Issue #309 – September 30, 2019
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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
2. Thank you to those of you who have already given to our 2019 Annual Member Campaign! Please join them! *
3. Deaths of NACC members *
4. Thank you to our many members who are contributing to the October 19 & 20, 2019, Certification Interviews! *
5. In Vision: Spiritual care can make a difference for patients in chronic pain *
6. Are you involved in any research projects where spiritual care/chaplaincy care is involved?
7. NACC Networking calls for October 2019 – All are welcome to participate! *
8. Have you looked yet at the Partners in Pastoral Care resources on our NACC Website?
9. Have you revisited our revised ChooseChaplaincy webpage? Visit it! Send it to others! *
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
2020 CONFERENCE, Monday, May 11 – Thursday, May 14 in Cleveland, Ohio!
10. Monday May 11 – Thursday, May 14, 2020, for 2020 Conference!
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
11. Register now for our next Webinar on October 10, 2019!! Creating a Community of Inquiry: A Beginner’s Guide to Research Competency (Part 3), presented by Dr. LaVera M. Crawley, MD, MPH ACPE Certified Educator *
12. Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition launched its new website!
13. NACC Local Events *
14. Next issue of Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling is now available for NACC members!
15. CHA resources for the Feast of St. Francis, October 4, 2019 *
16. 2019 NACC Conference Workshop Recordings for Sale!
17. Now available: 2019 NACC Conference Formation/Training Program Recordings
18. 2019 NACC Conference Plenary session recordings now available for purchase! *
19. Other professional development opportunities
20. Healing Tree: a request for prayers *
21. Recent job postings *
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
What do I need daily to be awake and responsive to Life? Not to be complacent but alive? Not to be on cruise control, but be ready to brake or accelerate, being alert to and ready to engage Mystery’s Movement and Invitation within and about me? These are the sort of questions that surfaced for me from yesterday’s scripture readings.
Certainly, the prophet Amos with his, “Woe to the complacent in Zion!” scorches those living comfortably, and not being shaken by the decay about them. Certainly, as Jesus tells the parable of the rich man ignoring the plight of the poor man, Lazarus, we learn that the ending was not good for him. And when the rich man requested from his place in the netherworld that Abraham warn his five brothers so that they would wake up and repent, Abraham replied, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” (Luke 16:19-31)
You get a sense of how our daily lives can lure us into an insidious slumber. You get a sense of how easy it is to be lulled by the dailiness and routines of life; even by the hectic to do’s and scheduled character that can mark our days.
I find myself some days, when the alarm goes off, and my mind begins to rehearse that day’s schedule and I move into a certain autopilot to get at that day’s demands, I can fail to recognize the this-ness and the Kairos nature and invitation of this day. While it might not look like complacency, there is still a drug of dailiness that can keep me from being awake, alert, and responsive to the invitations of that day.
Then I read again the great action verbs in the first lines from St. Paul in 1 Timothy (6:11-16): “But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.” These stir me to rethink how I am living this day. How am I pursuing, competing, laying hold of what is most important, and what grounds me each day?
What does “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness” look like in my life right now? Is it some intentional making right some relationship today?
What does “compete well for the faith” look like today? Is it my realizing how much I allow my day’s work to be done and judged by temporal standards, versus keeping the mission of God’s ministry in mind? Do I fail to compete for the faith when I give into the little allowances of the day where I do not stand up for values that matter and other’s dignity when denigrated or belittled?
What does “lay hold of eternal life” look like today? Is it not letting myself get trapped by the small things and short-sightedness that can preoccupy my attention and cause me worry, rather than keeping the “long view” before me?
Any of this ring true to you? May your October awaken you to newness of Life.
Blessings,
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
2. 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 345 gifts totaling $40,633 compared to 303 gifts totaling $38,357 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!
3. Deaths of NACC members
We have recently learned of the deaths of three of our NACC members. May the Lord bless them and give them fullness of Life for their remarkable ministries!
- Sr. Mary Clare Boland SP, age 89, a Sister of Providence for 71 years, died September 13, 2019, at St. Joseph Residence, Seattle, WA. She joined NACC and was board certified in 1977 and remained a member until her death. https://bonneywatson.com/obituaries/2019/09/Sister-Mary-Clare-Boland-SP.html
- Chaplain Tom Pinkel died September 6, 2019 at the age of 90 in the attentive care of the Bruceville Terrace Skilled Nursing Facility in Elk Grove CA, where he had served as Chaplain for the last 5 years of his career. He joined the NACC and was certified in 1985. Link here to a beautiful message about Chaplain Thomas Pinkel sent by our NACC member, Brent Anderson, BCC. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sacbee/obituary.aspx?n=thomas-pinkel-tom&pid=193967266
- Sr. Patricia Marie Walsh OP, died peacefully on September 16, 2019 at her Motherhouse in Mission San Jose California. Sister joined NACC in 1983, and was board certified in 1985, serving many years in on the NACC National Leadership Team. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/eastbaytimes/obituary.aspx?n=patricia-walsh&pid=193938544&fhid=2094
4. Thank you to our many members who are contributing to the October 19 & 20, 2019, Certification Interviews!
The National Office and many volunteers have been busy completing preparations for the October 19 & 20, 2019, certification interviews. The interviews are being held in Rockville Centre, NY; Milwaukee, WI; and Burbank, CA. There are at least 76 people involved in the interview weekend: 26 applicants, 36 interviewers, 7 Interview Team Educators (including 1 shadow ITE), 3 Site Coordinators, 1 Certification Commissioner-on-Call, and 3 Spiritual Support Volunteers as well as other volunteers. We also have one and our first virtual interview to take place on November 2, 2019. We keep the interviewer and interview team in prayer for this new form of interview initiative. We are so thankful for all our volunteers’ hard work and dedication to the NACC Certification process! Please keep our certification applicants, and all those involved in making the weekend a success, in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare for interviews.
5. In Vision: Spiritual care can make a difference for patients in chronic pain
Patients living with chronic pain face their own set of trials and needs. But in the new issue of Vision, Anne Millington outlines how chaplains can assess a patient’s spiritual needs and intervene in ways that increase their coping skills.
https://www.nacc.org/vision/september-october-2019/spiritual-care-can-make-a-difference-for-patients-in-chronic-pain/
6. Are you involved in any research projects where spiritual care/chaplaincy care is involved?
We heard from one member regarding his research. The NACC Research Advisory Panel would still like to learn of others among our NACC members who might be involved in a research project that is investigating spiritual/chaplaincy services, either on their own, or as part of a larger clinical study. Would you please let us know if you are and provide a basic description of the study? In the future we would also like to create the opportunity among those doing research to share with others doing research. The Research Advisory Panel meets late October, so please let us know, if at all possible, by Wednesday, October 16. Please send your information to Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org). Thank you in advance for sharing your research.
7. NACC Networking calls for October 2019 – All are welcome to participate!
| Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at 10 a.m. CT | Corrections Chaplain | |
| Tuesday, October 1, 2019 at 2 p.m. CT | One-Person Dept. | |
| Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 2 p.m. CT | Under 45 Member | |
| Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 10 a.m. CT | Directors of Spiritual Care | |
| Monday, October 7, 2019 at 2 p.m. CT | Outpatient Settings | |
| Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 10 a.m. CT | New Member | |
| Wednesday, October 9, 2019 at 10 a.m. CT | Hispanic Chaplain | |
| Monday, October 14, 2019 at 3 p.m. CT | State Liaison | |
| Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 10 a.m. CT | Students |
To sign up or for more information, questions, comments or concerns contact Ramune Franitza at rfranitza@nacc.org.
You must reply to participate and receive the ZOOM code for the call. If you relied, 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!
8. Have you looked yet at the Partners in Pastoral Care resources on our NACC Website?
Our Partners in Pastoral Care page on our NACC website (https://www.nacc.org/about-nacc/partners-in-pastoral-care/) is growing with resources for you, as well as for those in dioceses who have the responsibility for preparing others for pastoral care ministry in the Church. We continue to add more resources, including recordings of several of the Conference workshops that pertain to preparing others for pastoral care. Keep watching for more resources!
9. Have you revisited our revised ChooseChaplaincy webpage? Visit it! Send it to others!
Thanks to the work of our Marketing Advisory Panel and Westwords Consulting, we have more resources and a new look to our page on our website, www.choosechaplaincy.org. Please note the many resources you can use for presentations on chaplaincy. Let us know if you want to do a presentation to an audience, and we can also send materials. Please send a link to this page to those you know who want to know more about chaplaincy! Contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) for more information.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
2020 CONFERENCE, Monday, May 11 – Thursday, May 14 in Cleveland, Ohio!
10. 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 pre-conference workshops (PDI). Plan to join us!
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
11. Register now for our next Webinar on October 10, 2019!! Creating a Community of Inquiry: A Beginner’s Guide to Research Competency (Part 3), presented by Dr. LaVera M. Crawley, MD, MPH ACPE Certified Educator
On Thursday, October 10, 2019 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time NACC is offering the webinar, Creating a Community of Inquiry: A Beginner’s Guide to Research Competency (Part 3), presented by Dr. LaVera M. Crawley, MD, MPH ACPE Certified Educator. We continue the Beginner’s Guide series with a hands-on practical approach to forming learning communities that support a culture of inquiry around spiritual caregiving. This webinar reviews competencies covered in previous presentations (research literacy and evidence-based practices) with suggestions for further developing these skills in a community of peers. The audience will be introduced to Collaborative Inquiry practices, walking through the steps involved in forming a group, identifying an inquiry topic, shaping the research questions, and accessing and sharing internal (work environment) and external (research literature) resources to collaboratively create new knowledge or use existing knowledge in new ways.
Program Objectives:
- Learn ways to form communities of inquiry to reinforce and support research competency.
- Learn strategies for applying Collaborative Inquiry Practices to topics of interest.
- Appreciate the value of community in creating new knowledge or using existing knowledge in new ways.
LaVera Crawley joined NACC in 2011 and is an ACPE Associate Certified Educator. She has served on the NACC Research Task Force and is now on the NACC Research Advisory Panel. For more than 30 years, LaVera has had successful careers in medicine and ethics, and academic research in health disparities in end-of-life care for which she received national and international recognition. LaVera received her MD from Meharry Medical College; completed her Family Medicine residency and chief residency at UCSF; her MPH from UC Berkeley; an Ethics Fellowship at Stanford; and a Palliative Care Education Fellowship at Harvard. Along with her CPE supervisory work, she also serves on the Palliative Care Team at the Alta Bates Campus. As a Catholic lay woman, LaVera is involved with Franciscan organizations including the Center for Action in Contemplation, in Albuquerque, NM, where she serves on their Board of Directors.
For more information about our webinars, and how to register, please click on the following link: NACC Webinars – registration and information.
This webinar is a continuation of Dr. Crawley’s presentations in February 2016 (Part 1) and March 2017 (Part 2). For information on how to purchase recordings of the first two parts, please click on this LINK.
12. Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition launched its new website!
The Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC) has now launched its new website:
https://www.catholicprisonministries.org/. This website has a wealth of information, from
prison ministry programs to preparing people for prison ministry pastoral care. The NACC is
a member of the CPMC Steering and an organizational partner
https://www.catholicprisonministries.org/our-partners/. NACC is also assisting in the developing of a
credentialing process utilizing the Prison Ministry Pastoral Care Competencies developed by NACC
and its Partners in Pastoral Care (https://www.nacc.org/about-nacc/partners-in-pastoral-care/).
13. NACC Local Events
- Freehold, NJ
A seminar on Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) will take place in Freehold, New Jersey on Saturday, October 5 (8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) at CentraState Medical Center. A new MAID law recently went into effect for the state of New Jersey, and the aim of this seminar is to learn about the law and how it impacts Catholic Chaplains. Dr. Vikranta Sharma will be the presenter on this topic. For further details about this program, and information on how to register, please visit this page on our website: https://nationalcatholicwiassoc.wliinc32.com/events/Local-NACC-gathering-2019-Freehold-NJ-111/details. - Toledo, OH
Join chaplains from the Toledo, Ohio region on Tuesday, October 29 (10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.), for a discussion on the topic of It’s about Time: Cultivating Time, presented by Sister Karen Zielinski. This presentation is a reflection on the development of time, from farmers who watched the sun to our current use of atoms to measure its passage. How do we use our time to care and listen to the voice of God and others? For more information on this event and registration details, please use this link: REGISTER. - Bloomfield Hills, MI
On Thursday, November 7 (8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.), NACC chaplains in Michigan will be hosting a day dedicated to the topic of Gratitude, Challenges and Blessing on our Journey in Ministry. The program of events includes several speakers, including Dr. Howard Schubiner, Clinical Professor, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine who will be delivering the keynote talk on “Sorrows Leading to Symptoms”. To learn more about this event and to register online, please click on this LINK. - Seattle, WA
On Saturday, November 9 (9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.), Kay Gorka, MDiv, BCC, David Lichter, DMin, and Teresa Lynch, MAR, BCC will present on the topic of Our Chaplaincy as a Ministry: Its Mystery, Meaning and Movement. The gathering will take place at the Seattle Archdiocese’s Isaac Orr Conference Room.This day of professional and spiritual enrichment will explore three elements that make up our chaplaincy as a ministry: mystery, meaning and movement. The mystery involves the art of noticing the grace moments that occur during our ministry. Meaning explores the motivation that grounds what we do, how we got involved in this ministry, and what keeps us renewed in our calling. Lastly, we will explore how we are attentive to the movement of our lives, and what practices can help us be mindful, listening, reflective, and responsive to what is occurring in our lives and ministry.
To register for this program, please click on this LINK.
- Baltimore, MD
On Tuesday, November 12 (12:00 – 4:00 p.m.), Dr. Joel Shuman will present on the topic of Reclaiming Broken Bodies: Thinking Theologically about the Opioid Crisis at the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. In the second half of the program, NACC Executive Director David Lichter will provide updates on NACC activities and initiatives.For further details and registration information, please use the following link: REGISTER.
- Milwaukee, WI
A gathering of area chaplains is planned in Milwaukee on Thursday, November 21 (11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). Chaplains Jake Taxis and Theresa Utschig will explore ways in which evidence-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can deepen pastoral encounters, strengthen a chaplain’s resilience, and enrich the art of spiritual caregiving. NACC Executive Director David Lichter will provide updates about NACC activities. To learn more about the program and to register online, please click on this LINK.
14. Next issue of Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling is now available for NACC members!
Please read the most recent issue of the Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, Volume 73, Number 3
(September 2019). This is a benefit for NACC members. You can access it by using the Member Login button at the top of the page at www.nacc.org, then clicking on the link “Access the Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling” that you will find on your profile page.
15. CHA resources for the Feast of St. Francis, October 4, 2019
If you are looking for resources to commemorate the Feast of St. Francis, Catholic Health Association has many for you. Click here!
Oct. 4 is the Feast of St Francis — a day that calls us to pause and consider God’s creation and the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. To help your associates, volunteers and communities share in this feast day, CHA has developed several resources in addition to hosting a webinar you do not want to miss:
- Prayer and Reflection — new for 2019
- Video — Coming soon — Watch CHAUSA.org for availability
Check out all of CHA’s and the Catholic Climate Coalition’s Feast of St Francis resources today!
16. 2019 NACC Conference Workshop Recordings for Sale!
Recordings of many of the 90-minute workshops from the NACC 2019 national conference are now available for purchase. If you were unable to participate in the conference or the workshops, or if you would like to review workshops that you attended, this is an opportunity to enhance your learning and earn CEHs.
Information about the available recordings, and how to order them, is available at the following link:
2019 NACC Conference Workshop Recordings.
17. Now available: 2019 NACC Conference Formation/Training Program Recordings
The NACC is pleased to offer access to the recordings of the formation/training programs that were live-streamed during the 2019 NACC Conference. Recordings are available for the following programs that focus on the diverse ways and settings that pastoral care is provided as a ministry of the Church:
- Catholic Laity in Pastoral Care Ministry – Equipping, Coordinating, Sustaining
- Jail and Prison Ministry 101
- Fundamental Aspects of Geriatric Spiritual Care Education
Each program is eligible for 6.00 Continuing Education Hours.
Registration to receive access to the recordings is $75 per program.
Visit the NACC website to learn more about each of these programs. To register online, please click on this LINK.
18. 2019 NACC Conference Plenary session recordings now available for purchase!
You can now purchase recordings of the two plenary sessions from the 2019 national conference:
- Zeni Fox PhD ~ A Ministering Church
- Robert G. Mundle MDiv, STM, ThM ~ Lend Me Your Ears and I’ll Sing You a Song
Each session recording earns 1.5 Continuing Education Hours. To purchase these recordings online, please click on this LINK. If you prefer to pay by check, please contact Andris Kursietis at the national office: akursietis@nacc.org. Access to the recordings costs $25 per session.
19. Other professional development opportunities
The offerings noted here can be found under the NACC Website Education Resources heading, under Events.
- November 10 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm, Cleveland, OH: Bos Sona: May you have a happy death, with Dr. Kevin F. Dieter, M.D., FAAHPM. For more details, visit https://www.nacc.org/event/bos-sona-may-you-have-a-happy-death/
20. 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 ask us to leave the name on longer.
We continue to pray for: Edward and Connie Laviolette (parents of Lisa A. Laviolette-Bondt BCC), Becky Evans (on the death of her sister, Betty Murray), Art Schute, Sr. Louise Zaplitny, Susan Crowley (for her husband Brian), Nolan (4-year-old grandson of member Dale Recinella), Fr. Jim Radde, SJ, Isabelita Boquiren, Susan Balling, Jim and Frances Castello.
21. 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 (ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST) Full-Time, Shift Varies
Miami, FL – Baptist Hospital of Miami
PASTORAL CARE MANAGERS
Tampa Bay, FL – BayCare
CHAPLAINS
Tampa Bay, FL – BayCare
DIRECTOR of SPIRITUAL CARE
Toledo, OH or Lorain, OH – Bon Secours Mercy Health
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST HOSPITAL CHAPLAINS
Archdiocese of New York – ArchCare
CHAPLAIN, PASTORAL CARE
Lakeland, FL – Lakeland Regional Health
STAFF CHAPLAIN – Full Time
Camp Hill, PA – Geisinger Holy Spirit Hospital
CHAPLAIN-VOLUNTEER SERVICES
Quincy, IL – Blessing Health
