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1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. Online voting for our 2011 Board Candidates begins THIS THURSDAY, September 16th!
3. NACC 2011 National Conference: Our Plenary Speakers Announced!
4. NACC 2011 National Conference: next Sunday, September 19th, Deadline - Workshop Proposals
5. NACC 2012 National Conference: we still seek your advice!
6. Writers needed for upcoming Vision themes
7. A special ministry: the Door of Hope
8. Welcome August 2010 new members to NACC!
9. New positions for NACC members
10. Upcoming NACC audio conferences
11. Remember the Spiritual Care Champion Series!
12. NACC is partnering with Ave Marie Press to promote webinar series
13. APC webinars
14. CAPPE calls for workshop proposals
15. Request: Model for staffing chaplaincy programs in academic tertiary care settings
16. Request: Using EPIC system
17. Are you planning to give any presentations on chaplaincy?
18. Order your video promoting the chaplaincy profession
19. Local/regional event dates
20. Other education events
21. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
22. Recent job postings
23. Positions wanted
I write this reflection on Friday, September 10th, which for the Muslim community signals the end of Ramadan that began one month ago, August 11th. Many Muslims focus on charity during Ramadan. The end of Ramadan begins Eid al Fitr – meaning the feast of the ending of the fast – that marks the first day of the Islamic lunar month Shawwaal, a time of celebrating and thanking Allah, Creator and Cherishor. Often this is celebrated for three days. In many Muslim countries September 10th is a holiday. Many Muslims celebrate Eid for 3 days. (The dates September 8-10th also celebrate the two-day festival of Rosh Hashanah, observed on the 1st and 2nd days of Tishrei, meaning literally, "Head of the Year," beginning of the Jewish year, the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the birthday of humanity, and our sacred relationship with G d. How fitting!) During this past month of Ramadan, the media has kept before us the ninth anniversary of 9/11, the controversy regarding the building of a mosque near Ground Zero, and the Pastor Terry Jones’ threat to burn 200 copies of the Quran. All this was occurring during the month of Ramadan. Reflecting on Ramadan, one Muslim said, "I find that Ramadan really focuses on what we should really be doing in this world ... You're so focused on being thankful and remembrance and your faith and doing good -- it's just an amazing experience."
The controversy has stirred so much anger and resentment in the American population, as well as across the world. And where am I with it? I found myself going to Islamic writing and teachers to learn more about their teachings on forgiveness and resentment. As an adjunct professor at Cardinal Stritch University College of Business and Management, I provide a course on non-western religions, including Islam. I confess I still feel like a neophyte and foreigner as I seek to understand these profound religions. I did come across this instruction:
If he becomes angry with his brother, the true Muslim restrains his anger and is quick to forgive him, and does not see any shame in doing so. Rather, he sees it as a good deed which will bring him closer to Allah and earn him His love which He bestows only on those who do good: "…[those] who restrain anger and pardon [all] men – for Allah loves those who do good."
(Qur’an, 3:134)
A man may be able to restrain his anger, but resentment may be smoldering in his heart, and may turn into deep-rooted hatred. Open anger and rage are healthier than hidden resentment and malice.
The true Muslim whose soul has been saturated with this religion does not harbor grudges; if he restrains his anger, he then follows that with forgiveness, and thus he will be among those who do good.
Anger is very difficult to restrain, for it is a heavy burden on the heart. But when a person forgives another, this heavy burden is lifted, freeing him, soothing him and bringing peace of mind. These are the feelings of ihsaan (goodness) which the Muslim feels when he forgives his brother.
The true Muslim is forgiving towards his brother, purely for the sake of Allah. www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=502
It’s helpful to reflect on this in light of the Sunday gospel of Luke 15 on the lost sheep, lost coin, and prodigal son. In this Sunday’s first reading from Exodus we find a God who was touched by Moses’ plea for his people and let go of his anger towards them. “And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people.” (Exodus 32:14) In Luke we have a father who is never portrayed as angry but only in deep angst and mourning for his lost son, and eager for his return. Gratitude erupted from within him as he sees his son from a distance. The older son is the one smoldering with resentment, eating him away for so many years and emotionally still keeping his brother at a distance. Henri Nouwen notes, “Resentment and gratitude cannot coexist, since resentment blocks the perception and experience of life as a gift. My resentment tells me that I don't receive what I deserve. It always manifests itself in envy.”
Our ministry of pastoral care so often has to meet people in their prejudices, anger, and deep-seated resentments that often are triggered by but sometimes not connected to their current threatened health condition or that of their family member or friend. Sometimes it can be directed at or projected on us as well. Experiencing another’s anger or resentment, whether deserved or projected onto us, is disturbing. In those moments, gratitude seems to be the furthest emotion from and is lacking in the other and us. I think again about the father of the prodigal son, his gratitude never faltered in the face of negative emotions of the younger nor older son. I wonder in some ways whether his waiting was like a Ramadan, a freely embraced fast over time from his son’s presence that re-enkindles gratitude, or in the words of the Muslim, “You're so focused on being thankful and remembrance and your faith and doing good.” I wonder what keeps gratitude alive within me, within you? What role does facing our angers and resentments play in keeping gratitude alive? How can our own freely embraced Ramadan-type of spiritual practice aid that? How does encountering another’s anger and resentment become a barometer for me of how high or low is my gratitude level?
What are your reflections on this topic?
Becky Evans is retiring from the NACC
Speaking of gratitude and loss, Becky Evans, who has been NACC’s institutional memory, historian, capturer of precious member stories, peerless editor of our Vision and NACC Now, poet in our midst, encourager and coach to many of members in their writing ventures, a gentle woman steeped in her Quaker spirituality, passionate supporter of our spiritual care ministry is retiring (again!). As those of you who have been around NACC for many years know, Becky started with NACC in 1985 as publications editor, worked full time with us until her first retirement in 1999. She continued to volunteer with NACC, became again an occasional worker, and then assumed oversight of our renewal of certification process in 2006, and continued to provide exceptional editing support to Vision and NACC Now. Most of you who have had to go through your renewal of certification were recipients of her professional and pastoral care. I am personally deeply indebted to Becky for her careful and critical review of anything I write. She edited this!
Becky promises not to stray too far from NACC, and is willing to still provide some editing support when needed. She also has promised to come to our 2010 Conference in Milwaukee to greet personally those who come. We will have the occasion then to say thanks again! We are deeply grateful to you, Becky, who also turns 80 years old later this month! Please join me in congratulating Becky on her 80 years of grateful living and thanking her for dedicating nearly half her life to NACC! You can reach her at bevans@nacc.org. If you want to write me any message of appreciation for her that you would like me to publish in the next NACC Now, please do at dlichter@nacc.org.
Jeanine Annunziato, who provided some initial help to NACC in the spring of 2008, then became our Administrative Specialist/Educational Events to support our diverse educational offerings, local gatherings, audio conferences, and the National Conference, will also assume the responsibilities for the renewal of certification. Her title will now be Administrative Specialist/Education and Renewal of Certification. Those of you involved in the planning of our National Conference and local events know of Jeanine’s excellent organizational skills, high quality customer service, vivacious personality, and perky sense of humor. We are really glad she offered to assume these responsibilities while still being a full time mom and wife!
I am deeply appreciative of the remarkable dedication of all our staff who daily strive to meet your needs.
Appreciatively,
David A. Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
Please watch THIS COMING THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH, for a special email invitation to participate in our membership voting for the two elected member positions on our NACC Board for 2011. We are very grateful to and excited about our two board candidates, Jane Mather and Mary Lou O’Gorman, who bring diverse and valuable gifts to our NACC Board at this point in our history. Click here for more information about Jane and Mary Lou.
NACC 2011 National Conference: Our Plenary Speakers Announced!The 2011 Conference Planning Task Force is pleased to announce our speakers for the 2011 National Conference in Milwaukee, WI, May 21-24, 2011. Please visit the links below for their information. We are very excited that we have been able to acquire such insightful and moving speakers for our conference and we hope you will be able to join us.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Robert Wicks, Psy.D.
Professor of Pastoral Counseling at Loyola University Maryland
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Christina M. Puchalski, M.D.
Founder and Executive Director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Marjorie Ryerson
Executive Director of Water Music Inc. and award-winning professor, photographer, poet, editor, and journalist
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Rev. Bryan N. Massingale, S.T.D.
Associate Professor of Theology at Marquette University
Next Sunday, September 19, 2010 is the deadline for submitting Workshop proposal forms! We encourage you to consider submitting a proposal or sharing the information with colleagues who also may be interested. You can access this information at the NACC Website at www.nacc.org/conference/2011-workshop-invite.asp.
Our theme, Pathways to Healing: People and Communities, invites interested colleagues to share their special expertise by presenting workshops that will challenge and stimulate the learning process of attendees. More information about the theme can be found at the link above.
There you will also find an application for pre-conference workshops and 75-minute workshops. Before completing the proposal form, please be sure to review the submission guidelines. Once completed, workshop proposal forms should be emailed to the NACC National Office to Jeanine Annunziato at jannunziato@nacc.org.
Thanks to a few of you who responded to this request in the last NACC Now. We invite once more your feedback, as we begin to explore our possibilities for our NACC National 2012 Conference. We are looking at having a symposium-style conference. We would like your feedback on which of the following themes would be most helpful to you in your ministry or if you have other suggestions.
Please email your responses to Susanne Chawszczewski at schaw@nacc.org
Writers needed for upcoming Vision themesVision’s Editorial Advisory Panel seeks writers for articles related to the following themes to be explored in upcoming issues of Vision:
These themes were developed based on input from the Vision readership survey distributed to NACC members in early 2010. Please consider sharing your ideas and expertise. For more information or to volunteer ideas, yourself as writer, or others as sources, contact Laurie Hansen Cardona, Vision editor, at Lcardona@nacc.org.
A special ministry: the Door of HopeSeveral members contacted Joan after this appeared in the last NACC Now. You are welcome to contact Joan about her program. After retiring from hospital ministry, our NACC member, Chaplain Joan Carlson, created The Door of Hope grief and loss support groups, seminars and presentations. The Door of Hope is an ecumenical community outreach service. It is an eight-year established successful ministry with approved credibility in Door County, Wisconsin. The Door of Hope is online at thedoorofhope.webs.com. What other ministries are YOU involved with? Let us know. Contact Phil at pparadowski@nacc.org.
Welcome August 2010 new members to NACC!Monthly we want to extend a very warm welcome to our new members of NACC. Click here to see all new members who have joined us in 2010! In August 2010 the following became new members of NACC. Welcome!
Joan Kovalic Bernard |
Adolf Busobozi |
Mark Canales |
Just 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:
Joseph Rinderknecht
Joseph Rinderknecht, D Min. has been hired by Lutheran Chaplaincy Service to be Director of Spiritual Care at Medina Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Medina Ohio starting August 16, 2010. Mr. Rinderknecht leaves a position as Healing Services Practitioner/Spiritual Care Specialist in the Medical Intensive Care Unit of the Cleveland Clinic main campus. Prior to that position he completed four units of a CPE residency at the main campus in Cleveland, OH. From 1978 to 2008 he served two congregations as a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In December of 2009 he and his wife Gail were received into the Roman Catholic Church.
Patricia Stockdale
Patricia Stockdale has been appointed to head the ministry to the Sick and Homebound at the parish of St. James in Stratford, Connecticut.
Rev. George Henninger
Reverend George Henninger has a new assignment as the parish priest at Holy Family Parish in Victoria, Texas. Father George has three major hospitals that he visits.
NACC is pleased to announce our audio conferences planned for July through September. Please mark your calendars and register early as space is limited.
1. “Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying: Theology and Practice of the Rites” presented by Bruce T. Morrill, S.J.
September 9 and September 16, 2010 at 12:00 noon central time to 1:00 p.m. central time
These audio conferences (2) will start with an overview of what the best of current biblical and historical scholarship tells us about the phenomenon of healing. We shall then turn to the anointing of the sick, viaticum for the dying, and the other pastoral rites associated with them in Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum (1983) to explore how these renewed rites grace us with treasures from the tradition that meets genuine human needs today.
For more information and to register, click here.
2. “The Parables of Jesus: Hope for a Broken World” presented by Dr. Mary Ann Getty-Sullivan
October 14 and October 21, 2010, at 12:00 noon central time to 1:00 p.m. central time
More details coming soon.
3. “Spirituality and Aging” presented by Dr. Kathleen Fischer
November 11 and November 18, 2010, at 12:00 noon central time to 1:00 p.m. central time
More details coming soon.
4. “The Heroic Journey of Chaplaincy: Discovering the Wounded Healer Within,” presented by Edward M. Smink, Ph.D.
December 9 and 16, 2010, at 12:00 p.m. noon central time to 1:00 p.m. central time
More details coming soon.
We will continue to hold the audio conferences on Thursdays so as not to conflict with the Champion Series that are held on Wednesdays. For questions about our audio conferences, please contact Jeanine Annunziato (jannunziato@nacc.org).
Remember the Spiritual Care Champion Series!Please remember that you can sign up for individual sessions of the Spiritual Care Champion Series. For more details on how to register for these sessions, click here. Upcoming sessions include:
Ave Maria Press is offering a Professional Development Webinar series for Catholic ministers this fall. The series is offering free webinars based on themes relevant to issues facing leaders in every area of Catholic ministry today. The first event on August 24th attracted more than 500 registrants. Ave Marie Press invited the National Association of Catholic Chaplains to partner with Ave Maria Press, the National Association for Lay Ministry, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leaders for these webinars. Please click here for these webinars. The webinar sign up page is located here.
APC webinarsHave you visited the APC site to learn about their webinars? You can review and sign up for them by going to this link.
CAPPE calls for workshop proposalsThe 2011 CASC/ACSS Conference, “The Art and Science of Spiritual Care in Critical Times” will take place on April 13-17, 2011 at the Delta Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto, ON. The Toronto planning committee invites inter-professional colleagues to submit proposals for 90-minute conference workshops, and/or full-day, pre-conference workshops, related to the conference theme (see attached application form for description). They encourage inter-professional presentations, and content on inter-professional education and care (IPE/IPC), as well as research. Workshop proposals must be submitted by e-mail to CASCACSS2011@gmail.com by Friday, October 8, 2010. Click here for more information.
Request: Model for staffing chaplaincy programs in academic tertiary care settingsDeacon Roger Vandervest, Chaplain, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, asks members working in academic tertiary care settings to participate in a brief survey. A common model for staffing chaplaincy programs in academic tertiary care settings has relied on students in CPE programs to provide the bulk of the direct spiritual care. Several factors are causing some of these medical centers to shift to a model where spiritual care is provided by a core of board certified staff chaplains supplemented by CPE students. What is your experience? Please go to this link to answer a few brief questions.
Request: Using EPIC systemBob Shuford, Coordinator, Spiritual Services, Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago, asks, “Our hospital system is beginning the process of converting to the EPIC computer system. I would like to make contact with directors/chaplains who have experience with EPIC, particularly any who were involved in the process of converting to EPIC in their own facilities. Please email me at rshuford@reshealthcare.org. Responses are greatly appreciated, and will be shared among those who respond. Bob Shuford.”
Are you planning to give any presentations on chaplaincy?We continue to encourage members to promote the chaplaincy profession. Please remember that the NACC office staff want to make sure you have resources to share. If you are planning to do a presentation, please contact Cindy Bridges (cbridges@nacc.org) so that she can send you brochures. Also we remind you that you can access on our NACC website the Chaplaincy Ministry video (or order one – see below) as well as two PowerPoint slideshows to use as a basis for the presentation at www.nacc.org/advancing/promo.asp.
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 below. To order copies please email Cindy Bridges for instructions.
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. For a complete listing of events, go to www.nacc.org/resources/edops.asp.
Please let us know if you would like our membership to pray for your health and healing. Also please let us know when you want us to remove your name from our Healing Tree.
We continue to pray for: Jane Smith (macular hole in right eye – eye surgery), Charlotte Leas (recovering from total left-foot reconstruction), Kathy Brier (hospitalization-daughter of NACC member Theresa Brier), Ginny Conron (POP surgery), Sister Maria Theresa Hronec, SS.C.M. (surgery late June), Marcella Keefe-Slager (lung cancer and treatment), Fr. Art Schute (at the death of his father, Arthur Edward Schute), Sr. John Marie Stack, OSF (lymphoma cancer), Gloria Troxler (preventive chemotherapy after ovarian surgery), 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), Fr. Bill Spacek (detached retina and other eye issues); Sr. Nancy Crane, OP (cancer treatment); Sr. Hilda Mallet, MHS (cancer treatment), and Sr. Rita Rzeppa, IBVM (recovering/rehab from knee surgery).
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.
SPIRITUAL HEALTH DIRECTOR
Kankakee, IL - Provena Heritage Village
PASTORAL CARE MANAGER
Charlotte, NC - Carolinas Rehabilitation
CHAPLAIN
Fraser, MI - The Sanctuary at Fraser Villa
CHAPLAIN RESIDENT
Lubbock, TX - Covenant Medical Center
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.