Issue #250 – June 5, 2017

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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)

1. Executive Director’s Reflection
So yesterday was the feast of Pentecost, as we understand it, the birthday of the Church. I reflect back on so many readings and homilies of this feast that were intended to convey and instill in us a fire in our hearts and boldness in our spirit, as we acknowledge and claim the gift of the Spirit! It also instills a mindfulness of God remaining with us, providing us the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. We can remember with gratitude all that we have learned and embraced about discerning the Spirit, and the Spirit gifts and direction for our lives – to be shared with others as part of the Body of Christ. So are the thoughts of Pentecost.

However, yesterday I was taken by the verse from the reading of Acts 2:2, “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.” I thought about the storm that passed by our home a few nights ago and the strength of that wind pressing against our home and windows. I remembered so many devastations in recent weeks caused by extreme, catastrophic winds too. What power in this image of a “strong driving wind”!

Most days and nights, as I live my daily-ness, I appreciate a God of quiet and gentleness, so this “strong driving wind” image unsettles me a bit. I am not sure how far I want to pray for that grace to experience such power. Then, I came across the recent Pentecost prayer of Joyce Rupp found in her recent collection of Prayer Seeds. https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Seeds-Gathering-Blessings-Reflections/dp/1933495987

I share it with you here, and ask you, as I ask myself, “How does it feel?” “How does it fit?” “Can it be my prayer, your prayer, today, this week?”

Spirit, Wild One
Seeping in, unseen, unannounced,
Unexpected, uncompromising,
Pressing through the door
Startling those hovering in fear
Shaking them out of the corners,
Awakening concealed gifts.Spirit, Wild One,
Relentless loving presence,
Bringing strength to the weak,
Courage to the fearful,
Determination to the doubtful,
Joy to the disheartened,
Faith to the disbelieving.

Spirit, Wild One,
Come whirling into my soul space,
Gather what remains in disarray,
Lift up what is neglected,
Send forth what wants to hold back,
Impassion what hesitates,
Heal what remains wounded.

Spirit, Wild One,
Breathe large gusts of air in me,
Sweep through my being,
Drench me with hope,
Soften my resistance,
Wrap your love around me
Until I welcome you fully.

The prayer reminded me of one of the prayers of Ettie Hillesum in An Interrupted Life and Letters from Westerbork, where she writes:

I am beginning to suffer from insomnia, and that’s not allowed. I jumped out of bed at the crack of dawn and knelt down at my window. The tree stood motionless out there in the grey, still morning. And I prayed, ‘God, grant me the great and mighty calm that pervades nature. If it is Your wish to let me suffer, then let it be one great, all-consuming suffering, not the thousand petty anxieties that can break a human being. Give me peace and confidence. Let every day be something more than the thousand every day cares. All those worries about food, about clothing, about the cold, about our health – are they not so many denials of You, my God? And don’t You come down on us hard in punishment! With insomnia and with lives that have ceased to be worth living! I want to lie here quietly for another few days, but then I would wish my life to turn into one great prayer. One great peace. To carry my peace about me once again.”

So, this week put before me, maybe you, the invitation to pray that God might:

Sweep through my being,
Drench me with hope,
Soften my resistance,
Wrap your love around me
Until I welcome you fully.

So what’s your prayer like this week?

Blessings,

David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director

2. Welcome to our new NACC members who joined us in May!
Please join us in welcoming our new NACC members who joined us in May!

Full Members
Ms. Sabrina Jo Bolus (Oakland, CA)
Ms. Marie E. O’Ryan (Hometown, IL)Student Members
Dr. Audrey J. Anaradian (Newport Beach, CA)
Mr. Michael J. Brumley (Watauga, TX)

3. Thank you to the early donors to the 2017 Annual Campaign!
We have had many members who have already responded generously to our 2017 Annual Campaign. We are most appreciative. Please give as you can. Blessings!

4. Death of a member
We have just learned of the recent death of our NACC member, Charles Halley, on October 18, 2016. Charles joined NACC in 2011, and remained a member until his death.
From his obituary:

Chuck was also a Eucharistic Minister… [h]e listened carefully and spoke softly.
Chuck’s experience as a Eucharistic Minister led him to enroll in the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at St. Camillus Center for Spiritual Care under the direction of Fr. Chris Ponnet. He earned a Master’s Degree in Theology and Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary where he was one of only a handful of Catholic laymen on campus. Chuck was pursuing a Chaplain’s Certification, but was stopped short when he was diagnosed with cancer.
Chuck’s participation in the CPE program advanced his personal growth and contributed to a deepening of his faith. He was a gentle soul who touched many lives and he will be sorely missed.

We commend Charles to the Lord. To read the full obituary go to:
http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Charles-Halley&lc=4789&pid=182017048&mid=7132757

5. Holding the Emmaus journey in our memory.
We enjoyed a memorable conference more than a month ago, but for a reminder of how that weekend felt, follow the link below to read Executive Director David Lichter’s column in the current issue of Vision.
www.nacc.org/vision/may-june-2017/every-year-conference-brings-renewal-fellowship

6. NACC Networking calls for June 2017.
If you wish to participate on any of these calls and are not already on that particular call list, please contact Ramune Franitza at rfranitza@nacc.org.

NACC African Member Call – Thursday, June 15, 2017 – 10 a.m. CT
NACC Nurse Chaplain Call – Thursday, June 15, 2017 – 2 p.m. CT
NACC Ambassadors Call – Thursday, July 6, 2017 – 10 a.m. CT
NACC Behavioral Health Call – Monday, June 19, 2017 – 2 p.m. CT
NACC Bilingual Hispanic/Latino Call – Tuesday, June 20, 2017 – 10 a.m. CT
NACC Canadian Call – Tuesday, June 20, 2017 – 2 p.m. CT
NACC Correctional Chaplains Call – Wednesday, June 21, 2017 – 10 a.m. CT
NACC Deacon Member Call – Wednesday, June 21, 2017 – 2 p.m. CT
NACC Palliative Care/Hospice Call – Thursday, June 22, 2017 – 11 a.m. CT
NACC Integrative Health Call – Tuesday, June 27, 2017 – 10 a.m. CT
NACC Long Term Care Call – Tuesday, June 27, 2017 – 2 p.m. CT
NACC Outpatient Settings Call – Wednesday, June 28, 2017 – 2 p.m. CT

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! IMPORTANT DATES TO HOLD!

7. Tuesday, October 17, 2017, for a Chaplaincy Leadership Summit!
The NACC is collaborating with its Strategic Partners in Chaplaincy (ACPE, APC, CASC, and NAJC) in preparing an important Leadership Summit on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. Dr. Christina Puchalski will be the keynote presenter, along with the presidents of these five chaplaincy associations. The program will provide an overview of the state of chaplaincy and our collaborative initiatives to advance the profession. Please plan on participating via live-streaming. While the event will be held at the APC headquarters in Hoffman Estates near Chicago, this day program will be available to all through live-streaming. So please hold the date! More details to follow in the coming weeks.

8. Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018, for APC/NACC Joint Conference!
Mark your calendars for the APC/NACC Joint Conference in 2018! This conference will be held Thursday, July 12, through Sunday, July 15, 2018, at the Anaheim Marriot in Anaheim, California. It will be preceded by preconference workshops and our NACC retreat. Plan to join us!

NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2017

9. If you missed the NACC Conference, you do not need to miss the excellent plenary sessions. You can still get the live-stream videos of the Plenary Sessions!
The NACC 2017 national conference is over, but you still have the opportunity to enjoy the opening prayer ceremony and the four plenary speaker sessions by registering for the recordings of these sessions, which were live-streamed.

The charge for accessing the recordings is $80 for NACC members and $100 for non-NACC members. The fee covers the welcome/opening prayer service and all four plenary speaker sessions. Please note that this is a package deal that includes all the four plenary sessions and welcome/opening prayer and we do not offer separate registration for individual sessions.

We hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to view these sessions.

The sessions that were the subject of live streaming and were recorded are:

* Friday, April 28, 2017: Conference Welcome/Opening Prayer
* Friday, April 28, 2017: LIVING TRADITION: Were Not Our Hearts Burning. Presented by Dr. Dianne Bergant, CSA
* Saturday, April 29, 2017: REMEMBER! AND THEN JESUS WALKS AND TALKS US BACK INTO LIFE. Presented by Dr. Megan A. McKenna
* Sunday, April 30, 2017: WHO IS THIS? Encountering God in Other People and Traditions. Presented by Dr. Emmanuel Lartey
* Monday, May 1, 2017: Catalytic Conversions with Conversing Narratives: Alchemical Traditions that Transform Us. Presented by Dr. Raymond Reyes

7 CEH hours (1.75 hours per plenary session) are offered.

To view the recorded sessions requires a computer with internet access. Please take a few moments to register online: Register. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the site where the recordings may be viewed.

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

10. You can still register for our June 15 NACC webinar, “Collaboration to Address Compassion Fatigue in Hospital Staff!
Don’t miss the next NACC webinar in our regular 2017 program which is scheduled for Thursday, June 15, 2017 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time. Jim Manzardo, STB, BCC, Kristi Thime, RN, CNML, and Courtney Piha, RN will present “Collaboration to Address Compassion Fatigue in Hospital Staff”.

If you have not already done so, it is still not too late to register for this webinar.

Program Summary
Compassion fatigue encompasses secondary trauma and burnout from constant caring for others in tragic circumstances. Chaplains are uniquely positioned to recognize and address this phenomenon in hospital staff. We describe an ongoing effort to address compassion fatigue in a large pediatric intensive care unit using a collaborative multidisciplinary approach, in which the chaplain has played an integral multifunctional role. Participants in this webinar are encouraged to share ways they engage team members in efforts to build resilience and reduce compassion fatigue.

Program Objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
1. Recognize risk factors for compassion fatigue and how to identify compassion fatigue in hospital staff.
2. Describe one hospital’s interdisciplinary, collaborative process to address staff compassion fatigue.
3. Understand the breadth and importance of the chaplain’s role in identifying compassion fatigue and building resilience in staff.

About the Presenters
Jim Manzardo is a chaplain at the Ann and Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where he has worked for the past two years in the pediatric intensive care unit. Previously, he was the primary chaplain for the Hematology-Oncology-Stem Cell Transplant service for nineteen years. He also has been part of the Palliative Care and Ethics teams and is a facilitator of a nursing transitions program for new nurses during their first year of nursing. Jim also has been incorporating mindfulness meditation into the hospital environment.

Kristi Thime is the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Manager of Patient Care Operations at the Ann and Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Kristi began in the PICU as a staff nurse after graduation in 1994. She currently oversees a staff of 120 nurses and 10 nursing assistants. In her role, she advises several nursing committees including the nursing bereavement committee, which is how she became involved in the R3 project. She feels privileged to work with a highly trained, compassionate staff that strives each day to make every patient experience exceptional.

Courtney Piha has been a PICU nurse for 7 years. Prior to coming to Lurie Children’s hospital in April, 2012, she worked in Lutheran General’s PICU from August 2009-April 2012. Currently she is the co-chair of the PICU bereavement committee as well as a member of the hospital ethics committee. With the help of a pediatric intensivist, nurse manager and chaplain, she created the R3 debriefing tool for the PICU. The R3 has been well received and is now available housewide. She recently presented the R3 debriefing tool at the Society of Critical Care Medicine in Hawaii and plans to present the tool at the Nursing Ethics Conference in March.

Participants qualify for 2.0 CEHs total for the session (which includes 90 minutes for the webinar plus 30 minutes preparation time).

To register for this webinar, as well as for any other NACC 2017 webinars, please visit the webinar page on our website by clicking on this LINK. The web page contains a link to a downloadable paper registration form, and also a link enabling you to register online and pay by credit card.

11. Don’t miss Gordon Hilsman’s book review series of his recently published Spiritual Care in Common Terms: How Chaplains Can Effectively Describe the Spiritual Needs of Patients in Medical Records
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; the book is available at this LINK.

It has received excellent reviews from many clinicians, including Dr. Christina Pulchalski who wrote:

Spirituality of patients is an essential domain of whole-person care. Patients often suffer in silence; that suffering or spiritual distress must be recognized and treated. Professional chaplains are essential members of the healthcare team. It is critical that they communicate verbally and in the chart note the spiritual needs of the patient, how they are addressing that need and what outcomes the team should look for to help the patient heal. Spiritual Care in Common Terms offers the language and format for chaplains to communicate this clinical aspect of spiritual care that can be understood in the reductionist clinical framework but keeps the patient’s inner narrative in the forefront of their care for all members to provide compassionate care for our patients. This is a must-read for not only chaplains but for other members of the interdisciplinary team.

At the request of the NACC, Gordon will lead a book review series of four one-hour webinar sessions which will give members the opportunity to read and process the book with Gordon. The participants will purchase the book in advance. The four sessions will cover the content of the six chapters. This series will provide the beginning, learning, and seasoned chaplain an opportunity to refine her/his theory and practice of documentation. Participant cost for these four sessions is $30, which includes all four sessions (but does not include the book – you are responsible for obtaining a copy yourself).

This series will provide 10 CEH’s.

The four sessions will take place on the following dates:

– Wednesday, June 14 (12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. Central Time)

– Wednesday, June 21 (12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m Central Time)

– Wednesday, June 28 (12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m Central Time)

– Wednesday, July 5 (12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m Central Time)

To register online to participate in these sessions, please use the following link: REGISTER. If you prefer to pay by check, please mail your $30 check made out to NACC to: National Association of Catholic Chaplains, 4915 S. Howell Avenue, Suite 501, Milwaukee, WI 53207

12. Working in the behavioral health area? Interested in networking?
We have received a request for more networking and resource sharing among those working in the behavioral health area. If you are working in this field and welcome the opportunity for networking and resource sharing, please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) by next Wednesday, June 14, 2017, if you would like to participate. A networking call is scheduled for Monday, June 19, 2017 – 2 p.m. CT.

13. Transforming Chaplaincy has announced its second chaplain research fellows cohort.
The Transforming Chaplaincy (TC) project selected the second group of eight chaplain research fellows. These fellowships provide support to chaplains while they earn two-year, research-focused Master of Science or Master of Public Health degrees in epidemiology or biostatistics at an accredited school of public health. More information about Transforming Chaplaincy research and these cohorts:
Fellowship Announcement 053117
Cohort 1 & 2 Fellows

14. CHA asks us to join in their advocacy efforts regarding the ACA.
The Catholic Health Association has contacted us, urging us to invite your participation in contacting your congressional representatives regarding the repeal and replace of the ACA.

Dear Ministry Colleague:
As you have probably heard, the Senate is moving closer to formulating legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). CHA has strongly opposed the House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA), and the most recent analysis of that bill has done nothing to lessen the harm it will do to millions of Americans who have gained coverage under the ACA and who rely on the Medicaid program. It is critical that all senators hear the opposition to the House AHCA bill, that it is unfixable, and the need for the Senate to start over to fix the ACA.This Memorial Day recess period will likely determine how the Senate will proceed on repeal and replace legislation — once a bill begins to move on the Senate floor under reconciliation instructions, it will be extremely difficult to stop. Please contact your senators now to protect health coverage for 23 million individuals and especially those on the Medicaid program, which serves the most vulnerable low-income children, pregnant woman, families, and elderly and disabled individuals.

We also strongly encourage you to forward this message to your colleagues and urge them to contact their senators. We need an outpouring of opposition. A sample letter, background materials and talking points are available here.

Please note: modify the draft letter where indicated to include your role — nurse, doctor, employee, patient, board member — in the organization to illustrate the broad reach of our opposition message.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent request, and thank you for everything you do to provide and preserve health care for everyone.

15. CHA resources to commemorate second anniversary of Laudato Si
From a recent CHA communication:
Nearly two years ago, on June 18, 2015, Pope Francis released his historic encyclical Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home. Pope Francis’s vision calls us to recommit to our work as Catholic health ministry to Faithfully Heal the Earth.

So that you can share the messages of Laudato Si’ with your associates, colleagues and communities, CHA has a compendium of resources available for your use.
Below you’ll also find information about additional opportunities to commemorate this important event.

We hope you will spread the word through sharing these resources on your internal and social platforms, and when you do, please be sure to use the hashtag #LaudatoSi.

PRAYER RESOURCES – please note one is for World Environment Day on June 5

Three videos highlighting the themes of Laudato Si’

Everything is Connected
As Pope Francis wrote in Laudato Si’, St. Francis of Assisi saw all creation as part of one family of God. Whether Christian, Jew or Muslim, whether human, beast, plant or element — all creatures were brothers and sisters to him and all are loved by God. In this brief video, Pope Francis’ basic message – that EVERYTHING is connected, is highlighted.
» Watch the video, with Pope Francis’ Prayer for Care of Creation at the end (approx. 6 minutes)
» Watch the video minus the closing prayer (less than 4 minutes)

Addressing Climate Change
In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis makes a moral and scientific argument for recognizing and taking action on climate change. This video highlights portions of his case while also highlighting Catholic health care’s response to reduce our contribution to the problem of climate change.
» Watch the video, with Pope Francis’ Prayer for Care of Creation at the end (approx. 6 minutes)
» Watch the video minus the closing prayer (less than 4 minutes)

Less is More
Pope Francis has often used the term “throwaway culture” to refer to humanity’s wasteful practices and poor management of our natural resources. In this video, better management of shared natural resources is highlighted, and specifically, water resources.
» Watch the video, with Pope Francis’ Prayer for Care of Creation at the end (approx. 6 minutes)
» Watch the video minus the closing prayer (less than 4 minutes)

Encyclical Prayer Cards
CHA produced three 5 x 7 cards; each highlights a different quote from Pope Francis’ encyclical. On the backside, each includes a prayer from the encyclical. Useful as a resource to open a meeting as well as something you can share in break rooms and at staff gathering areas, they are available for order in hardcopy.
» Order copies of the cards

ARTICLES FROM CHA PUBLICATIONS

Access many additional resources from CHA at www.chausa.org/environment/environment-encyclical.

16. In case you missed the news of ACPE’s new name and logo changes.
One of our strategic partners, ACPE, has announced its changes to its logo, titles, and designations. For more information go to:
https://www.acpe.edu/ACPE/News/Stories/2017/NameChangeLetter052517.aspx

17. Visit our website for information on our NACC 2017 Webinar Series
NACC webinars and audio conferences

18. Some helpful resources for you
We recently received from Plough Publishing several books that would serve well the chaplaincy profession. For example:
o Six Months to Live: Learning from a Young Man with Cancer, Daniel Hallock
o Rich in Years: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Long Life, Johann Christoph Arnold’
o The God Who Heals: Words of Hope for a Time of Sickness, Johann Christoph Blumhardt, Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt, foreward by Rick Warren

Plough Publishing also offers special programs for large quantities for up to 70% discount as a Plough Partner.

19. 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. Mary Clare Boland SP, Bernadette Bolton (mother of NACC member, Patrick Bolton), Sr Marie V. Janousek, CSJ, Sr. Romona Nowak, OP, Sr. MariaTheresa Hronec, Sr. Mary Thecla Kuhnline, Fr. Jim Radde, SJ, Julie Bablin, Sheila Amrich (niece-in-law of NACC member Sr. Paracleta Amrich), Isabelita Boquiren, Sister Stephanie Morales, FMI, Susan Balling, Jim and Frances Castello, Glenn and Pat Teske, and Gloria Troxler.

20. 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.

ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST – CHAPLAIN
Albany and Clifton Park, NY – St. Peter’s Hospital and Schuyler Ridge Nursing Home

CHAPLAIN PRIEST – Full Time
Elk Grove Village, IL – AMITA Health

CHAPLAIN (Mission Integration)
Chattanooga, TN – CHI Memorial Hospital

CHAPLAIN – PALLIATIVE CARE
Duluth, MN – Essentia Health

DIRECTOR OF PASTORAL CARE
Rockville Centre, New York – Mercy Medical Center

CHAPLAIN – PASTORAL CARE – Full-Time (Days)
Des Moines, Iowa – Mercy Medical Center

CHAPLAIN
Baltimore, Maryland – Mercy Medical Center

DIRECTOR of PASTORAL CARE
Fraser, Michigan – Fraser Villa

CHAPLAIN I – PRIEST
Evanston, IL – Presence Health

NACC Now #250

Issue #250 – June 5, 2017

NACC

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! IMPORTANT DATES TO HOLD!

NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2017

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! IMPORTANT DATES TO HOLD!

NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2017

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

Job Listings

Free Publications

Donate Now

Issue #250 – June 5, 2017

NACC

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! IMPORTANT DATES TO HOLD!

NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2017

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! IMPORTANT DATES TO HOLD!

NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2017

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

Job Listings

Free Publications

Donate Now

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