Nuba and the network that has gathered around the film and provided invaluable support for the hospital. Enjoy.
Update from Dr. Tom in Nuba
Hello from rainy Nuba. Finally getting some good rain on this end after a dry start. Nasima spent the day planting peanuts. Francis is in a neighboring village this week visiting his cousins. He thinks he’s a big man now but he doesn’t realize...
Aurora Foundation Launches New Global Initiative
The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has launched its new program, the Aurora Community, to actively support the program members by connecting them with each other in accordance with their area of intervention, encouraging them to exchange their knowledge, and promoting...
Dr. Tom Delivers Keynote for WISH Summit
Dr. Tom Catena delivered the keynote address to the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), on November 15. The theme of this year's Summit was ''One World Our Health''. To quote the WISH promotion of the event: ''Dr. Tom,' as he is affectionately known to his...
The Catena Family Expands!
We could not be more delighted to share some recent photos from Dr. Tom of his and Nasima's new family member! This year the adoption of their son, Francis Gene, was finalized, bringing a much-earned source of love and joy into the Catena tukal (household). There is...
An Update from Dr. Tom
The situation here in Nuba has been pretty stable for the past year. The Transitional government in Khartoum and the SPLA-N rebels have met recently for peace talks but were unable to reach any conclusions. The SPLA-N is demanding that Sudan have a secular (not...
Dr. Tom records COVID-19 video message from Sudan for health workers in hometown
Despite having no cell phone service and limited bandwidth available in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan, Amsterdam native Dr. Tom Catena recorded a video message of solidarity to honor health workers in his home town of Amsterdam, NY during the COVID-19 crisis and...
Crazy Amazing Humans with Katrina Carlson Featuring Dr. Tom
Katrina Carlson has always been a front-line supporter of Dr. Tom and The Heart of Nuba, writing and performing "Bloom," the original song for the film, and traveling across the globe to perform at special screenings. So we are excited to announce the...
Reflections on an Earlier Interview
On March 27, 2018, Ishay Sesay of CNNi did a riveting 20 minute segment wtih Kenneth A. Carlson and Dr. Tom Catena about The Heart of Nuba. Carlson and Catena both talk about their aspirations for the Nuba people, which included al-Bashir being brought to...