Issue #321 – March 16, 2020

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

NACC

1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. Welcome to the NCVACC members who joined NACC!
3. Recent deaths of NACC members
4. NACC holding two ZOOM sessions this week for sharing on COVID-19
5. In Vision: Pastorally sensitive process helps families understand neurological death
6. Would you contribute your story to our “Paths to Chaplaincy” short videos?
7. NACC Networking Call for March/April 2020 – All are welcome to participate!
8. Decisions will be made soon regarding the 2020 Conference

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

9. Request for participation in an important research project on Advance Care Planning!
10. Don’t miss our next webinar of our 2020 series! Thursday, March 26, 2020 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time, The Father: The Heart of Jesus’ Ministry and the Key to Living a Contemplative Life~ by Charles W. Sidoti, BA, BCC
11. Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition free March webinar rescheduled for March 17th*
CPMC Webinar: Healing and Forgiveness – Ministering to Incarcerated Juveniles
12. See the next 6 months of webinar topics from the Catholic Prison Ministry Coalition!
13. A book by our NACC member
14. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
15. Recent job postings

1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
Yesterday’s Gospel was a stunning one of the Samaritan woman at the well who encounters Jesus (John 4:5-42). It was a curious reading this time, as her dialogue with Jesus about water, thirst, her husbands, and who the Messiah will be does not end in a cure, or a “go, your faith has saved you.” Instead we read that, after their dialogue was interrupted by the disciples, she “ left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, “Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ?” She shares her encounter, invites others to experience Him, and just raises a question that most likely can only answered by the personal encounter with that other.

It had me thinking about our spiritual care ministry, and how people encounter us. Through our listening presence and disclosive dialogue with them they discover new self-insight and their own resources, a little bit like a self-revelation where one experiences our encounter as it “told me everything I have done.” Through this gentle, compassionate, questioning encounter the person or families come home to themselves, and marvel at their own self-revelation. What a graced ministry you have! The experience stays with them and they share it with others with the wonderment of a graced moment. Not that they would ask, “Could he possibly be the Christ?” But they could wonder, “Was this God with us?” Thank you for this ministry!

Just a final thought based on yesterday’s second reading from Ephesians 5 that began with verses 1-2, 5, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” In these days of uncertainty and unsettledness, so many turn to us to be people of peace and hope. Do I have that inner peace? Do I live a hope that is rooted in the love of God poured into my heart by the Spirit? What not only keeps me going, but makes me an oasis of peace and hope?

We continue to pray for one another and all those affected adversely by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blessings on your Lenten Journey,

David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director

2. Welcome to the NCVACC members who joined NACC! *
As you know, the National Conference of Veterans Affairs Catholic Chaplains (NCVACC) decided last year to have the NACC assume the certification and renewal of certification of their members starting in 2020. The NACC was honored and willing to do so. Our Certification Commission and staff worked together to integrate their process and specific competencies into our processes and competencies. We will now provide a BCC-VA for those NCVACC members who seek to become certified or renew their certification. To be certified or renew their certification they become members of the NACC. Some NCVACC members were already NACC members. Please join us in welcoming or recognizing these NCVACC members who are also members of NACC! Blessings on your healing ministry!

Rev. Cosmas P. Archibong BCC-VA
Rev. Charles T. Barnes SJ, BCC-VA
Rev. Mario W. Blas BCC-VA
Rev. Joseph P. Chacko BCC-VA
Rev. Bruce R. Clapham BCC-VA
Rev. Diego O. Cuevas Rivera BCC-VA
Rev. Alejandro De Jesus OSB, BCC-VA, HPC, MH
Rev. Lenin Delgado BCC-VA
Rev. Rashid Francis BCC-VA
Rev. Tony K. Mensah BCC-VA
Rev. Innocent E. Njoku CSSp BCC-VA
Rev. Austin C. Ochu
Rev. Christopher C. Opara BCC-VA
Rev. Marian A. Piekarczyk BCC-VA
Rev. Ivan R. Trujillo BCC-VA
Rev. Chrysanthus F. Udoh BCC-VA
Rev. Theophilus T. Okpara

3. Recent deaths of NACC members *

• We just received a note that Jeanne C. Murphy BCC died on October 23, 2019. She joined NACC in 1997 and was certified in 2000. May she enjoy the fullness of God’s peace.
• Our NACC member, Kenneth Dupre, BCC, died February 11, 2020. Ken joined NACC and was certified in 2001, and remained a member until his death. For several years, Ken was State Liaison for Louisiana. May God’s eternal compassion flow over him. Lear more about Ken at: obits.nola.com/obituaries/nola/obituary.aspx?n=kenneth-paul-dupre&pid=195617507&fhid=41833

4. NACC holding two ZOOM sessions this week for sharing on COVID-19 *
This message from our Executive Director went out to our members this past Friday regarding two ZOOM sessions this week to discuss spiritual care in the context of COVIC-19.

Dear NACC members,
The past weeks have been challenging for you in your ministry, and for the NACC and our other Strategic Partners as your employers, heath systems, and every agency and organization seek to find responses to COVID-19 that provides safety for their constituents. As chaplains and spiritual care providers, you are in the midst of our humanity being approached for spiritual and emotional support on many levels.
We have had several requests for resources and/or for information on what others are using/doing. Next week we plan to host two virtual listening/resource sharing sessions for our members. We invite you to participate. They will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. central time, and Thursday, March 19, 2020, at 11:00 am central time. NACC Board members will host/facilitate the calls.

Some of the topics raised so far include: guidelines around working with volunteers, eucharistic ministers, mass gatherings, end-of-life support, staff support (especially front-line staff), leadership support, and guidelines for Home-Health chaplains who visit patients. We hope members who have been working on resources will share them, and others who have stories of care that might be duplicated with also share them. On the resource section of our website we have developed a special section for these resources or links to resources that we receive.

Here is the ZOOM information for the Sessions.

Thank you in advance. Also, on the coronavirus resource page, here is a prayer composed by our member, Elizabeth (Lisa) Ecks, in light of our current situations. Thank you, Lisa!

5. In Vision: Pastorally sensitive process helps families understand neurological death *
When a patient suffers a neurologically devastating injury, the subject of organ donation needs to be handled carefully and compassionately. In the new issue of Vision, D.W. Donovan outlines best practices for ministering to the families of these patients, over the course of days or weeks.
www.nacc.org/vision/march-april-2020/pastorally-sensitive-process-helps-families-understand-neurological-death

6. Would you contribute your story to our “Paths to Chaplaincy” short videos?
As you know, with the help of Westwords Consulting we have developed an array of inspiring materials(Brochures, Flyers, Posters, Bulletin Ads
Website Graphics, Social Media Graphics) for our Choose Chaplaincy marketing efforts. Visit the Choose Chaplaincy webpage to view and use them all! We have also begun a series of “Paths to Chaplaincy” brief videos. View this one by Elizabeth Kitamura on our NACC Facebook and LinkedIn sites. Would you consider submitting your 60-90 second “Path” video, and possibly be featured in a future episode of Paths to Chaplaincy? It’s easy to do! Go to https://www.nacc.org/about-nacc/choose-chaplaincy/paths-to-chaplaincy-submission/ and follow the instructions. We look forward to viewing your path!

7. NACC Networking Call for March/April 2020 – All are welcome to participate! *
Wednesday, April 8 at 12 p.m. CT……………Palliative Care/Hospice

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 replied, we will forward ZOOM passcodes for a video connection via internet or you may still call in using your phone. Registering for the call, even if you cannot participate, will allow you to receive notes of the conversation and resources shared.

Calls with less than 5 participants may be postponed. 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!

ATTENTION WEBMASTERS! – If you have been involved in website creation and maintenance, NACC would appreciate your support in creating visibility to some our current initiatives for our Partners in Pastoral Care and the Catholic Prison Ministry Coalition. Please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) if you have an interest in this

8. Decisions will be made soon regarding the 2020 Conference. *
The Strategic Partners for Excellence in Spiritual Care are aware that the Governor of Ohio and the Director of the Ohio Department of Health have placed a temporary and indefinite ban on all gatherings of 100 people or more throughout the state. At present the organizers of the 2020 conference are in consultation with the various conference locations including the Huntington Convention Center, the conference hotels and the city of Cleveland to review our options regarding canceling or postponing the event.

Because the order banning gatherings does not have an expiration date, the organizers are looking at all the variables before we make a final determination. These variables include what is best for our members and attendees, Speaker and venue contracts, attrition clauses, legal liability and the possibility that the ban will be lifted in less than 60 days.

We know how significant canceling this event will be, so the organizers want to be sure that we use the proper time, temperament and judgement before making the final decision. We will have an update for you by the end of this week of March 16th after we have gathered and reviewed additional information.

Statement on Coronavirus

9. Request for participation in an important research project on Advance Care Planning! *
This study aims to describe advance care planning (ACP) practices among board-certified healthcare chaplains in order to inform policy, training and practice discussions on the role and standards for high quality ACP facilitated by chaplains.

We are hoping that as many board-certified chaplains working in health care as possible will participate so that the contributions and training of chaplains can be better understood, enhanced and utilized. This study is the first on-line survey with board certified healthcare chaplains in the U.S. on advance care planning.

As a board-certified healthcare chaplain, your help would be greatly appreciated by completing an on-line survey (see url below). The survey will take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete, and your responses will be confidential. We would also encourage you to forward this to other board -certified chaplains you know so that they might participate.
Survey url: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3LeMD6xsdKZtzk9

Should you have any questions about the research or survey, you can contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. Jung Kwak, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin at jkwak@nursing.utexas.edu.

10. Don’t miss our next webinar of our 2020 series! Thursday, March 26, 2020 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time, The Father: The Heart of Jesus’ Ministry and the Key to Living a Contemplative Life~ by Charles W. Sidoti, BA, BCC *
This next webinar will also be a wonderful Lenten reflection for you!

Program Summary
The healing power behind Jesus’ words and miracles is in its ability to lead us to the realization of God’s real presence in creation, in our daily lives, and within our very selves. The life of Jesus epitomizes what it means to live a “contemplative life.” This presentation discusses the concept of God as Father as referred to by Jesus, as the key to living such a life. Jesus’ teaching of God as Father is intended to lead us to a trusting, hope-filled relationship with God in our daily lives. It has tremendous implications for our delivery of spiritual care.

Program Objectives
As a result of this webinar, participants will:

1. Be able to describe or express the deeper meaning behind Jesus’ words, and healing ministry
2. Be able to express a new understanding or appreciation of the image of God the Father and its relationship to what it means to live a “contemplative life.”
3. List a minimum of three different ways that one’s personal image of (or way of seeing) God can positively or negatively impact the delivery of the spiritual care we provide.

About the Presenter
Charles W. Sidoti, is the author of, “Living at God’s Speed, Healing in God’s Time,” published in 2011 and, “Simple Contemplative Spirituality,” published in 2016. He is a clinically trained, Board Certified Chaplain and Coordinator of Spiritual Care at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital. Charles completed his training in Clinical Pastoral Education (C.P.E) through the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and his theological studies at Borromeo Seminary in the Diocese of Cleveland. He was granted Board Certification by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains in 2000. As a presenter of this webinar Charles brings the following:

• Clinical experience: 23 years bedside ministry – As a full-time chaplain Sidoti offers spiritual counseling, advises with difficult ethical decisions, offers community education, works with Alcoholic Anonymous groups, and helps to work within different hospital committees, including the Bioethics Committee. Since starting in 1996, Sidoti has developed and implemented an exemplary inter-faith Hospital Ministry consisting of 43 trained lay people and professional clergy at South Pointe Hospital.
• A rich contemplative spirituality: influenced by 33 years of association with the Abbey of the Genesee, a Trappist Monastery located in New York’s Genesee Valley. The Trappists are an international Catholic contemplative order of monks also known as Cistercians.

NACC Certification Competencies Covered by the Webinar: PIC2, PIC3.2, PPS8

To register online and pay by credit card for this webinar, or for any other NACC 2020 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.

11. Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition free March webinar rescheduled for March 17th *

CPMC Webinar: Healing and Forgiveness – Ministering to Incarcerated Juveniles is being offered tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, 12:00 PM Central Time, featuring Fr. Michael Kennedy, SJ and Robert Garcia of the Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative (JRJI) in California.
Among the populations affected by incarceration juveniles can easily fall through the cracks of the system and their specific needs are often different from their adult counterparts. In this session Fr. Michael Kennedy and Robert Garcia of the Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative speak from their experiences as a minister and former gang member, respectively.

The following competencies – as identified by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains – will be touched upon in this webinar: 4.1.4 – 4.1.5 4.1.10 – 4.1.11

Related key questions (Partners in Pastoral Care): 2 & 4
This webinar will be recorded and made available by Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition.
www.nacc.org/event/cpmc-webinar-healing-and-forgiveness-ministering-to-incarcerated-juveniles
Register here: usfca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7ZfGH9bnQSynXwLT3n0qXA

12. See the next 6 months of webinar topics from the Catholic Prison Ministry Coalition!
The Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition has now published its webinars through July 2020. You can click here to view the topics and dates. Mark your calendar.

13. A book by our NACC member *
NACC retired member Deacon Pat Bradley published an eBook for the Stations of the Cross. It is a different take on the stations. Some of the comments he has received include:

• “Deacon Pat, offers us a beautiful, simple, thoughtful way of interiorizing the mysteries of the Stations as well as providing extended verses of “Where you there when…” hymn that helps one even more deeply enter into these mysteries. DAL”
• “This version of the Stations of the Cross meets you where you are. Deacon Pat challenges the reader to associate each station with something in his/her everyday life and offers examples for doing just that. He brings the Passion right to your door and into your life. RMH”
• “They are simply, and thoughtfully done. I liked them and their connection to our lives.”

The booklets are available at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/778296
for only $1.50. They are also available at the various eBook websites for $2.00
Please post a review, Deacon Pat really wants to know what you think of them.

14. 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: Polly and Richard Valeriote (Parents of member Catherine Valeriote); Jennifer Luse, Brother Kenny Gorman, Fr. Paul F. Merry, Eugenia Lai (on the death of her mother Monica Ho), Fr. Art Schute, Linda Bronersky (at the death of her husband, Russ), Marybeth Harmon, Nolan (4-year-old grandson of member Dale Recinella), Fr. Jim Radde SJ, Isabelita Boquiren, Susan Balling, Jim and Frances Castello.

15. 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
Muskegon, MI – Mercy Health

MANAGER-PASTORAL/SPIRITUAL CARE & ACPE CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
Fond du Lac, WI – St. Agnes Hospital

SPIRITUAL CARE MANAGER
Albany, NY – St. Peter’s Health Partners

PEDIATRIC CHAPLAIN
San Antonio, TX – CHRISTUS Health

SPIRITUAL CARE MINISTER
Eau Claire, WI & Green Bay, WI – Sacred Heart Hospital

FULL-TIME PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Long Beach, CA – Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center

CHAPLAIN
Baltimore, MD – Mercy Health Services

PASTORAL CARE MANAGER
Charleston, SC – Roper St. Francis Healthcare

CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION, Full Time Day Shift
Rockville Centre, NY – Catholic Health Services of Long Island (CHS)