News
Follow on all fronts as the movement around The Heart of Nuba gains momentum.
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...
“Heroic American Surgeon” Dr. Tom Earns Top Medical Missionary Award
Dr. Tom Catena has been honored with a top medical missionary award, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Catena will be presented with the Gerson L'Chaim Prize for Outstanding Christian Medical Missionary Service at an awards ceremony in New York City, April...
Special Screening of The Heart of Nuba in Yerevan, Armenia
The Heart of Nuba screened at the 2019 Impact Humanity Television and Film Festival in Yerevan, Armenia in October. The film festival is produced under the umbrella of the Aurora Foundation. The Heart of Nuba received a ten minute standing ovation,...
Golf Event Raises more than $100,000 for Mother of Mercy Hospital
Steve Kettelberger, President of Blue Rock Construction in Philadelphia, and Dr. Tom first met while playing football at Brown University. In 2014, Steve joined Dr. Tom at the National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner where Dr. Tom was awarded the...
Dr. Tom, With Aurora Delegation, Receives Blessing from Pope Frances
On October 2, a delegation from the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative including Dr. Tom Catena received a special blessing from His Holiness Pope Francis during their visit to the Vatican. The visit was part of a wider trip from the group to Rome, during...
Nicholas Kristof: These Are Stories That Still Touch Me
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof travels around the U.S. and the world, shedding light on crises and unsung heroes. After 35 years at the Times, he compiled some of the work that is still particularly meaningful to him. Amid touching stories of...
Tom Catena in Fresno, CA for Aurora Prize Tour
In addition to caring for the people of the Nuba Mountains, this year, as the Aurora Prize Initiative Chair, Dr. Tom has been traveling and speaking about the Mother of Mercy Hospital and the Aurora Prize, conveying what the prize meant to him, and...
Dr. James Peck on Volunteering at Mother of Mercy Hospital
One of the gifts that has made it possible for Dr. Tom to travel and inspire others is having new doctors and surgeons do volunteer stints at Mother of Mercy Hospital, arranged through the long-term supporters of Mother of Mercy at the Catholic...
Tom Catena to Speak at the 2019 World Health Summit in Berlin, Oct 27-29
Dr. Tom Catena, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Chair and 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate, will participate as speaker at the 2019 World Health Summit to take place on October 27 to 29, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Dr. Catena will join leading healthcare experts and...
America Magazine: Dr. Tom in the Role of Religion in his Work
In a moving first-person article for America Magazine, Dr. Tom Catena talks about his work at Mother of Mercy Hospital, and the role that his religion has played in his decision to stay when others were evacuating, and how he deals with the pain and...