Issue #287 – November 12, 2018

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

NACC

1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
2. NACC announces the recipients of its 2019 Awards. *
3. 2018 Annual Campaign Update! Thanks to those who have given! Please join them! *
4. Welcome new members who joined NACC in October 2018! *
5. Death of a member: Gina Roecker, BCC *
6. Certification Commission Conference Call – November 19, 2018 *
7. In Vision: Two backpacks: A story of death and life on the border *
8. Vision seeks articles about end-of-life care *

2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAY 31 – JUNE 3, 2019

9. Friday, May 31, to Monday, June 3, 2019, for NACC National Conference!
10. Thank you to all who submitted Workshop Proposal Applications. *
11. Meet our 2019 Conference Planning Task Force Members! *
12. Important Dates and Policies *

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

13. Ministry to the Sick and Anointing of the Sick: History and Reflections. *
14. Are you aware of the Human Media podcast series? *
15. Register today for this free webinar on Recognizing Trauma in the Prisoner *
16. You can still register TODAY for this Thursday’s NACC webinar, Witnessing the Dying of a Child: The Role of the Pediatric Chaplain *
17. Register today for NACC final 2018 Webinar on Thursday, December 13, 2018! *
18. Register TODAY for TOMORROW’S NACC Local Gathering – Baltimore, MD ~ Tuesday, November 13 *
19. Did you see these CHA Resources for World Day of the Poor? *
20. Don’t let this educational opportunity slip by! Recording of NACC live-streamed event ~ A Bold Model for Diocesan Pastoral Care Ministry and Equipping Catholic Laypersons to Serve *
21. Healing Tree: a request for prayers *
22. Recent job postings *

1. Executive Director’s Reflection
My dad died of cancer 33 years ago at the young age of 69, and my mom was just 66 at the time. She lived to be 89, another 23 years. Watching her care lovingly for dad during his final weeks of home hospice, tenderly and sorrowfully letting him go during the funeral services, and continuing her life of generously and selflessly tending to the needs of others in remaining years, gave me a glimpse of what a widow’s life can be. You can probably think of so many men and women who lost their loved one but continued to live out the loving learned and cherished during the years of married love. In the loss of the one who was the purpose and meaning of life, an inner freedom to continue to live selflessly and generously is found. “I have already lost the love of my life, and survived; I can let go of anything else.” While mom was always generous, somehow after dad’s death, everything seemed to be evaluated differently, with less concern for daily worries of life.

I thought of mom when reading in yesterday’s Gospel of Mark where Jesus shared his observation about the widow’s giving at the temple, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12:43-44) I reflected, is it a special charism of a widow, or someone who has experienced such a core and central loss and survived, to be able selflessly and generously let go again, trusting the Giver of Life continues to give in the wake of such devastating loss?

I had to think about people I know who amazed me by their resilience after loss, and became even more sacrificial givers, seeming to have an endless supply of trust and to know that core principle of life – let go and give when you know you need to.

Over the years St. Ignatius Suscipe remains a very challenging prayer for me.

I remember on my thirty-day retreat, now 40 years ago, struggling to pray this prayer, and my director helping me to pray it with trust and abandon, noting the gift of gratitude for all that has been given me and daily returning it to God, knowing God remains the ultimate generous Giver who will never stop giving. The grace to “return” was premised on the gift of gratitude. No gratitude, no return.

Makes me think today about gratitude and returning in ministry. Take, Lord, receive.

Blessings,

David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director

2. NACC announces the recipients of its 2019 Awards.
The NACC Board of Directors is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2019 Awards. The NACC Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Sr. Emily Demuth, CSC, BCC, who joined and was board certified by NACC in 1978. The Emergent Leader Award will be presented to Sean K. Doll O’Mahoney, BCC and ACPE Certified Educator, who joined and was board certified with NACC in 2010. The Outstanding Colleague Award will be presented to Dr. Harry Dudley, DMin, former Assistant Director for Certification of Ecclesial Ministry for the USCCB in the Secretariat for Catholic Education and a vital colleague in our Raskob Partners in Planning for the Pastoral Care Ministry. Please join us in congratulating them, and watch for more information about them.

3. 2018 Annual Campaign Update! Thanks to those who have given! Please join them!
We are deeply grateful to all those who have been able to give so far to our 2018 Annual Campaign. To date we have received 442 gifts totaling $47,647 compared to 427 gifts totaling $48,152 at this time last year. If you have not yet been able to donate, please consider doing so today or this week! Thank you!

Please note: You can also make your donation online RIGHT NOW by going to the Annual Campaign webpage (https://www.nacc.org/donate/) or just click here to donate: https://nationalcatholicwiassoc.wliinc32.com/donate. Please give as you can! Blessings!

4. Welcome new members who joined NACC in October 2018!
Please join us in welcoming our new NACC members who joined us in October 2018!

Full Members
Mr. Ronald G. Tadena (Lakewood, WA)

Student Members
Ms. Vivian Nabuule (Berkeley, CA)

5. Death of a member: Gina Roecker, BCC
We recently learned of the death of our Emeritus member, Gina l. Roecker, BCC. Gina joined NACC in 1986, was certified in 1987, and remained a member until her death on October 16, 2018 at her home in Spokane, Washington. Her obituary notes that “Gina dedicated her life to service of the Lord as a Certified Catholic Chaplain.” Please read her beautiful obituary.

6. Certification Commission Conference Call – November 19, 2018
The Certification Commission will be meeting by conference call most of the day on November 19, 2018. They will be reviewing and voting on initial certification and renewal of certification. They will also be discussing many other items important to NACC in the area of Certification. We are so grateful for the hard work of all of our Certification Commission members, their service to NACC and especially to our members!

7. In Vision: Two backpacks: A story of death and life on the border
Working at the U.S.-Mexico border, Laura Stump Kennedy witnessed bravery, sacrifice, loss, and death. In the new issue of Vision, she tells the story of one life that ended too early, and the ripples it left.
Two backpacks: A story of death and life on the border

8. Vision seeks articles about end-of-life care
The January-February issue of Vision will cover the theme of end-of-life spiritual care. If you have best practices to share, or stories to tell, about palliative care, anointing, ministry to families, or any other related topic, please share your idea with Vision editor David Lewellen, dlewellen@nacc.org. The copy deadline is Dec. 3.

2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAY 31 – JUNE 3, 2019

9. Friday, May 31, to Monday, June 3, 2019, for NACC National Conference!
Mark your calendars for the NACC Conference in 2019! This conference will be held Friday, May 31, to Monday, June 3, 2019, at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Conference Center in Mundelein, IL. It will be preceded by preconference workshops and our NACC retreat. Plan to join us!

10. Thank you to all who submitted Workshop Proposal Applications.
Our deepest appreciation to all who submitted workshop applications for the 2019 Conference. We received many wonderful submissions and are grateful to each of you who applied.

11. Meet our 2019 Conference Planning Task Force Members!
We are grateful to the members of the Conference Planning Task Force. This group represents the NACC along with representatives from our Partners in Pastoral Care.
Visit the website to see who is representing the NACC membership and our Pastoral Care Partners.

12. Important Dates and Policies
Do you want to know when registration will open or when sleeping rooms will be available to reserve? All important “date” information is available on the NACC website.

Stay tuned to the coming issues of NACC Now for more information on the 2019 conference.

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

13. Ministry to the Sick and Anointing of the Sick: History and Reflections.
NACC is pleased to make available to you, through Jim Buryska’s generosity, his excellent book chapter entitled, “Ministry to the Sick and Anointing of the Sick: History and Reflections.” You can access it at www.nacc.org/resources/chaplaincy-care-resources/anointing

14. Are you aware of the Human Media podcast series?
The recent Human Media Spiritual Care Podcast is entitled: Stories of caregivers who foster personal transformation. You can access it at: www.humanmedia.org/product/spiritual-care/

15. Register today for this free webinar on Recognizing Trauma in the Prisoner
This free webinar on Recognizing Trauma in the Prisoner offered Tuesday, November 27, 2018, noon central time, is sponsored by the Catholic Prison Ministry Coalition, of which NACC is a partner. Maria Morrison and Fr. Dustin Feddon, PhD, will host a 60-minute discussion on recognizing and responding to trauma within the incarcerated/detained and being present to them in a compassionate way. To register: https://goo.gl/forms/D34pNNiPtCkVNOes2

16. You can still register TODAY for this Thursday’s NACC webinar, Witnessing the Dying of a Child: The Role of the Pediatric Chaplain
Thursday, November 15, 2018, Jim Manzardo, STB, BCC, and Glenda Spearman, MDiv, BCC, will be presenting on Witnessing the Dying of a Child: The Role of the Pediatric Chaplain. There is no more painful death than the death of one’s own child. This webinar will explain the reality for parents/caregivers who face their children’s death in a hospital context and who must also make very complex and difficult decisions about medical treatments and end-of-life care. It will also elaborate the dying experience of infants through young adults in a pediatric hospital setting. Finally, the webinar will describe the unique and integral role of a pediatric chaplain with dying children and their families.

1. To understand the breadth of the experience of parents/caregivers and families whose children die in a hospital setting.
2. To describe the experience of the dying adolescent, child and infant.
3. To explain the role and contributions of chaplains who minister to dying children and their families.

To register online and pay by credit card, for this webinar or for any other NACC 2018 regular series webinar, please visit the registration page by clicking on this LINK. If you prefer to register using a paper registration form and pay by check, a downloadable registration form can be accessed at this LINK.

Additional information about these webinars (and our other 2018 webinars) can be found at the following link: 2018 webinars.

17. Register today for NACC final 2018 Webinar on Thursday, December 13, 2018!
Thursday, December 13, 2018: Pastoral/Spiritual Care for Abuse Victims and Their Families, presented by Allison K. Kern, MDiv (eq), MA. Ally Kern is an advocate for empowering women worldwide with over fifteen years of experience working in leadership roles for churches and international development organizations in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. She has traveled extensively to over 30 countries and specializes in working with gender-based violence, inspired by her passion for gender equality and ending abuse against women. Recognizing the critical role religion plays in violence against women, she works as a professor of practical theology while pursuing a Doctorate where she is doing groundbreaking interdisciplinary research in the fields of neuroscience, trauma, and spirituality. Ally will utilize this research to create the first domestic violence recovery course that is spiritually, psychologically, and theologically integrated. This webinar aims to empower survivors to experience transformational healing in mind, body, and spirit and will be offered by churches around the world. Ally speaks and lectures with a passion to see the global Christian church equipped and mobilized to end gender-based violence and empower women to heal and flourish.

Additional information about these webinars (and our other 2018 webinars) can be found at the following link: 2018 webinars. All webinars are recorded, so you may still register for those that have already taken place and benefit from them via the recordings.

18. Register TODAY for TOMORROW’S NACC Local Gathering – Baltimore, MD ~ Tuesday, November 13
You are invited to participate in a gathering organized by the NACC, the topic of which is: Reset and Restore, presented by Stephannie Weikert. Serving others through compassionate spiritual care is profound and sacred work. Stress negatively affects the caring relationship and healing environment and is a major contributor to illness and burnout. Yoga therapy for stress offers simple and potent practices that spiritual caregivers can use to reset and restore themselves as well as support the life-giving relationships they form with those they serve. Additional information about this event and how to register for it can be found at this LINK.

If you have any questions about NACC webinars or local gatherings, please contact Andris Kursietis at the NACC national office at 414-483-4898 or akursietis@nacc.org.

19. Did you see these CHA Resources for World Day of the Poor?
On November 18, 2018, people across the world will commemorate the second World Day of the Poor. In his message for this occasion, Pope Francis calls “all of us [to] feel that we are in debt to the poor, because, in hands outstretched to one another, a salvific encounter can take place to strengthen our faith, inspire our charity and enable our hope to advance securely on our path towards the Lord who is to come.” To help those working in Catholic health ministry make connections to World Day of the Poor and its theme’s meaning in their own lives, CHA has created a reflective process.

• Access, use and share CHA’s 2018 reflection for World Day of the Poor (.doc) (.pdf).
• Read the statement from Pope Francis, titled, This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.
• Watch CHA’s video reflection for World Day of the Poor.

Access CHA’s many reflections, prayers, video reflections and more on CHAUSA.org.

20. Don’t let this educational opportunity slip by! Recording of NACC live-streamed event ~ A Bold Model for Diocesan Pastoral Care Ministry and Equipping Catholic Laypersons to Serve
On Saturday, September 29, the NACC held a gathering in Houston, Texas, to present on the topic of A Bold Model for Diocesan Pastoral Care Ministry and Equipping Catholic Laypersons to Serve. The event was live-streamed across the nation, and was also recorded. If you were unable to participate “live,” you still have an opportunity to register for access to the recording. For details about the event, and instructions on how to register, please click on the following link:

Registration: A Bold Model for Diocesan Pastoral Care Ministry and Equipping Catholic Laypersons to Serve

21. 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: Connie Pawicz (husband of Mary Pawicz), Mrs. Lisa A. Laviolette-Bondt BCC, Liam and Dillon, (Grandsons of member Ray Townsend), Fr. Art Schutte, Janet Furman (at the death of her brother Robert Furman), Nolan (3-year-old grandson of member Dale Recinella), Sr. Mary Clare Boland, SP, 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.

22. 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.

SPIRITUAL CARE MANAGER
Everett, WA – Providence Regional Medical Center

CHAPLAIN
Lancaster, PA – Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health

CHAPLAIN
Mitchell, SD – Avera Health

CHAPLAIN – 1800436
Stony Brook, NY – Stony Brook Medicine

PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Lafayette, LA – Our Lady of Lourdes RMC

STAFF CHAPLAIN
Carroll, Iowa – St. Anthony Regional Hospital

UNIVERSITY CHAPLAIN
Newport, RI – Salve Regina University

SENIOR CONSULTANT, SPIRITUAL CARE
Shoreview, MN – Benedictine Health System