Advancing Chaplaincy: Volunteer of the Month for MONTH YEAR
Name:
Rev. Mr. T. Patrick Bradley, MA, LAT, BCC
Work:
Director of pastoral care at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center in Cheyenne, WY.
NACC member since:
1996 (It seems like only yesterday.)
Volunteer service:
For NACC: chair, Ethics Commission; National Conference Committee, Portland, OR; workshop speaker; certification interviewer. Other Volunteer Service: Wyoming Governor’s Domestic Violence Elimination Council (seven years, three as chair)
Book on your nightstand:
Current edition of
Smithsonian magazine
Book you recommend most often:
The U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults
Favorite spiritual resource:
The Eucharist
Favorite fun self-care activity:
Get away weekends with my wife Priscilla
Favorite movie:
“Cat Ballou,” with Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin.
It is perhaps the funniest movie I have ever seen! It is set in Wolf City,
WY, which may be one reason I like living here.
The scene where Lee Marvin comes in and sees candles
around a coffin and starts singing “Happy Birthday” is second
only to the scene where both Lee Marvin and his horse are
drunk and leaning against the side of a building!
Favorite retreat spot:
Perpetual Adoration Chapel at my parish.
Personal mentor or role model:
My father, a man of great spiritual courage.
He was never ordained, never recognized,
but taught me the value of serving others. He was a blue
collar worker who never used foul language, never took the Lord’
s name in vain.
Famous/historic mentor or role model:
No one. My
dad was all the role model I will ever need.
Why did you become a chaplain?
God kept nudging me.
When I retired from the Air Force in 1988, the director of
deacons in Denver suggested I enroll in CPE. I fought it until 1995,
when I finally said, “Alright already,” and enrolled.
What do you get from NACC?
A sense of support for me and for the profession.
Why do you stay in the NACC?
I believe
that it is important for every professional to have
some connection to their profession, a
connection that provides support for the
profession and at the same time sets standards for the profession.
The NACC does that and more.
Why do you volunteer?
It is important to me that I be involved in something
that I believe in. I believe in the profession of chaplain, and the NACC
supports chaplaincy in the Catholic Church. If you believe in something you
will work for it. I believe in
chaplaincy and the NACC.
What volunteer activity has been most rewarding?
Working on the domestic violence and sexual assault programs,
providing workshops for clergy on the religious
aspects of domestic violence and sexual assault issues, helping
victims get out of violent relationships — this has been the most rewarding.
Chairing the Ethics Commission and
working with other chaplains to resolve an ethics complaint
has been rewarding in that I believe that in determining that
no ethical violation had occurred we strengthened the profession.
Working to provide my fellow chaplains with good
sound workshops at the Portland conference was quite rewarding.
Conducting a workshop at a conference was truly rewarding.
What is most rewarding? Perhaps just being a member of NACC.
What have you learned from volunteering?
Volunteering can be hard work but it is really worth the effort.
Take me back to the main Volunteers page.
