Issue #259 – October 9, 2017
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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection*
2. Welcome to our new NACC member who joined us in September!*
3. Praying for those affected by hurricanes, Harvey, Irma, and Maria.*
4. We heard recently from NACC members who were caring for victims of the Las Vegas shooting.*
5. Continued thanks to donors to NACC Annual Campaign!*
6. We still need photos of members for our marketing materials library!
7. Thanks to the many members contributing to the October 14-15, 2017, Certification Interviews!*
8. NACC Networking Calls for September/October 2017
9. In Vision: Skill at assessments carries many other benefits*
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
APC/NACC 2018 CONFERENCE, Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018!
10. Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018, for APC/NACC Conference!
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
11. Did you see the recent publication from the Pew Charitable Trust? “How Faith Communities Facilitate Conversations Around End-of-Life Concerns: Interviews show the benefits of training and engagement on advance care planning”?*
12. Last week to register for the Tuesday, October 17, 2017, Partners in Strengthening the Future of Spiritual Care Symposium*
13. NACC encourages setting local events around October 17 Symposium!*
14. NACC Local Gatherings!*
15. For information on the remainder of our NACC 2017 Webinar Series, please go to:
www.nacc.org/education-resources/nacc-webinars-and-audio-conferences
16. Healing Tree: a request for prayers*
17. Recent job postings*
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
How many conversations have you had with people, whether family, friends, or strangers, in which you wondered about how those who have experienced loss of a loved one, serious life disruption, devastation of property, and other sufferings are dealing or have dealt with it? Certainly the destruction from hurricanes and killings and maiming from mass shootings leave us numb, but also we seek to hear how those affected are getting along and trying to live with, as one person said, “not life as it was, but life as it is and promises to be.”
I am awed by the calm of some, as they gradually piece together their lives, only allowing themselves to express gratitude for the help being received and for the conviction that “we will get through this together.” I am sure you also experience daily in your ministry those whose disposition toward life in the midst of trials is one of gratitude and peace.
Yesterday’s passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians (4:6-9) has always been for me a primer on how to reflect on life. When I read it again several challenging life experiences came back to me where this passage was a lifeline for me.
I always found Paul’s direction, “have no anxiety at all,” to be somewhat idealistic. We all have some anxiety! However, he does urge me to pray in a certain way, “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” The “with thanksgiving” for me does not always come naturally when anxiety wants to rule me. The gift of thanksgiving is that I have to be specific about what I am grateful for, whereas anxiety can be such a non-specific experience. I don’t always know why I am anxious, but I can be specific about what I am grateful for. Expressing gratitude grounds me in a view of life that is concrete and real. Anxiety doesn’t.
I must confess that I discovered something new when I read the following verse! “Then the peace of God that surpasses understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” I had never seen God’s peace as an agent guarding my heart and mind. I just considered peace an attribute or gift that was there like an emotion or feeling – a given that feels good. Here Paul describes peace with the power to watch over my heart and mind, almost like a guardian angel or a providential player that I need to allow to work on my behalf! I had not thought about peace that way before. In this verse, peace is not something I need to try to hold on to, but a graced guardian. So, going forward how will I allow God’s peace to be a sacred sentry, helping me embrace and neutralize the negative emotions and thoughts that can rule me, cause anxiety, and keep me from being fully alive and of service?
I enjoyed reading again the next verse that was good cognitive therapy! Maybe it was Paul’s way of showing us how we can cooperate with the tireless sentinel of peace. He instructs us how to think and act so that God’s peace can be the force it can be in us. First, how to think: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worth of praise, think about these things.” Then how to act: “Keep doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.”
If we think and act that way, “Then the God of peace will be with you.” I don’t know about you, but I need to reflect more on this passage in order to allow “peace” to be the grace God intended it to be. Be specific about my gratitude. Don’t think peace will persist if I don’t let it do what God intended it to be – a power over my heart and mind. Let my mind be guided by the true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, excellent, and praiseworthy. And keep at it.
This reading from Paul helped me to hear differently the comment from the person who was trying to live “not life as it was, but life as it is and promises to be.”
So how does “peace” act in your life?
Blessings,
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
2. Welcome to our new NACC members who joined us in September!
Please welcome our new NACC members!
Full Members
Ms. Robin A. Imbrigiotta (Brecksville, OH)
Rev. Benjamin Madanu (Anchorage, AK)
Rev. Patrick I. Nwokoye (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Ms. Carol J. Osterhus (Minnetonka, MN)
Sr. Catherine D. Petalcurin MSCS (Melrose Park, IL)
Ministry Volunteer
Ms. Janice I. Willett (Howell, NJ)
Student Members
Mrs. Sharon A. Dobbs (Chicago, IL)
Mr. Ralph Duesterhoeft (Dallas, OR)
Ms. Linda M. Zirbes (Avon, MN)
3. Praying for those affected by hurricanes, Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
We continue to pray for our members and their families who have been affected by the hurricanes of Harvey, Irma, and Maria. We have several members who have family in Puerto Rico who have not heard much from family members. Let’s keep them all in prayer. And we continue to pray for all those who have experienced loss of a loved one, serious life disruption, devastation of property, and other sufferings over these past weeks.
4. We heard recently from NACC members who were caring for victims of the Las Vegas shooting.
We reached out to our NACC members in the Las Vegas area and heard back from two of them, Charlotte Leas and Nancy Many. They appreciate our outreach, as they cared for victims and their families. Charlotte sent a photo of the Interfaith Vigil/Prayer Service that was held at Guardian Angels Catholic Cathedral Monday evening where clergy leaders took turns in sounding the gong 59 times in honor of the 59 people who lost their lives.
Click here to read the story
5. Continued thanks to donors to NACC Annual Campaign!
Many of our members have recently responded to reminder request. We are deeply grateful to all those who have been able to give to our 2017 Annual Campaign. To date we have received 403 gifts totaling $42,570, compared to 441 gifts totaling $47,872 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: We recently sent out a second or reminder request to those have not yet given. 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!
6. We still need photos of members for our marketing materials library!
Thanks to those who have sent photos. As NACC develops more marketing materials we need more photos of our chaplains in ministry settings. If you have photos or can work with your institution’s marketing department to share photos, we would greatly appreciate it. Please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) if you can help us in this matter or need media releases! Thank you in advance!
7. Thanks to the many members contributing to the October 14-15, 2017, Certification Interviews!
The National Office and many volunteers have been busy completing preparations for the October 14-15, 2017, certification interviews. The interviews are being held in three locations: Lancaster, PA; Milwaukee, WI; and Torrance, CA. There are at least 61 people involved in the interview weekend: 23 applicants, 24 interviewers, 8 Interview Team Educators, 3 Site Coordinators, 3 Pastoral Care, and 1 Certification Commissioner-on-Call as well as Other Volunteers. Thanks so much for all our volunteers’ hard work and dedication to the NACC Certification process! Please keep our certification applicants and all of those involved in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare for certification interviews.
8. NACC Networking Calls for September/October 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.
- One-Person Dept. Networking Group Call; Tuesday, October 10, at 10 a.m. CT
- Student Member Group Call Group Call; Tuesday, October 10, at 1 p.m. CT
- Long Term Care Chaplain Networking Group Call; Wednesday, October 11, at 10 a.m. CT
- Retired/Emeritus Member Networking Group Call; Wednesday, October 11, at 2 p.m. CT
- Hispanic/Bilingual Networking Group Call; Thursday, October 12, at 10 a.m. CT
- Integrative Care Networking Group Call; Thursday, October 12, at 1 p.m. CT
- Directors of Spiritual Care Networking Group Call; Friday, October 13, at 10 a.m. CT
9. In Vision: Understanding organization’s culture helps cope with change
Why do chaplains need to understand an organization’s culture? Michele Sakurai points out in the current issue of Vision that it can help staffers adjust to the inevitability of change.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
APC/NACC 2018 CONFERENCE, Thursday, July 12, to Sunday, July 15, 2018!
10. 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!
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
11. Did you see the recent publication from the Pew Charitable Trust? “How Faith Communities Facilitate Conversations Around End-of-Life Concerns: Interviews show the benefits of training and engagement on advance care planning”?
This is an excellent resource for end-of-life care:
EOL How Faith Communities Facilitate Conversations Around End Of Life Concerns
12. Last week to register for the 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 4.5 CE 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.
13. NACC encourages setting local events around October 17 Symposium!
As our members plan for local events this fall, please consider setting the gathering to participate in the October 17 symposium.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Andris Kursietis at: akursietis@nacc.org.
We hope you will accept this opportunity to enhance your learning and to meet with fellow chaplains in your region. Please invite your colleagues, even if they are not members of the NACC – all are welcome.
14. NACC Local Gatherings!
- Local Events being planned for October 17, 2017, Partners in Strengthening the Future of Spiritual Care Symposium *
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
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, 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.
FULL-TIME HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN
Hartford, Connecticut – Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center
CHAPLAIN
Santa Rosa, CA – Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital
CHAPLAIN
Southeastern Wisconsin – Ascension Healthcare
CHAPLAIN
Duluth, MN – Essentia Health
CHAPLAINCY SERVICES DIRECTOR
Duluth, MN – Essentia Health
CHAPLAIN
Valparaiso, Indiana – Dunes Hospice
DIRECTOR of SPIRITUAL CARE
Springfield Ohio – Mercy Health
View these jobs and more at: www.nacc.org/resources/positions.
