1. Executive Director’s reflection
2. Sr. Maryanna Coyle, SC dies
3. Planning task forces still need you
4. Meeting to measure pastoral effectiveness
5. NACC Conference 2008
6. Preparations begin for Spiritual Care Summit 2009
7. Seeking a new 2009 Summit vice chair
8. A model for local/regional meetings
9. Chaplains to gather in St. Louis
10. CHA orients NACC members to mission integration
11. NACC building board for future
12. Offer comments on disaster response framework
13. Share the Strategic Plan
Over the past couple weeks I have been blessed to meet, speak with, and learn from so many NACC members in St. Louis, Orlando, and on diverse planning phone calls. I have been struck by the number of e-mails, phone calls, cards, and letters. I deeply appreciate your prayer and best wishes for me, and your care about the present and future of the NACC was very encouraging and heartening.
You shared with me: the power of the chaplaincy profession and the inspiration provided by those you minister to; the hunger for substantive and nourishing exchange with other NACC members; the appreciation for the NACC staff; the importance of an excellent, consistent certification process; the desire for inclusion by younger chaplains; the pain of those whose endorsing ordinaries want the “chaplain” title only for the ordained; and the willingness to help create NACC’s future initiatives. Thank you.
We so appreciated your numerous and quick responses to the new NACC Now. Several of you introduced yourself and your involvement in NACC, and generously offered your services. We will say “yes” to your offers!
I mentioned in our first NACC Now that I have been moved by the stories that many of you shared of how you embraced the ministry of chaplaincy or your current experience, and I invited your stories of the mystery, meaning, and movement of God's work through chaplaincy. Several of you offered a glimpse of your call. We’d like to share the story this week of how Jim Castello felt the call of God in a darkened swimming pool. To read more, click here. Please consider sharing yours by sending it me at dlichter@nacc.org.
Sr. Maryanna Coyle, SC, diesSr. Maryanna Coyle, SC, died Sept. 15 in Cincinnati, OH. She was a longtime friend and affiliate of the NACC and was a charter extern member when our national Board of Directors was created in 2001. Check your October issue of Vision for more information about this remarkable woman.
Planning task forces still need youThanks to many of you who volunteered your time to provide your best thinking on marketing, recruitment, volunteer leadership development, long-range financial development, and membership to the association. There is still time to join one of these task forces. We need your wisdom. For more information and to sign up, click here.
Meeting to measure pastoral effectivenessNACC, the Catholic Health Association, and Alegent Health are co-sponsoring a Pastoral Care Summit from October 21-24 in Omaha, NE. More than 60 invited representatives will gather, including Catholic health religious sponsors, mission integration executives, CPE supervisors, directors of pastoral care, chaplains, representatives from graduate schools in pastoral ministry, researchers, and representatives of NACC and the Spiritual Care Collaborative. We will work through the facilitated Decision Accelerator process that leads the group to a vision of pastoral care, and the metrics and measurements to assess its effectiveness. Brian Yanofchick, Senior Director of Mission Integration for CHA, has worked closely to plan the event with several NACC board members, including Karen Pugliese, Bridget Deegan-Krause, Paul Marceau, Alan Bowman, and Barbara Brumleve, along with David Lichter. For more information, click here.
NACC Conference 2008We are excited to announce the theme for our 2008 Conference, April 5-8 in Indianapolis, IN: “Bringing Gifts That Differ in Splendid Varied Ways.” We have a terrific committee who have been working hard to develop a theme which we will weave throughout the entire conference. For updates, committee members, and information about Indianapolis, please click here
Preparations begin for Spiritual Care Summit 2009Thirty-eight representatives from the six Spiritual Care Collaborative groups met recently to begin plans for the Spiritual Care Summit in February 2009. NACC planning team members include: Mary Pat Campbell (Wausau, WI) for education, Mary Ann Cowan (Tampa Bay, FL) for local arrangements, Rev. Jim Kunz (Rochester, MN) for worship, and Pablo Holquin (Austin, TX) for collaborative events, along with David Lichter. David Baker (Stevens Point, WI) could not attend but is assisting with fund raising. Thanks to the great team.
Seeking a new 2009 Summit vice chairNACC seeks a motivated and energetic member to assume the Vice Chair of the SCC ’09 Spiritual Care Summit. The main duties will include working with the summit volunteers, and helping the chair by tracking and distributing the planning details of the planning teams. If you interested or can recommend someone, please contact . For more information about the position, please click here.
A model for local/regional meetingsThis coming Thursday-Friday, September 27-28, the North Central Prairie Chaplains Association is meeting in Alexandria, MN, for its annual gathering. Given the remoteness of many of its chaplains, this annual assembly is a high priority for those who come from Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. For an overview of their schedule click here.
Chaplains to gather in St. LouisOn Saturday, October 6, chaplains in the St. Louis area will have the opportunity to meet the NACC’s new executive director, David Lichter, for reflective sharing on their chaplaincy. Details will be made available on the NACC website this week. Area chaplains should look for a special email with information as well.
CHA orients NACC members to mission integrationTwo weeks ago in St. Louis, CHA offered its annual program, The Prophetic Voice, for new mission leaders, mission teams, and those considering a mission integration career in Catholic healthcare. David Lichter met CHA leaders and many NACC members who participated in this high-quality program. NACC member Mary Lou O’Gorman gave an excellent overview of the relationship of healthcare mission to pastoral care. Congratulations to all the NACC chaplains who are now assuming mission integration positions within Catholic healthcare!
NACC building board for futureIn August you received by mail the ballot to re-elect board members Karen Pugliese and Norma Gutierrez, MDCP. While the process seemed to some an unnecessary formality and expense, it was required by the NACC bylaws in place at the time. At their September meeting, the NACC board approved several recommendations made by the Reid Group, including a re-election process in which the Board affirms the second term rather than the membership. In the coming weeks, the board will also be appointing two new board members to fill needed competencies. We look forward to announcing these new members in the near future. To view the recommendations for the board’s future operation, visit this page.
Offer comments on disaster response frameworkThe Department of Homeland Security has developed a new National Response Framework for responses to a disaster. The American Red Cross and faith community partners have been briefed on the plan, which is now in a public comment phase. Earl Johnson of the American Red Cross has asked us to read it and consider what preparedness activities or gaps might currently exist and how we can work together to build the capacity and diversity of the American Red Cross Spiritual Care Response Team. The deadline is Oct. 10. You can obtain a comment form and instructions for submission online at this link.
Share the Strategic PlanWe hope that by now most of you have received your September Vision, which contains a copy of our five-year strategic plan in the center. We encourage you to save that plan, refer to it later, and share it with others, e.g. chaplains in other associations, directors of pastoral care or mission effectiveness, hospital executives, bishops, etc. To request extra copies to distribute, please write to vision@nacc.org, or you can view and print the PDF at this page.