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Contents:
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. Message on Haiti from Earl E. Johnson of American Red Cross
3. Spiritual Care Collaborative committed to assist in mobilizing support for Haiti
4. Demonstrating outcomes in spiritual care
5. Watch for the 2010-2012 Spiritual Care Champions Series
6. Planning for 2010 Audio Conferences
7. Not many weeks left to register for NACC Conference 2010
8. Do’s and Don’ts of Registration for NACC Conference 2010
9. Seeking Items for the Silent Auction – NACC Conference 2010
10. American Red Cross SRT Training – NACC Conference 2010
11. NACC member has two articles published
12. Just two weeks left to order World Day of the Sick Prayer Cards!
13. Order your video promoting the chaplaincy profession
14. New positions for NACC members
15. Local/regional event dates
16. Other education events
17. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
18. Recent job postings
19. Positions wanted
Earl E. Johnson, our chaplain colleague with the American Red Cross uses the following Martin Luther King quote at the end of his e-mail, “Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter." So what do we say about Haiti?
The photos are haunting, are they not? The devastation of Haiti hangs over us, and daily the media captures the heartache and horrific destruction the earthquake caused. So how do I respond? We respond? What is the role of spiritual care professionals? The NACC?
Personally, I find myself drifting between the two worlds of the immediacy of daily demands and being drawn into compassion consciousness towards our family in Haiti, between wanting “just to do something right now” and reflecting on how we will be called upon in the long-term, between being numb and speechless before the agonizing outcomes of this natural tragedy and needing to “say something” if only a deep groan of grief for our brothers and sisters. I suspect these worlds are real for many of us.
Cecille Asekoff, the Executive Director of the NAJC, called me last Thursday and exhorted the SCC to make a statement of solidarity and support. The SCC Steering Committee quickly formulated a statement that is shared in the third item of the NACC Now. But what can we say and do? We mourn with our Haiti family. We each are responding personally in the way God calls each of us to do through prayer, financial support, and personal participation.
However, I believe our NACC members will be called upon today and many weeks and months into the future to minister in ways they initiate or are asked to do so that will help associates, patients, and families reflect on and respond to the people of Haiti. When we are burdened with our personal or family pain, illness, and loss how are we called upon simultaneously to embrace compassionately the enormous agony of others? In this question, we stand in the shadow of the cross, standing by/with the dying Jesus while experiencing profound personal loss and a sense of the senselessness of human suffering.
As a Catholic community, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) made a statement, and urged of parishes to take up a collection at yesterday’s liturgies. Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York spoke to this tragedy and how the Church is responding in a You Tube message. Both the USCCB statement and Archbishop Dolan’s message can be found at www.usccb.org.
Perhaps, we can be of most support and help to one another and those we serve if we shared with one another what we are doing or being asked to do to reflect upon and facilitate the responses of our associates, patients, and families. To that end, I encourage you to e-mail me at dlichter@nacc.org or use the following list serve to communicate with one another:
Discuss Earthquake in Haiti: January 2010
To use this discussion group, visit the link above to post a new message. Be sure to use the subscribe button to receive updates when new messages are added to the list
In gratitude for and with a prayer for blessings on your ministry,
David A. Lichter
Executive Director
Earl E. Johnson, M.Div, BCC, Senior Associate, Spiritual Care, Partner Services, American Red Cross NHQ, wrote this past week, to us, as colleagues:
One of our divisions, International Services, is tasked with coordinating our response to the devastating Haitian earthquake. My Division, Disaster Services, is helping to support both the efforts of our federal government partners, and International responders, and share response information with faith based disaster response organizations who seek to assist those so profoundly impacted by this disaster.
The main priority now is Search, Rescue, and Recovery. There are issues with mass fatality management and all efforts are being coordinated through the State Department for federal assets and Southern Command (US Military), for logistical transport of both human and material resources. The International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies are seeking to bring communications equipment so that survivors may contact their loved ones outside the country and report on their safety and welfare. The poorest country in our hemisphere has been devastated in its major population center. Those with so little to lose have now lost everything. No chaplains are currently being recruited to deploy with the American Red Cross. And, our federal teams are under extreme hardship restrictions---they must be completely self-sufficient. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people who have experienced so much loss.
The Steering Committee of the SCC prepared the following statement on January 14, 2010:
Our sisters and brothers of Haiti are experiencing devastating loss! The cognate groups of the Spiritual Care Collaborative express their compassion for our sisters and brothers of Haiti as they endure horrific suffering, and mourn with them at the death of thousands of their loved ones, neighbors, and leaders. We are especially aware of the unimaginable spiritual and emotional trials they are facing, as they now daily seek their lost and struggle to survive. Read more...
Our leaders are committed to work collaboratively with one another and with our respective associational members to respond swiftly and compassionately. We have many trained spiritual care responders for the American Red Cross who are prepared to be mobilized as needed.
However, as spiritual care leaders in diverse ministry settings throughout the United States and Canada, we are compelled by faith traditions that embrace a God who hears and responds to the cry of humanity and by the transformative power of compassion to work to mobilize and facilitate responses of care wherever our members serve, and lead our organizations to reflect upon and respond to the plight of this devastated people. We will use our respective pastoral care settings to encourage our colleagues and friends to find ways to express their solidarity with and support for our neighbors, our afflicted human family in Haiti.
Spiritual Care Collaborative: Association of Professional Chaplains, National Association of Jewish Chaplains, Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education, American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and National Association of Catholic Chaplains
Demonstrating outcomes in spiritual careIn the past few weeks, David Lichter has had conversations with some spiritual care leaders (mission leaders, directors of pastoral care) who expressed common issues around how systems are addressing the issue of demonstrating outcomes in spiritual care. We have had a task force examining metrics and productivity tools. We would like to host an initial call of those interested in the topic of “demonstrating outcomes in spiritual care” to see how we might help facilitate and resource sharing on the topic. Please contact Cindy Bridges (cbridges@nacc.org) if interested.
Watch for the 2010-2012 Spiritual Care Champions SeriesNACC was excited to participate in the planning of the 2010-2012 Spiritual Care Champions Webinar series with the many sponsoring Catholic Healthcare systems, including Catholic Health East, Ascension Health, Catholic Health Initiatives, Covenant Health System. We used the NACC Standards for Certification as a basis of developing the two year curriculum. They will be announced in the near future.
Planning for 2010 Audio ConferencesThe Education Advisory Panel will be meeting soon to evaluate the NACC 2009 audio conferences and assist with the choosing of topics for 2010. We plan to offer some specific theological content audio conferences to compliment the excellent Spiritual Care Champion Series. Please let Jeanine Annunziato (jannunziato@nacc.org), our Administrative Specialist Education Programs, know of theological topics you would like to see treated.
Not many weeks left to register for NACC Conference 2010Registrations for the NACC Conference 2010 are coming in. Is yours? Please join us! Bring a colleague or friend. Click here.
Do’s and Don’ts of Registration for NACC Conference 2010Ministry Focus Groups/Optional Box Lunch
If you have checked any of the Ministry Focus group selections on your conference registration page 2, please check also whether or not you are interested in the optional box lunch that will be provided for a cost of $25.00.
Selecting workshops
Below is the INCORRECT WAY to complete your workshop choices
Please indicate your three choices for each workshop per session using a 1, 2, and 3.
Saturday, March 20, 2010, 1:15 – 2:30 p.m.: | _1_N1 | ___N2 | ___N3 | ___N4 | ___N5 | ||
Sunday, March 21, 2010, 1:15 – 2:30 p.m.: | ___S1 | _1_S2 | ___S3 | ___S4 | ___S5 | ___S6 | ___S7 |
Sunday, March 21, 2010, 2:45 – 4:00 p.m.: | ___S8 | ___S9 | _1_S10 | ___S11 | ___S12 | ___S13 | ___S14 |
Monday, March 22, 2010, 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.: | ___M1 | ___M2 | ___M3 | ___M4 | ___M5 | _1_M6 | ___M7 |
Below is the CORRECT WAY to complete your workshop choices
Please indicate your three choices for each workshop per session using a 1, 2, and 3.
Saturday, March 20, 2010, 1:15 – 2:30 p.m.: | _1_N1 | _3_N2 | _2_N3 | ___N4 | ___N5 | ||
Sunday, March 21, 2010, 1:15 – 2:30 p.m.: | ___S1 | ___S2 | _1_S3 | ___S4 | _3_S5 | ___S6 | _2_S7 |
Sunday, March 21, 2010, 2:45 – 4:00 p.m.: | _1_S8 | ___S9 | ___S10 | _3_S11 | ___S12 | _2_S13 | ___S14 |
Monday, March 22, 2010, 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.: | ___M1 | _3_M2 | ___M3 | ___M4 | _2_M5 | ___M6 | _1_M7 |
Please contact the national office if you have any questions.
Seeking Items for the Silent Auction – NACC Conference 2010To date we do not have many items offered for the silent auction for Conference 2010. Please consider bringing handmade or other types of items, including items from your institution, for our silent auction. Share your talents and gifts to benefit other members! Proceeds will go towards future conference scholarships. If you can contribute an item, please contact Susanne at schaw@nacc.org.
American Red Cross SRT Training – NACC Conference 2010The American Red Cross Spiritual Care Response Team (SRT) is an integral part of the ARC Critical Response Team and is deployed following aviation and other transportation disasters, mass casualties, WMD/Terrorism events, and by government request. The NACC in conjunction with the American Red Cross is happy once again to offer training at the 2010 NACC Conference. The training begins at 8:00 am on Friday, March 19, 2010, and 7:00 am on Saturday, March 20, 2010. Participants are required to attend both days. This training is offered free of charge, although all accepted participants are responsible for their own training and maintenance. Given the limited class size and necessity for a formal application process, we cannot guarantee that every request to attend will be able to be honored. Members in good standing may apply. Therefore, it is imperative that you submit your application prior to February 1, 2010. For an application and specific requirements, please contact Susanne Chawszczewski at schaw@nacc.org.
NACC member has two articles publishedRobert Mundle, a board certified chaplain with NACC, has published two articles in the
Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy (Volume 12, No. 2. 2009):
1. “Religious Pluralism and the Hospital Chaplain”
2. “The Hospital Chaplain as Religious Interpreter in Bioethical Dilemmas”
Both articles address the chaplains’ unique role on the healthcare team, and the significant contributions that chaplains make to pastoral theology. Robert is a staff chaplain at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Thank you, Robert, for your contribution!
Final order day to assure arrival of World Day of the Sick prayer cards is Monday, February 1, 2010. Our NACC World Day of the Sick Prayer Cards are published both in English and Spanish. We have two prayer cards, one for the care giver and one for the person sick. Order today! Order them now by going to www.nacc.org/resources/wds to download the order form.
Order your video promoting the chaplaincy professionOur video on Chaplaincy, both a recruitment version (that begins and ends with “Is God Calling You?”), and a version without this question, are available in DVD format. The charge is just $6.00, the cost of production and shipping. You may preview the video at this link. To order copies please email Cindy Bridges for instructions.
New positions for NACC membersJust a reminder to you, please let us know if you have accepted a new position/responsibility. E-mail Cindy Bridges (cbridges@nacc.org). We want to congratulate you and let others know, too. Below is our current list of updates from members:
Dr. Michele Le Doux Sakurai
As of January 18, 2010 I will assume the position of Manager, Spiritual/Pastoral Care and Mission at Providence Mount Carmel/St. Joseph's/Dominicare in Colville, WA.
Nancy Cook
I was promoted within CHW from the Manger of Spiritual Care in Sacramento at Mercy General Hospital to the Director of Spiritual Care for CHW Phoenix East Valley Area (Chandler Regional Medical Center and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center in Arizona).
Ernest J. (Skip) Dalle Molle
A CPE classmate of mine will be taking the reigns of Trinity Ministries (presently in Dallas and moving to Duncanville, TX just south of Dallas). He asked me to come on board as the Administrative Officer. I will be there effective January 10, 2010. I also hope to pick up some volunteer hospital chaplain or fire department chaplain time while I am there. Prayers are requested as my wife, Barbara, who will not be joining me for a spell...she will stay in Illinois and I will stay in a campground.
Rev. Ralph Lepley
I am completing certification through North Carolina State University's Executive Business & Professional Coaching (ICF) Program in Raleigh, NC. I'm utilizing this certification in my position as a member of The Board of Directors at NC Baptist Hospital's Samaritan Carenet Counseling Center in Statesville, NC. I'd like to network with interested persons in the Southeastern USA who might be interested in learning more about coaching.
James Letourneau
Effective January 4, 2010, I will have a new role and new contact information. My new role will be Director of Mission and Spirituality for Trinity Health in Livonia, MI.
Raymond Maher
I have been hired as a full-time Catholic Chaplain at the Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta, Maine. My start date is January 19, 2009.
Father Herb Wheatley
I was recently elected to the Presbyteral Council for the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. It is for a 3 year term.
More local gatherings are being set. Please review the list below, and mark your calendars. More details of events will be in future NACC Now's.
Here are other events for our members:
Please let us know if you would like our membership to pray for your health and healing. We continue to pray for Fr. Kevin Ikpah (eye troubles), Sr. Micheletta McGee, RSM (pancreatic cancer), Lourdes B. Ruta (wife of Peter Ruta, in recovery), Fr. Bob Nee, BCC, LICSW, CT (intractable epilepsy), Kelly Elizabeth Sexton (cancer: daughter of NACC member Melyssa Sexton), Joyce Fink (heart attack/recovery from open heart surgery), Mike J. Murphy (cancer treatment), Fr. Bill Spacek (detached retina and other eye issues); Sr. Nancy Crane, OP (cancer treatment); Sr. Hilda Mallet, MHS (cancer treatment); Sr. Rita Rzeppa, IBVM (recovering/rehab from knee surgery), and Dennis Eldridge (Kathy's husband, for cancer treatment).
Recent job postingsThe following positions have been posted in the last two weeks. Please go to www.nacc.org/positions/available.asp for more information.
DIRECTOR OF SPIRITUAL CARE
Spokane, WA -- Providence Health & Services
SPIRITUAL CARE MANAGER
Spokane, WA -- Providence Health & Services
CHAPLAIN - CATHOLIC PRIEST
Jacksonville, FL -- St. Vincent's HealthCare
CHAPLAIN
Milford, MA -- Milford Regional Medical Center
VICE PRESIDENT OF MISSION EFFECTIVENESS
Portland, ME -- Mercy Health System of Maine
CHAPLAIN
Chicago, IL -- Mercy Hospital and Medical Center
DIRECTOR OF PASTORAL CARE
Newark, NJ
CHAPLAIN III
Newark, NJ
STAFF CHAPLAIN
Athens, GA -- St. Mary's Health Care
PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Apple Valley, CA -- St. Mary Medical Center
VICE PRESIDENT OF MISSION LEADERSHIP
Missoula, MT --Providence Health & Services
In this time of change and uncertainty it is more important than ever to use every resource available. If you have lost your job recently, if you’re just seeking a new or better position, or if you are an employer seeking a chaplain for your organization, be sure to visit our Positions Wanted webpage. NACC members can take advantage of this free service by placing a job-seeking ad, for free, which will run for 60 days. To see the ads, visit www.nacc.org/positions/wanted.asp.
To place your own ad, send an email to Phil Paradowski: pparadowski@nacc.org.