Issue #254 – July 31, 2017
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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection*
2. Continued thanks to those who have given to our 2017 Annual Campaign!*
3. Are you applying for renewal of certification with the NACC? A free webinar for you!*
4. -In a pediatric ICU, chaplain Jim Manzardo’s role is mostly to listen to the parents — but…*
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
APC/NACC 2018 CONFERENCE, Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018!
5. Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018, for APC/NACC Conference!
6. Call for Professional Development Intensives (Pre-Conference Workshops) and Workshop Proposals! Proposals now being accepted!*
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
7. This Thursday, August 3, is our NACC August Webinar on Dementia and Growing Older!*
8. Special NACC webinar: September 21, 2017, “Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Catholic Health Care Perspectives”*
9. Tuesday, October 17, 2017, Partners in Strengthening the Future of Spiritual Care Symposium*
10. Did you see the America Magazine Article on How Catholic Health Care is Fighting Against Physician Assisted Suicide (Palliative Care)?*
11. Did you see this new study on physicians willing to assess patients’ spiritual needs?*
12. Did you see this article by a physician reflecting on his prayer and the spiritual health of his patients?
13. A local NACC event in September 2017
14. For information on the remainder of our NACC 2017 Webinar Series, please go to:
www.nacc.org/education-resources/nacc-webinars-and-audio-conferences
15. If you missed the NACC Conference, you do not need to miss the excellent plenary sessions. You can still get the live-stream videos!
16. Healing Tree: a request for prayers*
17. Recent job postings*
1. Executive Director’s Reflection*
In recent days, I have had conversations with some individuals who have been discerning whether the chaplaincy profession might be for him or her. Several commonalities are present that have influenced their journey:
- They have experienced some type of personal encounter of being with another in his or her suffering, trial, loss, or dying process. This experience has drawn them to the mystery of standing with another in the shadow of the cross. It has led them to discover a part of themselves that was hidden – a deep passion for being with another as that person struggles with Life’s meaning.
- This Passion does not go away, but becomes a driver in Life. The clustering of core responsibilities that has defined that person’s Life purpose is now being re-examined and rearranged by the presence of this Passion.
- Not only is this Passion emerging, but also a heightened sensitivity for those who are experiencing Life’s vulnerabilities, as well as a deeply felt tug toward being with them.
- Next, a sobering examination of the details of what it would take to pursue a chaplaincy ministry at this time, and the sometimes painful realization that the “right now” might not be possible due to the financial and other burdens this path might incur. Then there is the “living with” the persistent Passion and the “living within” present commitments that define one’s Life, and allowing this Passion to guide one’s progress toward its realization.
I found myself reflecting on these sacred conversations in light of yesterday’s Gospel reading of Matthew 13, especially verses: 44-46: The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
I was struck again by the “treasure buried” and “pearl of great price” and the “out of joy” and the “goes and sells all.” Most often I interpreted these verses with a presumption of immediacy in the “goes and sells” time; it all happened right away! The finding leads to immediate action. However, as I thought about those conversations mentioned above and read again this passage from Matthew 13, I noticed “immediately” is not in that text. The present tense is used. Yes, the “goes and sells” is happening. However, I now read urgency and deliberateness, but not immediacy.
When I reflect again on my encounters of those being drawn to chaplaincy because of their sacred personal experiences, I believe these are “Kingdom Conversations.” Whether these individuals can channel the un-buried Passion into an immediate path toward chaplaincy, and make significant sacrifices to do so, or whether their current core commitments require some delay in realizing this call, certainly the Passion is urgent and deliberate and helps drive and deepen the worth and importance of their current commitments. These current responsibilities are now seen even more as “Kingdom Commitments” because this newly discovered Passion for, and heightened sensitivity toward, the most vulnerable is now marked even more by the “out of joy” Kingdom characteristic. This “out of joy” is present whether the path to chaplaincy is immediate or not, because the “goes and sells” is happening now, no matter how long it takes to be fully realized.
So I ask myself and I ask you, do I remember when the Passion to be with the vulnerable was discovered? Does this Passion continue to transform my current responsibilities into “Kingdom Commitments”? Do I continue to experience the urgency and deliberateness of the “go and sell” in my ministry? Is the “out of joy” still alive within me?
Blessings,
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
2. Continued thanks to those who have given to our 2017 Annual Campaign!*
We are deeply grateful to those who have been able to give already to our 2017 Annual Campaign. To date we have received 303 gifts totaling $31,905, compared to 314 gifts totaling $33,835 at this time last year. If you have not yet been able to make a donation, please consider doing so today or this week! Thank you!
Please note: If you misplaced your Annual Campaign envelope, please contact Phil Paradowski (pparadowski@nacc.org) for a new one. Also, you can make your donation online by going to the Annual Campaign webpage (www.nacc.org/donate) or just click here to donate. Please give as you can! Blessings!
3. Are you applying for renewal of certification with the NACC? A free webinar for you!*
Are you applying for renewal of certification with the NACC? If so, I would like to draw your attention to the upcoming NACC webinar on Thursday, August 10, 2017 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time (10:00 a.m. Pacific, 11:00 a.m. Mountain, 1:00 p.m. Eastern) entitled Renewal of Certification with the NACC, which will provide participants with an overview of the NACC certification renewal process, with special attention to the revised NACC Competencies and procedures. We will present key information about renewal of certification and provide a forum for answering questions about renewal of certification with the NACC. This free webinar will be presented by members of the NACC Certification Commission.
Please note that although this webinar is offered at no charge, you still need to register in order to receive information on how to access both the webinar materials and the webinar itself. 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 a link enabling you to register online.
4. Vision: In a pediatric ICU, chaplain Jim Manzardo’s role is mostly to listen to the parents — but…*
In a pediatric ICU, chaplain Jim Manzardo’s role is mostly to listen to the parents — but every specialist’s role can be flexible if necessary. Jim writes more about the interdisciplinary team in the current issue of Vision.
Pediatric team of specialists help each other work better, by Jim Manzardo
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
APC/NACC 2018 CONFERENCE, Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018!
5. Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018, for APC/NACC Conference!
Mark your calendars for the APC/NACC Conference in 2018! This conference will be held Thursday, July 12, through Sunday, July 15, 2018, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California. It will be preceded by preconference workshops and our NACC retreat. Plan to join us!
6. Call for Professional Development Intensives (Pre-Conference Workshops) and Workshop Proposals! Proposals now being accepted!*
APC and NACC are inviting proposals for Intensives and Workshops. Please go to Call for Proposals for the 2018 APC/NACC Joint Conference to access information and applications forms for submitting your proposals.
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
7. This Thursday, August 3, is our NACC August Webinar on Dementia and Growing Older!*
If you have not already done so, it is still not too late to register for this webinar.
On Thursday, August 3, 2017 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time, Sr. M. Peter Lillian Di Maria, O.Carm., BA, LNHA, and Alfred W. Norwood, BS, MBA, will present “Dementia and Growing Older.”
Program Summary
Tapping into one’s Faith belief and understanding a person’s spirituality is a key component to helping those who suffer from different types of dementia. It has been seen that many people with advanced levels of dementia are still comforted by spiritual practices. In this session, Alfred Norwood will discuss dementia and its impact on understanding. Sr. Peter will provide insight on how to identify and provide spirituality for those with a dementia diagnosis.
Program Objectives
- Discuss the impact of dementia’s progressive, irreversible mental losses on patient behavior.
- Describe mental processes that remain and can be used to facilitate a “behaviorless” decline for those with dementia.
- Discuss spirituality of aging as it applies to dementia and discuss spiritual approaches for elders, especially those living with dementia.
About the Presenters
Sr. M. Peter Lillian Di Maria has over 35 years’ experience in the continuum care ministry as a Carmelite Sister for the Aged and Infirm. Sr. Peter has served her community in many administrative positions and has lectured many times on Alzheimer’s disease, palliative care, geriatric spiritual care, family care issues, stress reduction, leadership development, and team building. Sr. Peter has developed successful dementia care programs, dementia care curriculums and assisted in developing a palliative care resource manual that is specific for geriatric care. Over the past fifteen years, Sr. Peter and the Avila Institute of Gerontology have worked with many Congregations concerning aging issues, as well as providing congregational management and education services. She has a BA in Secondary Education and currently holds three state licenses as a Nursing Home Administrator.
Alfred Norwood holds a BS degree and graduate study in Physiological Psychology from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. For 25 years he was the founder and managing partner of Organization Development Associates Inc. (Minneapolis, Palo Alto & Brussels), a management consulting company assisting multinational organizations in team-based strategic planning and corporate development. Upon moving to Rochester, he founded Companion Radio, a satellite service to LTC and Assisted Living facilities. Observing the impending aging care crisis, he formed Behavior Science, Inc., which developed tools and training programs for nursing homes, assisted living and home care agencies. For 15 years he has worked with Sr. Peter at the Avila Institute of Gerontology to help Avila clients better meet the needs of seniors they serve..
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.
8. Special NACC webinar: September 21, 2017, “Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Catholic Health Care Perspectives”*
In collaboration with our Canadian members, the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) is offering a special webinar entitled Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Catholic Health Care Perspectives, presented by Dr. Christopher De Bono, PhD, MDiv.
The webinar will take place on September 21, 2017, 12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m. (CST)
(1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET; 12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m. CT, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MT; 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PT).
Program Summary
What does Medical Assistance in Dying (aka Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide) look like in Canada? What does it mean for the Catholic Health Care community and beyond? This workshop will provide the critical historical context on MAiD. It will focus on the tensions as well as opportunities that MAiD represents in both acute and residential care settings. Clinical, ethical and pastoral theological lenses will be brought to bear on the phenomenon.
Program Objectives
Participants will:
- Learn what Medical Assistance in Dying means for Canadian Catholic health care in acute and residential care settings
- Learn why Medical Assistance in Dying is both a tension and an opportunity
- Learn what practical steps a Catholic health system/Catholic sponsor can take in responding to Medical Assistance in Dying
• Learn what Medical Assistance in Dying looks like in Canada.
For more information, and to register for this event, please visit our website at this link: REGISTER.
9. Tuesday, October 17, 2017, Partners in Strengthening the Future of Spiritual Care
Symposium*
The leading organizations in the field of Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care have come together to offer a joint symposium “Partners in Strengthening the Future of Spiritual Care.” This symposium will cover a range of information including partnerships, collaboration and research pertinent for those in the field of Spiritual Care. In addition, attendees will qualify for 4.5 hours of applicable Continuing Education credits towards their respective certifications.
Hosted by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), and Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), this learning event is geared towards all chaplains, spiritual caregivers, directors of spiritual care, mission leaders, healthcare leaders, and all engaged in, or having responsibility for, spiritual care in your institutions.
Please join us for a vital program that will leave you informed, inspired, and equipped to strengthen spiritual care in your setting.
The symposium (presented from the APC headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois) will be accessible via streaming video to remote audiences via high-speed internet. Primary participation will take place online at registered sites, but limited seats will be available for in-person attendees.
Participants will:
- Gain insights from Dr. Christina Puchalski into the vital role of spiritual care in current healthcare environment, and the critical partnerships needed to strengthen spiritual care for the future;
- Hear from the presidents of the five major associations on the key challenges to professional chaplaincy, and the collaborative efforts undertaken by these strategic partners to address these challenges;
- Receive the most recent resources and research for positioning and strengthening spiritual care within one’s place of work.
The program consists of three 90-minute presentations. The program qualifies for 4.5CE hours for maintenance of ACPE, BCCI®, CASC, NACC, NAJC Certification. An additional 1.5 CE hours could be added with the use of guided discussions.
For more information, and to register for this event, please visit our website at this link: REGISTER.
10. Did you see the America Magazine Article on How Catholic Health Care is Fighting Against Physician Assisted Suicide (Palliative Care)?*
On July 12, America Magazine published an excellent article on Catholic Health Care and Physician Assisted Suicide. Here is a link to it.
11. Did you see this new study on physicians willing to assess patients’ spiritual needs?*
A study on Physicians’ Willingness to Assess Patients’ Spiritual Needs shows that they are more likely to do so with education and training. It was conducted by Adventist Health System and Duke University, who surveyed the experiences of 520 healthcare providers assessing patients’ spiritual needs over a one-year period. *
Physicians’ Willingness to Assess Patients’ Spiritual Needs
12. Did you see this article by a physician reflecting on his prayer and the spiritual health of his patients?*
See below to read the article by Dr. Michael Shattuck:
Are you taking care of your spiritual health?
13. A local NACC event in September 2017*
We are pleased to announce the 2017 Fall Chaplains’ Conference that will be held September 21-22, 2017, in Alexandria, MN. The subject of this year’s event is “Moving Beyond Our Comfort Zone: Understanding Behavioral Health for the Provision of Spiritual Care,” with Rev. Michele Guest Lowery as the guest speaker. For more information, and to register for this event, please visit our website at this link: REGISTER.
14. For information on the remainder of our NACC 2017 Webinar Series, please go to:
www.nacc.org/education-resources/nacc-webinars-and-audio-conferences
15. 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.
16. 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: Russ (husband of NACC member Linda Bronersky), Mary Columbo Reichert and family, Betty and Louis Skonieczny, Anne Murphy, Sr. Mary Clare Boland SP, Sr. Romona Nowak, OP, Fr. Jim Radde, SJ, Julie Bablin, Sheila Amrich (niece-in-law of NACC member Sr. Paracleta Amrich), Isabelita Boquiren, Susan Balling, Jim and Frances Castello.
17. 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.
LEAD CHAPLAIN
Sturgeon Bay, WI – Door County Medical Center
CHAPLAIN
Lima, Ohio – St. Rita’s Medical Center
CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN
Albuquerque, New Mexico – UNM Hospitals
PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Warwick, NY – Good Samaritan Hospital
DIRECTOR of PASTORAL CARE
Baltimore, MD – Bon Secours Health System
CPE PROGRAM MANAGER POSITION
Indianapolis, IN – Franciscan Health Indianapolis
SPIRITUAL CARE STAFF CHAPLAIN
Carroll, Iowa – St. Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home
DIRECTOR of MISSION INTEGRATION & SPIRITUAL CARE
Medford, Oregon – Providence Medford Medical Center
COORDINATOR of CPE PROGRAM
Hartford, CT – Saint Francis
View these jobs and more at: www.nacc.org/resources/positions.
