Issue #310 – October 14, 2019
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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. The Gift of our Retired members
3. Thank you to those of you who have already given to our 2019 Annual Member Campaign! Please join them!
4. Death of former NACC member, Sr. Cathy Joy Popoczy, HM
5. Did you get your “we need your help” e-announcement this part Tuesday?
6. A reminder to you of our NACC Associate Chaplain Certification!
7. Thank you to our many members who are contributing to the October 19 & 20, 2019, Certification Interviews!
8. In Vision: Emotional pain may spill over into body or spirit
9. NACC Networking calls for October 2019 – All are welcome to participate!
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. Planning yet for the 2019 Spiritual/Pastoral Care Week, October 20-26, 2019?
12. Register now for our next Webinar on October 31, 2019!! Integrating Spirituality in Team Practice: Lessons from Palliative Care, presented by Denise Hess, MDiv, BCC-HPCC and Woody English, MD, MMM
13. NACC is seeking presentation applications for the 2020 NACC Webinar Series!
14. NACC Local Events
15. Other professional development opportunities
16. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
17. Recent job postings
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
Yesterday’s Gospel was the familiar story of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus, and only one “realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.” When Jesus did the count – one out of ten and a Samaritan at that – he asked three (maybe rhetorical?) questions, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Finally, he addressed the Samaritan, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” (Luke 17:15-19)
I was struck by that ending statement, to “stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” It made me rethink the healing from leprosy; the ten received that healing. However, only the one who realized he was healed, returned and glorified God in loud voice with faith, was saved.
This had me reflecting again on how much happens to me each day that I do not connect to God with gratitude. And it does not become a part of my history of salvation. While I might not express vocally, “Thank you, Jesus,” I try to be a person of gratitude. At the end of the day, I try to hold up at least one event or encounter for which I am most grateful, and witnessed God’s presence. Yet, how much do I make a part of my spiritual practice some litany of gratitude for the events of my day?
The realization that something good has happened to him and his expression of gratitude were linked to the Samaritan’s salvation. It has me appreciate again, what St. Paul wrote to the Colossians (3:16-17), “Learn, too, to be grateful. May all the wealth of Christ’s inspiration have its shrine among you; now you will have instruction and advice for one another, full of wisdom, now there will be psalms, and hymns, and spiritual music, as you sing with gratitude in your hearts to God. Whatever you are about, in word and action alike, invoke always the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, offering your thanks to God the Father through him.”
This probably reminds many of us of the comment of Thich Nhat Hanh, in The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation, where he wrote. “People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child—our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
(https://tinyurl.com/y5q6u55o)
Such humble realizations become an instigation for gratitude, an expression of our faith and an inspiration to give God thanks for this day, this time, and part of our history of salvation.
What inspires your gratitude and becomes part of your history of salvation?
Blessings,
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
2. The Gift of our Retired members
Congratulations to our members who have transitioned from active ministry to retirement. NACC celebrates this significant change in your professional and personal life. Our members hold you in prayer as you embrace the experience of retirement, formally leaving your ministry.
As a retired member, you are invited, encouraged and welcomed to participate in the quarterly NACC Networking calls for Retired/Emeritus members. Our next call is scheduled for December 12, 2019 at 2 pm CT. Future dates for the scheduled calls will be listed in NACC Now. You will have the opportunity to connect with retired colleagues and be involved in conversations about relevant topics and continue to be engaged with the NACC in addressing its mission of service to its members. Please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) if you are interested in supporting and to be supported by your NACC colleagues. It is our hope that this phase of your life is richly blessed and that you continue to experience the care, prayers and support of the NACC’s leadership and its members.
3. 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 414 gifts totaling $47,168 compared to 368 gifts totaling $42,620 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 (www.nacc.org/donate) or just click here to donate. Please give as you can! Blessings!
4. Death of former NACC member, Sr. Cathy Joy Popoczy, HM
We recently learned of the death of our former NACC member, Sr. Cathy Joy Popoczy HM, who died Thursday, September 12, 2019. Sr. Cathy joined NACC in 1974, one of the first sisters to join NACC, as NACC opened to lay and religious in 1973. She was certified in 1977 and retired in 2003. You can read more about her at www.nacc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/OBIT-catherine-joy-popoczy-for-posting.pdf and at obits.cleveland.com/obituaries/cleveland/obituary.aspx?n=catherine-joy-popoczy&pid=193903832&fhid=22430
5. Did you get your “we need your help” e-announcement this part Tuesday?
Last Tuesday the NACC office sent to you an email asking if you would help promote chaplaincy at a local level. Over the past year plus we have developed and distributed Choose Chaplaincy materials, as well as created our www.ChooseChaplaincy.org webpage. This webpage has consistently ranked among the top three most visited pages on our website. (Yes, job postings and the certification pages were also among the top three!) We do need your help! Please consider taking these steps. Again, here is what we asked: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/We-Need-Your-Help-.html?soid=1126690794974&aid=bTCt-nw13V8
6. A reminder to you of our NACC Associate Chaplain Certification!
In early 2019 the NACC announced that, in addition to full board certification, it has a new chaplain certification for those who are interested or currently involved in spiritual care ministry, but who may not have the requisite 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and a master’s degree.
Becoming a Certified Associate Chaplain (CAC) requires only 2 ACPE (Association of Clinical Pastoral Education) accredited units of CPE, and 32 graduate degree credits of theological studies from an accredited institution. More information about this wonderful new opportunity may be obtained from www.nacc.org/certification/applying-for-cac-certification or the Certification Specialist at the NACC office: Lisa Sarenac, lisasarenac@nacc.org, (414)483-4898 ext. 304. Be sure to spread the word about this excellent addition to the professional certifications available through the NACC.
7. 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 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.
8. In Vision: Emotional pain may spill over into body or spirit
Along with physical and spiritual pain, chaplains need to watch for signs of emotional pain. In the current issue of Vision, Nicholas Perkins shares his own journey through emotional pain, how to identify it, and how it has changed his ministry.
www.nacc.org/vision/september-october-2019/emotional-pain-may-spill-over-into-body-or-spirit
9. NACC Networking calls for October 2019 – All are welcome to participate!
Tuesday, October 15, 2019 at 10 a.m. CT ……………….Students
Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 12 p.m. CT ………………Palliative/Hospice Call
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!
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. Planning yet for the 2019 Spiritual/Pastoral Care Week, October 20-26, 2019?
The theme of this year’s Spiritual/Pastoral Care Week, October 20-26, 2019, is “Hospitality: Cultivating Space.” You can go to the Spiritual Care Week website to learn more about the theme and to access resources. Deanna Sass, Director of the Department of Pastoral Care for the Diocese of Trenton shared with us resources they have prepared. You can access them here. Thank you, Deanna! We look forward to learning of other resources also. Please send them to Ramune Franitza at rfranitza@nacc.org.
12. Register now for our next Webinar on October 31, 2019!! Integrating Spirituality in Team Practice: Lessons from Palliative Care, presented by Denise Hess, MDiv, BCC-HPCC and Woody English, MD, MMM
On Thursday, October 31, 2019 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time NACC is offering the webinar, Integrating Spirituality in Team Practice: Lessons from Palliative Care, presented by Denise Hess, MDiv, BCC-HPCC and Woody English, MD, MMM. Recognizing that chaplains and the spiritual dimension of health care are often under-represented in both in- and outpatient health care settings, this 90-minute session will introduce a model for interdisciplinary team facilitated goals of care conversations that attends not only to the spiritual needs of patients and their loved ones, but also includes practices to encourage team member self-reflection and well-being. Participants will leave the session equipped with a clinical practice toolkit developed from a three-year pilot project with interdisciplinary palliative care teams across the US.
Program Objectives:
- To describe a model for interdisciplinary team collaboration that encourages team self-reflection and spiritual development.
- To practice utilizing goals of care conversation tools designed to highlight the spiritual dimension of patient and family suffering.
- To introduce data-informed clinical practices to the interdisciplinary team to promote a culture of whole person care.
Dr. English was the Clinical Project Leader for the Supportive Care Coalition’s: Integrating Spirituality in Palliative Team Practice – Goals of Care Conversations. Currently retired, Dr. English was previously the Medical Director of the Palliative Care Program for the Oregon Region of Providence Health and Services (PH&S) and a member of the SCC Board of Directors, chairing the Spirituality Steering Committee. Board certified in Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Hospice and Palliative Medicine, he held many leadership positions within PH&S and currently serves on several Oregon community boards and task forces to improve advance health care planning and palliative care across the continuum of care.
Denise Hess comes to palliative care through over a decade as a full-time palliative care chaplain with Providence St. Joseph Health. Denise has a master’s degree and license in marriage and family therapy, a master’s degree in divinity, and is an ordained minister with the Presbyterian Church (USA). She was board certified with the Association of Professional Chaplains in 2011 and received palliative care and hospice advanced certification in 2014. She is currently the Executive Director for the Supportive Care Coalition, a national partnership of Catholic health ministries committed to advancing excellence in palliative care. She speaks nationally and internationally on the topics of spirituality in palliative care and mindfulness for palliative care clinicians.
For more information about our webinars, and how to register, please click on the following link: NACC Webinars – registration and information
13. NACC is seeking presentation applications for the 2020 NACC Webinar Series!
The NACC is starting to plan its 2020 webinar schedule and invites you to consider submitting an application to present a webinar next year.
NACC webinars are usually held on the second or third Thursday of each month of the year, excluding the month in which the NACC National Conference falls (in 2020 the conference will take place in mid-May). Each webinar is scheduled for 90 minutes, starting at 12:00 p.m. Central Time. All webinars are recorded, and therefore the presenter(s) will be required to sign a consent form to that effect. A speaker stipend of $250 is offered per webinar.
Below is a preliminary list of topics that the NACC Education Advisory Panel thought would be of interest to participants in our 2020 webinar series:
- Interpreting staffing models for chaplaincy
- Addressing controversial issues (transgender care, pediatric and geriatric EOL)
- Challenging issues in chaplaincy (research breakthroughs in spiritual care)
- Emerging horizons of spiritual care/chaplaincy
- Medical Assistance in Dying
If you are interested in presenting a NACC webinar in 2020 on one of the above topics (or if you have a suggestion for a different topic), please download and complete the application form from the following link: WEBINARS 2020 and submit it to Andris Kursietis at the NACC national office (akursietis@nacc.org) by November 4, 2019.
14. NACC Local Events
- 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.
15. 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/
- Transforming Chaplaincy: Religious Literacy 102 Exploring Methods in Chaplaincy Research.* This is a 10 week course, beginning the week of October 14, 2019 through the week of December 16, 2019. $600 Registration
Participants in this course will:
- Understand major types of research and why they differ in contributing to causal inference
- Understand types of qualitative research and their contributions
- Understand 5 common basic statistical tests and read tables with confidence
- Develop familiarity with a growing literature
*Prerequisite: RL 101 or Religion, Spiritual and Health: An Introduction (Transforming Chaplaincy online course taught by Virginia Commonwealth University)Each course offers small class sizes; predominantly asynchronous sessions; is taught by chaplain-researchers; aids BCCI required research literacy prep; and counts toward research-related CE hours. Click here to register. For more information contact Andrew Andresco at Andrew_W_Andresco@rush.edu
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: Edward and Connie Laviolette (parents of Lisa A. Laviolette-Bondt BCC), Nolan (4-year-old grandson of member Dale Recinella), Fr. Jim Radde, SJ, 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.
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
SPANISH LANGUAGE CHAPLAIN, Full Time
Washington, DC – Children’s National Hospital
FULL-TIME CHAPLAIN
Jacksonville, FL – Ascension St Vincent’s Riverside Campus
