Issue #301 – June 10, 2019
Click here to return to the main NACC Now page.
(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
2. Welcome to our new NACC Members who joined us in May! *
3. Recent deaths of NACC members *
4. NACC Staff member, Ramona Zeb, to be leaving NACC. Thank you, Ramona, and God’s blessings on you! *
5. Have you been following the 2019 Conference Blog that offers many insights and reflections on the Conference, including Annual Awards, NACC Business meeting, plenaries, liturgies, and workshops? *
6. Thank you to those of you who have already given to our 2019 Annual Member Campaign! Please join them! *
7. Are you aware of our many Education Institution Members who have joined the NACC? *
8. Are you considering board certification with the NACC? Register now for a free webinar on the topic! *
9. In Vision: Verbatims prepare pastoral care ministers for home visits *
10. NACC Networking calls for June 2019 *
2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAY 31 – JUNE 3, 2019
11. Thank you to all who prayed for the success of the 2019 NACC Conference! *
12. Thank you to all who made our 2019 Joint Conference a success! *
13. Thank you for donations to conference charity. You can still give today! *
14. Thank you to our Conference Sponsors! *
15. 2019 Conference resources can be accessed on the NACC website. *
16. Conference photos requested! *
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
2020 CONFERENCE, Monday, May 11 – Thursday, May 14 in Cleveland, Ohio!
17. Monday May 11 – Thursday, May 14, 2020, for 2020 Conference! *
18. Call for Professional Development Intensives (Pre-Conference Workshops) and Workshop Proposals! Proposals now being accepted! *
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
19. Member Request: How many of our acute hospitals use: NCR Catalyst – Inpatient + HCAHPS Monthly Stoplight Report and NCR Catalyst – Inpatient + HCAHPS Quarterly Stoplight Report? *
20. Excellent webinar on restorative justice! *
21. A free webinar offer by the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care *
22. The next NACC webinar is this week, on June 13 – there is still time to register! *
23. NACC Local Events *
24. Healing Tree: a request for prayers *
25. Recent job postings *
1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
Here we are – the Feast of Pentecost 2019! Each year, when this feast occurs, we experience, in some ways, being “confused,” “astounded,” and “in amazement” as were the early disciples. (Acts 2: 6-6) They were struck by the fact that each heard the message in their own language as the message was disseminated in so many diverse tongues. How can this be? This is remarkable and unbelievable!
It makes me think about the many pastoral situations where the people we are caring for and with finally hear a message spoken to them often but now received. The physician was finally understood. The mother’s message of love was finally received. Words of reconciliation and forgiveness finally bring tears of acknowledgement and acceptance. The full impact of a diagnosis now hits home. A broken, dysfunctional family suddenly realizes and recognizes its painful and perilous impact on a fragile sibling. Such experiences fill your journaling and pastoral journey.
Pentecost is a day of wonderment for us, as we reflect on the Spirit’s hidden and sacred work among us that swoops down and lifts us up, first with a “how did that happen?” Then, we move to being astounded and amazed. Isn’t this followed with that little smile or smirk, accompanied by “why am I still caught off guard by the Spirit’s working among us?” How long will it take (my death bed?) for me to embrace this work of God’s Spirit in our ministry?
May you be blessed this week with the Spirit’s gifts of confusion, astonishment, and amazement!
Blessings,
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
2. Welcome to our new NACC Members who joined us in May! *
Members
Sampson Etim
Johnson Kuriappilly
Patty Lee
Scott Nguyen
Jude Nwaigwa
Pauline Obasi DMMM
Homer Teng
Students
Adauto Alves
Shawn Gerleman
Leo Keegan
Ronald San Nicholas
Kelsi Watters
William Weber
Affiliate
Peter Haas
Education Institution Member
Mount St. Joseph University
3. Recent deaths of NACC members *
During our 2019 Conference we learned of the deaths of two of our NACC members we had not been notified about:
- Sr. Diane Louttit, DC, BCC, passed away September 13, 2018. She joined NACC in 1990 and was board-certified in 1996, serving over the years in diverse leadership roles in her community, as well as chaplain in several healthcare settings. Read more about Sr. Diane at https://daughtersofcharity.org/obituaries/in-memoriam-sister-diane-louttit/
- Fr. Alfred J. Bebel died on March 13, 2019. He joined NACC in 1986 and served as a chaplain for many years in diverse healthcare settings. Read more about Fr. Alfred at
https://www.bednarskyfuneralhome.com/notices/RevAlfred-Bebel
May the Lord grant them fullness of life in His Presence.
4. NACC Staff member, Ramona Zeb, to be leaving NACC. Thank you, Ramona, and God’s blessings on you! *
Our Administrative Specialist/Certification, Ramona Zeb, will be leaving the NACC next week after 4 and one half years of service to the NACC and our members. We deeply appreciate all that Ramona has done to support the Certification Commission, and our members as they prepared for and went through our certification process. May God continue to bless you and keep you, Ramona.
5. Have you been following the 2019 Conference Blog that offers many insights and reflections on the Conference, including Annual Awards, NACC Business meeting, plenaries, liturgies, and workshops? *
Please visit the 2019 Conference Blog site to follow some excellent contributions on the 2019 Conference! https://www.nacc.org/nacc-blog
6. Thank you to those of you who have already given to our 2019 Annual Member Campaign! Please join them! *
We are deeply grateful to all those who have been able to give so far to our 2019 Annual Campaign. To date we have received 234 gifts totaling $27,130 compared to 148 gifts totaling $14,757 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 or just click here to donate: https://nationalcatholicwiassoc.wliinc32.com/donate. Please give as you can! Blessings!
7. Are you aware of our many Education Institution Members who have joined the NACC? *
Over the past year, the NACC has invited education institutions that had conferred degrees upon our BCC members to become Education Institution Members. The nature and benefits of this membership can be found at https://www.nacc.org/membership/apply-for-membership/. Fourteen have already joined us! If someone is looking at NACC Certification on our website, he or she will see the graduate program link (https://www.nacc.org/certification/graduate-theological-programs/) where they will find these institutions, and the degrees that would qualify them for board certification.
Please encourage the school from which you received your graduate degree to consider becoming a member by giving them links to our website above! They can also contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) or David Lichter (dlichter@nacc.org).
8. Are you considering board certification with the NACC? Register now for a free webinar on the topic! *
- Thursday, June 20, 2019. Certification by the NACC, presented by NACC Certification Commissioners.
This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the NACC certification process, with special attention to the revised NACC competencies and procedures. We will present key information about certification and provide a forum for answering questions about certification with the NACC. This free webinar will be presented by members of the NACC Certification Commission. It will be repeated in November.
Even though the webinar is offered at no charge, please register for it by clicking on this LINK. If you prefer to register using a paper registration form, a downloadable registration form can be accessed at this LINK. Your registration is required so that we can send you the information to access the webinar.
9. In Vision: Verbatims prepare pastoral care ministers for home visits *
In training parish volunteers to visit the elderly and homebound, Michele Le Doux Sakurai DMin, BCC, found that verbatims helped prepare them for difficult encounters – or for routine encounters that still remain sacred. To read more in the current issue of Vision, click below.
https://www.nacc.org/vision/may-june-2019/verbatims-prepare-pastoral-care-ministers-for-home-visits/
10. NACC Networking calls for June 2019 *
All are welcome to participate in calls of their interest!
Monday, June 10, 2019 at 1 p.m. CT CPE- Community of Practice
Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 10 a.m. CT Hispanic Chaplain
Wednesday, June 12, 2019 at 2 p.m. CT Nurse Chaplain
Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 2 p.m. CT Student
Monday, June 17, 2019 at 2 p.m. CT State Liaison
Thursday, June 27, 2019 at 12 p.m. CT Palliative Care/Hospice
To sign up, contact Ramune Franitza at rfranitza@nacc.org for more information, questions, comments or concerns. As the time of the call gets closer and you have replied that you will participate, we will forward ZOOM passcodes for a visual connection via internet or, if you prefer, you can still call in via a phone line. Registering for the call, even if you cannot participate, will allow you to receive notes of the conversation and resources shared.
If you’ve had difficulty in joining calls using ZOOM, please let Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) know so that we can address the difficulty. THANK YOU!
2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAY 31 – JUNE 3, 2019
11. Thank you to all who prayed for the success of the 2019 NACC Conference! *
We are deeply grateful to all of our members who were not able to attend this year’s conference at St. Mary of the Lake University in Mundelein, Illinois, but remembered the participants in prayer. You and your ministry were remembered daily in our liturgies. You were not far from us in spirit.
12. Thank you to all who made our 2019 Joint Conference a success! *
More than 300 participants gathered for our 2019 Conference at University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois, and experienced its inspiration, information, and nourishment through plenaries, workshops, liturgies, business meeting, and social gatherings. We extend our special thanks to the Planning Committee, Beth Lenegan (Workshops); Fr. Richard Bartoszek (Liturgies), and representatives of the Raskob Partners in Pastoral Care, Harry Dudley, Carol Walters, Sister Peter Lillian DiMaria, OCarm, Denice Foose, and Deacon Charlie Stump, as well as Bev Beltramo who took on the organization and leadership of the liturgical music. We appreciate so much, as well, the extra dedication of our staff who had many extra responsibilities on site. We are grateful to our attendees for coming and for the sacrifices they made to do so.
13. Thank you for donations to conference charity. You can still give today! *
We are very grateful to the many Conference participants who donated to our conference charity, Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants (https://www.icdichicago.org/). At the time of this publication, $2,311.14 has been collected. If you still want to donate, please send a check payable to Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants and send it to NACC, 4915 S. Howell Ave, STE.501, Milwaukee, WI 53207 by this Friday, June 14. Thank you!
14. Thank you to our Conference Sponsors! *
The generous support of our Conference sponsors helped us keep individual member costs down. Their generosity allowed us to charge $80-$100 less per participant. That’s a lot of savings for each of you. Please extend your gratitude to them. Learn who they are at:
https://www.nacc.org/conference/2019-conference-sponsors/
15. 2019 Conference resources can be accessed on the NACC website. *
Whether you participated in the 2019 Conference or not, you can access the support materials and PowerPoints for many of the workshops on our NACC website: https://www.nacc.org/conference/workshop-materials-handouts/.
16. Conference photos requested! *
If you took any photos at the conference that you wish to share with the NACC, please send them to us at info@nacc.org! We’d love to see your best shots of your fellow attendees, conference events, and USML.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
2020 CONFERENCE, Monday, May 11 – Thursday, May 14 in Cleveland, Ohio!
17. Monday May 11 – Thursday, May 14, 2020, for 2020 Conference!
Mark your calendars for the Vision 20/20 The Future of Spiritual Care Conference in 2020! This conference will be held Monday, May 11, through Thursday, May 14, 2020, in Cleveland, Ohio. It will be preceded by preconference workshops (PDI) and a Conference retreat. Plan to join us!
18. Call for Professional Development Intensives (Pre-Conference Workshops) and Workshop Proposals! Proposals now being accepted! *
The 2020 Conference Education Subcommittee is inviting proposals for Intensives and Workshops. Please go to the Vision 20/20 The Future of Spiritual Care 2020 Conference to access information and application forms for submitting your proposals.
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
19. Member Request: How many of our acute hospitals use: NCR Catalyst – Inpatient + HCAHPS Monthly Stoplight Report and NCR Catalyst – Inpatient + HCAHPS Quarterly Stoplight Report? *
Our NACC member, John Kalinowski BCC, Vice President Mission Integration, CHS-Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, seeks to learn how many of our acute hospitals are using NCR Catalyst – Inpatient + HCAHPS Monthly Stoplight Report and NCR Catalyst – Inpatient + HCAHPS Quarterly Stoplight Report, “Was religious/spiritual support available when you needed it?” It seems that among the several questions that NCR offers for Spiritual Care this is the one that has been in use for many years. John seeks to learn if this or other questions might be used nationally. Please contact John (jkalinowski@chsbuffalo.org) to let him know what you use. For those who replied to John, the NACC can also provide the participants the information received. Thank you in advance!
20. Excellent webinar on restorative justice! *
The Catholic Mobilization Network (CMN) is offering tomorrow, June 11, 1:00 p.m. ET, a webinar on its most recent book, Harm, Healing, and Human Dignity: A Catholic Encounter with Restorative Justice.
Don’t miss this dynamic dialogue with Catholic restorative justice practitioners about ways that Catholic individuals and institutions can integrate restorative practices to strengthen ministry, foster healing, and advance Gospel-centered justice. Harm, Healing, and Human Dignity invites readers to explore ways of responding to harm and violence that foster a culture of encounter and become missionary disciples in transforming the broken criminal justice system.
The webinar will feature Chris Castillo, a volunteer with restorative justice ministry Bridges to Life, whose mother was murdered in 1991, and Fr. David Kelly, C.PP.S, Founder and Executive Director of Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation in Chicago, IL. To register, go to: https://catholicsmobilizing.org/event/book-launch-webinar?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7a491d0e-d420-4170-bb08-5e752093d462
21. A free webinar offer by the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care *
22. The next NACC webinar is this week, on June 13 – there is still time to register! *
- Thursday, June 13, 2019. Group Dynamics and Dynamic Groups: Basic Support Group Facilitation Skills, presented by Rev. Traci Houts, MDiv, MSW.
While chaplains have often provided grief support groups and spirituality groups, very few learned group facilitation skills from their seminary/theological education or CPE programs. As healthcare continues to grow in ambulatory and community settings, there is a knowledge and experience gap for chaplains to successfully partner with key stakeholders and facilitate groups. Whether it is grief groups and behavioral health groups or caregiver groups and chronic pain groups, once a chaplain has foundational facilitation skills, they can be adapted across populations and settings.
Program Objectives
- Discuss opportunities for Spiritual Care in groups: inpatient, outpatient, community
- Explore group types and their corresponding strengths/weaknesses, i.e. open vs. closed; non-structured peer support vs. curriculum based
- Review best practices: co-facilitation, screening and referral, keeping boundaries
- Teach strategies for achieving balance and managing a variety of personality types
To register online and pay by credit card for this webinar, or for any other NACC 2019 regular series webinar, please visit the registration page by clicking on this LINK. NACC Student members wishing to register online should use the following special link: STUDENTS. If you prefer to register using a paper registration form and pay by check, a downloadable registration form can be accessed at this LINK. Information about our 2019 webinars can be found at the following link: https://www.nacc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-NACC-Webinars.pdf.
23. NACC Local Events *
- Worcester, MA – it is not too late to register!
Worcester will host a local NACC gathering on Saturday, June 15 (1:30 – 5:00 p.m. EST) at the Notre Dame Educational Bridge Center, 555 Plantation Street. Dr. Christopher Frechette will present on the topic of “Vulnerability, Healing and Hope: Christian Spirituality for Desolate Times.” His presentation will be followed by a NACC business meeting. The participant fee is $35 per person. 3.0 CEH’s are offered. For further details about the event, and to register, please click on this LINK.Christopher G. Frechette, MDiv, ThD, has a progressive Catholic background steeped in Jesuit spirituality. He has decades of experience in spiritual direction and pastoral care with diverse populations, including Christians of various communions, as well as people with other religious and spiritual interests. Dr. Frechette is passionate about his pastoral work with individuals and groups, and he brings practical sensitivity to his research and publication at the intersection of biblical studies, spirituality, and pastoral care. He earned his doctorate in Old Testament at Harvard University and his Master of Divinity degree at the Jesuit School of Theology (Berkeley). He served on the faculty of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry until 2014 and since then has held visiting faculty positions at St. Mary’s University (San Antonio) and College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA). His publications include a co-edited book and multiple articles that employ trauma studies as a lens for interpreting the Bible. He has done pastoral work in numerous parishes, hospitals, and prisons in Northern and Southern California and in Massachusetts. Currently, he is serving as a per diem chaplain for Notre Dame Long Term Care in Worcester, pursuing a Master of Social Work degree at Salem State University, and conducting a private practice in spiritual direction and pastoral counseling in Shrewsbury, MA.
- Buffalo, MN
The 2019 Fall Chaplains’ Conference will take place on September 12-13 at the Christ the King Retreat Center in Buffalo, Minnesota. Rev. Michele Guest Lowery will be the guest speaker, presenting on the subject of “Coming Down from the Ledge: Insights and Applications from Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Changing Self-Destructive Behaviors.” We are expecting a high turnout for this event, so room-sharing opportunities are offered. For full details of the program, please visit the following page on our website: https://www.nacc.org/event/2019-fall-chaplains-conference/. To register online and pay by credit card, please click on this LINK.Rev. Michele Guest Lowery is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and a board-certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC). She has almost 20 years of experience in behavioral health chaplaincy as both a direct care provider and program manager. Rev. Lowery currently serves as Spiritual Care Manager at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine. She has presented several workshops and webinars on various behavioral health topics and has published numerous articles on ministry to those living with a mental illness, most recently “Behavioral Health Basics for Chaplains” in Health Progress. Rev. Lowery has the distinction of being the first (perhaps the only) chaplain to complete Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intensive Training with Behavioral Tech, a Marsha Linehan Institute Training Company (Linehan is the founder of DBT).
24. 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: Art Schute, Sr. Louise Zaplitny, Susan Crowley (for her husband Brian), Linda F. Piotrowski, BCC (on the death of her husband, Richard), Sr. Mary Ann DuPlain and her family (for her brother Larry), Debra (Debbie) Shea and her family (for healing after the death of her husband Danny), Ms. Pauline T. Lavelle, BCC, (for healing after the death of her husband), Jensen and Emory (grandchildren of member Carol Bamesberger), Jennifer Luse, Sr. Theresa Chiappa, SSC, 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.
25. 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.
CHAPLAIN
Red Bluff, California – St. Elizabeth Community Hospital
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Mason City, Iowa – MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center
PASTORAL CARE COORDINATOR
Brentwood, NY – Sisters of St. Joseph
CHAPLAIN/SPIRITUAL CARE COORDINATOR
Fond du Lac, WI – Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
Portland, OR – Providence Portland Medical Center
CHAPLAIN
Aberdeen, South Dakota – Avera St. Luke’s Hospital
View these jobs and more at www.nacc.org/resources/positions.
