LEAVENWORTH — On Feb. 28, Synergy Complete Healthcare here, a primary care clinic owned and operated by nurse practitioner Judith Beck, ARNP, was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a special ceremony and Mass conducted by Father Xavier Nacke, a monk from Conception Abbey, Missouri.
In its broad sense, consecration means to set something apart for God and for God’s purposes. It means to “make holy” something and is a devotional act of adoration to God by offering to him something of oneself or of one’s possessions.
In this case, it’s also for Beck herself, who has been praying for this for the past two years. Something common or earthly becomes something holy and set apart with consecration, she believes. A change happens. Now her consecrated company is set apart for God and his purposes and is therefore different from like enterprises in the commercial or secular world.
“I opened my clinic 12 years ago using a Direct Primary Care model to provide the best quality health care to patients, many of whom could not afford huge medical bills or the high premiums charged by health insurance companies,” she explained. “My employees and I have always tried to treat all our patients as family and how we would want to be treated.
“We also believe that good health care includes addressing a patient’s bodily needs but also their mental and spiritual needs as well,” said Beck.
Synergy’s consecration Mass included not only the owner, but also its employees and several of its patients in its small clinic.
“While we are not a church, we previously had our clinic blessed with holy water by our parish priest, and have blessed crosses, crucifixes and St. Benedict medals throughout the clinic,” said Beck. “But we felt ready to take the next step and consecrate ourselves and the clinic to Jesus, the Great Physician.”
