Issue #245 – March 27, 2017
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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. Did you participate in our new NACC Member Engagement Survey?
3. Member news!
4. Death of three members
5. Vision: Research collaboration also yields personal growth
6. Upcoming NACC networking calls in later March
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
7. Interested in a conference call series on Spiritual Care in Common Terms by Gordon Hilsman, DMin, BCC-S?
8. Do you provide any e-chaplaincy and would you be willing to have a brief conversation with another member about it?
9. NACC Local Event in Chicago, March 31, 2017
10. Resources/links
11. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
12. Recent job postings
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The LORD looks into the heart. (1 Sm 16:7) Brothers and sisters: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. (Eph 5:8) “You have seen him; the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” (Jn 9:37-39)
Yesterday’s readings reminded me again of the simple yet formidable question of “Who/what do I really see daily?” I realize that most often I do not see as God sees, as God looks into the heart.
I was drawn back to a couple of references to seeing that have remained with me for some years. One was from Frederick Frank’s book of the early 70’s, The Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation. In it he wrote:
I am convicted by the simple fact that too often I don’t see like that – even when with someone with a serious need who seeks so much my attention and compassion. I am not yet seeing as God sees – into the heart. Yet what a gift it is when someone experiences from us such a riveted, reverential regard for him or her, as they experience us with them this way! This must have been something like what the man born blind experienced when he could feel he was alone with him on earth – alone with Jesus, and Jesus could say to him: You have seen him, the one speaking with you is he!
The other was from Annie Dillard’s Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters where early in the book she speaks about encountering a weasel. She writes:
https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Stone-Talk-Expeditions-Encounters/dp/0060915412/ref=la_B000APWASA_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490379996&sr=1-3
The weasel was stunned into stillness as he was emerging from beneath an enormous shaggy wild rose bush four feet away. I was stunned into stillness twisted backward on the tree trunk. Our eyes locked, and someone threw away the key.
Our look was as if two lovers, or deadly enemies, met unexpectedly on an overgrown path when each had been thinking of something else: a clear blow to the gut. It was also a bright blow to the brain, or a sudden beating of brains, with all the charge and intimate grate of rubber balloons. It emptied out lungs. It felled the forest, moved the fields, and drained the pond; the world dismantled and tumbled into that black hole of eyes. If you and I looked at each other that way, out skulls would split and drop to our shoulders. But we don’t. We keep our skulls… then
He disappeared. This was only last week, and I already don’t remember what shattered the enchantment. I think I blinked. I think I retrieved my brain from the weasel’s brain, and tried to memorize what I was seeing, and the weasel felt the yank of separation, the careening splashdown into real life and the urgent current of instinct – vanished under the wild rose. I waited motionless, my mind suddenly full of data and my spirit pleading, but he didn’t return.
I continue to be taken by the lines: Our eyes locked, and someone threw away the key, and, I think I blinked, and I think I retrieved my brain from the weasel’s brain, and tried to memorize what I was seeing, and the weasel felt the yank of separation. What a gift in ministry it is when we have the grace to be present to another in a way that “Our eyes locked, and someone threw away the key.” What a grace when we are gifted with a fiercely focused fascination with and deep compassion for another’s life at that moment and we allow ourselves to be taken in and captive by their life circumstances.
However, I can also relate to I think I blinked when that moment of distraction, whether I tried to memorize that I was seeing so that I could capture it later for a narrative, or just being pulled out to the next encounter, and the yank of separation happens, and the person experiences it.
So, God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The LORD looks into the heart. (1 Sm 16:7) May we continue to be given that grace of seeing in our ministry.
Blessings on your Lenten journey as we come to realize more and more that we are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. (Eph 5:8)
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
2. Did you participate in our new NACC Member Engagement Survey?
The 2017 NACC Membership Survey is available through the end of this week. If you have not responded, please take the time to participate and let us know about your interests and needs.
These responses will be carefully reviewed and help drive NACC initiatives and direction into the future. Please lend your voice, by responding to our survey. We appreciate your taking the time to do this! You have our gratitude.
Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/V3YJHJQ
3. Member News!
Congratulations to our NACC member, Kay Gorka, BCC, for being one of those recognized in the 2017 CHA TOMORROW’S LEADERS PROGRAM that honors young people who will guide our ministry in the future. CHA-USA announced their awards this past Friday, March 24, 2017.
Kay is Manager, Spiritual Care Services, Providence Health Care in Eastern Washington: Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Holy Family Hospital, and Medical Clinics, Renton, Washington. Kay also received the NACC 2016 Emerging Leader Award.
4. Death of three members
In this past week we learned of the deaths of three of our members. May God grant them the fullness of joy and peace for their ministries!
- Father Maximo J. Ortiz, OSA, died October 12, 2016. He joined and was board certified with NACC in 1983, and retired from NACC in 2014. Please read his obituary.
www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/maximo-ortiz-obituary?pid=1000000181886475 - Father Antonio Acevedo died October 26, 2016. He joined NACC in 1992 , was board certified in 1995, and was still a member at the time of his death.
- Sr. Patricia Watkins, GNSH, formerly Sister deChantal, died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, in the 65th year of her religious life. She joined the NACC in 1974, was board certified in 1984, and retired from the NACC in 2014. Please read her obituary and reflections on her life: www.greynun.org/2016/12/sister-patricia-watkins
5. Vision: Research collaboration also yields personal growth
Kate Piderman hesitated to serve as the NACC’s representative on the Joint Research Council, but she found that she has insights to offer and wisdom to learn from discussing how to promote pastoral care research. To read her article in the current issue of Vision, click below.
www.nacc.org/vision/march-april-2017/research-collaboration-also-yields-personal-growth
6. Upcoming NACC networking calls in late March and beyond
If you wish to participate on any of these calls and are not already on that particular call list, please contact Ramune Franitza at [email protected].
- Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at 2 pm CT – Members Under 45
- Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at 10 am CT – State Liaison
- Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at 2 pm CT – New Members (rescheduled)
- Thursday, March 30, 2017 at 2 pm CT – Student Members
- Wednesday, April 5, 2017 at 2 pm CT – Nurse Chaplain
- Monday May 15, 2017 at 10 am CT – Outpatient Settings
- Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 2 pm CT – Canadian Members
2017 NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2017
For news and information on our 2017 National Conference, go to:
www.nacc.org/conference
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
For information on our NACC 2017 Webinar Series, please go to:
www.nacc.org/education-resources/nacc-webinars-and-audio-conferences
7. Interested in a conference call series on Spiritual Care in Common Terms by Gordon Hilsman, DMin, BCC-S?
Our NACC member, Gordon Hilsman, DMin, BCC-S, has recently published, Spiritual Care in Common Terms: How Chaplains Can Effectively Describe the Spiritual Needs of Patients in Medical Records, www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Care-Common-Terms-Effectively-ebook/dp/B01MQPMMN0/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=
It has received excellent reviews from many clinicians, including Dr. Christina Puchalski. who wrote:
On our request, Gordon is willing to lead a book review series of four one-hour sessions which would give members the opportunity to read and process the book with Gordon over a series of four one-hour conference calls. The participants will purchase the book in advance. The four sessions will cover the content of the six chapters. This series will provide 10 CEH’s. This series will provide the beginning, learning, and seasoned chaplain an opportunity to refine her/his theory and practice of documentation. These will be weekly conference calls, and will be arranged for early summer. NACC members can participate in these four sessions for $30. Non-NACC members for $50. Please contact Andris Kursietis ([email protected]) by next Monday, April 3. if you are interested.
8. Do you provide any e-chaplaincy and would you be willing to have a brief conversation with another member about it?
Our NACC member, Mary Jo Zacher, is seeking to speak with any member whose system is utilizing some form of e-chaplaincy. If you do and are willing to contact her, you can reach Mary Jo at either [email protected] or her cell phone at 309-253-5173. She really appreciates it!
9. NACC Local Event in Chicago, March 31, 2017
We are pleased to announce a local education event that will be held at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois (near O’Hare Airport) on March 31, 2017. The theme for the event, which will be presented by Rev. William P. Grogan, is: Where the Rubber Hits the Road: Catholic Identity and Healthcare Reform (Practical Update and Implications of the Illinois Healthcare Right of Conscience Act). For more information, and to register for this event, please visit our website at this link: March 31 local gathering.
If you would like to consider hosting and helping plan an NACC local event, please contact Andris Kursietis ([email protected]).
10. Resources/Links
- The Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published Draft Principles for a Person-Centered Approach to Serious or Advanced Illness (March 2017) and now seeks feedback on this document. “We are seeking input from the people we serve—older adults, people with dementia, people with all types of disabilities, and the families and caregivers who often support them. We also hope to hear from our partners in the aging and disability networks. Please send your comments, by May 12, 2017, to [email protected]. We will carefully consider all input as we finalize the principles, which we will share via ACL.gov when complete.” You can access this document at ltcombudsman.org/uploads/files/support/acl-person-centered-principles.pdf
- You might find very useful the CHA Lenten Reflection Podcasts:
https://www.facebook.com/catholichealthassociation/?fref=nf
11. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
Please let us know if you would like our membership to pray for your health and healing. We will leave the person’s name on the Healing Tree list for three months, unless you ask us to remove your or the person’s name earlier. You can always request us to leave the name on longer.
We continue to pray for: Sr. Marie V. Janousek CSJ, Fr. Jude Nwachukwu (on the unexpected death of his sister on New Year’s Eve), Frances Langdon (wife of member Jerry Kaelin: prayerful thanks for successful cancer surgery, an experience of realized eschatology this Advent), Sr. Romona Nowak, OP, Sr. MariaTheresa Hronec, Sr. Mary Thecla Kuhnline, Fr. Jim Radde, SJ, Mason Richter, Shane Rebholtz, Rosemary Benya BCC, Sr. Nancy Beckenhauer, Linda Dickey, Marilyn and Chuck Silkey (sister and brother-in-law of NACC member Kathy Ponce), Dr. David Nile (Husband of recently deceased NACC member Lucy G. Nile BCC), Amy in Redwood City, CA (friend of NACC member Teresa Sullivan); Julie Bablin, Marie Coglianese, Nancy and Sheila Amrich (nieces-in-law of NACC member Sr. Paracleta Amrich), Isabelita Boquiren, Sister Stephanie Morales, FMI, Susan Balling, Maria Meneses, Sister M. Dianna Hell, Betty and Louis Skonieczny, Jim and Frances Castello, Thomas Smiley (brother of member Diane Smiley), Marga Halala, Glenn and Pat Teske, Sr. Mary Clare Boland, SP, Gloria Troxler, and Kelly Elizabeth Sexton (daughter of NACC member Melyssa Sexton).
12. Recent job postings
The following positions have been posted recently on our Positions Available page.
For more information go to www.nacc.org/resources/positions.
DIRECTOR OF PASTORAL CARE
Rockville Centre, New York – Mercy Medical Center
DIRECTOR of SPIRITUAL CARE
Portage, WI – Divine Savior Healthcare
CHAPLAIN – Full Time or On Call
Milwaukee & Racine, WI – Ascension Healthcare
CHAPLAIN – Full Time – Day Shifts (4 days, 10 hours)
Reno, Nevada – St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center
CHAPLAIN – Part time
Elk Grove Village, IL – AMITA Health Care
DIRECTOR of SPIRITUAL SERVICES – Full Time
Glendale, WI – Ascension Health
