Issue #325 – May 11, 2020
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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
2. Welcome new NACC members who joined us in April 2020! *
3. NACC continues to hold COVID-19 listening/resource sharing ZOOM sessions this week *
4. Do you need a Listening Heart?
5. Would you like to meet with other chaplains to process your experience during these times? *
6. Certified Chaplain Educational Requirements for Renewal of Certification *
7. Support of the 2020 Vision Conference *
8. Thank you to our many members who are contributing to the Spring Virtual Certification Interviews! *
9. NACC Members in the news *
10. In Vision: St. Paul might have done telechaplaincy by text *
11. Vision seeks coronavirus contributors *
12. NACC Networking Call for May 2020 – All are welcome to participate! *
13. NACC 2019 Annual Report available on the NACC website
14. Four NACC Chaplains share their experiences
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
15. Sign up today for our next NACC timely and important webinar! *
16. Conscious Grieving: Hope in the Land of Loss *
17. Healing Tree: a request for prayers *
18. Recent job postings *
1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
Yesterday’s gospel was the familiar reading from John 14 that is often used at funerals. The verse, John 14:3, reads “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” It usually leads us to imagine that God has a place for us in heaven and Jesus will come back for us and take us there. However, I heard it differently this time in the midst of these times.
The part of the verse that struck me and stayed with me was “I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.” Take you to myself was a powerful phrase. Imagine Jesus wanting to take me (and you) to himself. To be taken because “where I am you also may be.”
I began to reflect on my current experiences of being taken by the Lord. How daily He wants be to be taken to the places where He is so that I can be there with Him – today not just end of my days. How in the midst of these days, while physically distancing, He invites me to be where He is: with you, with the isolated, with the dying, with the grieving, with the … How He desires that I allow myself “to be taken” there. So how will I allow myself to be taken? And to where? Of course the next verse has Jesus assuming that “Where I am going you know the way.”
Thank goodness Thomas asked the question first for us, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” To which Jesus responded with the endlessly quoted passage, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I had to smile at the question and the response, since in these days (and weeks) nothing seems obvious as we feel the disorientation and disruption of these days. I often am humbled these days when someone offers an insight and I find myself sheepishly admitting to myself, “Of course, that’s the good and right thing to do.” Gestures like phone calls or letter writing, or whatever. Seems like these days calls us back to simple and obvious gestures, such as really looking into another’s eyes since that is all we see when the mask covers the rest. Or listening to another’s voice since that is all the telephone provides us as a way to that person’s soul.
How do I know the way? Well, I guess I need to be taken again by the Lord in the quiet and rest, as well as the fullness of the day, allowing myself to be lead to where He is. Sometimes it might be too obvious, and I can smile humbly again and say inside, “Oh, of course!”
Continued blessings on your Easter Season,
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
2. Welcome new NACC members who joined us in April 2020! *
We extend a warm welcome to our new NACC members who joined us in April! Welcome!
Full Members
Mr. Benjamin D. Danielson
Rev. Brian Q. Mohan
Students
Daniel J. Condon
Jill S. Mazowiecki
Mrs. Esie Ward
3. NACC continues to hold COVID-19 listening/resource sharing ZOOM sessions this week *
This message from our Executive Director went out to our members this past Friday, regarding ZOOM sessions this week to discuss spiritual care in the context of COVID-19
Update: May 8, 2020
Dear NACC members,
We will be beginning the ninth week of our listening/resource sharing sessions. We will hold three sessions this week. However, we learned today from our software engineers that during the past couple of weeks an issue existed for those who were registering for our listening/resource sharing sessions resulting in some of you either not being able to register or not being able to enter the ZOOM session with the registered ZOOM connect. I am so sorry for the inconvenience and any disappointment you experienced. I understand the issue has been resolved…(Read more: https://www.nacc.org/resources/coronavirus-resources/)
4. Do you need a Listening Heart?
We recognize that these are unusual and uncertain times. You are being stretched in new ways and faced with challenging choices. We have a resource called, “Listening Hearts,” to provide you one on one support.
Listening Hearts is available for NACC members seeking a listening presence from an NACC retired chaplain colleague. You may be experiencing and feeling the cumulative impact of the present global Pandemic. For those providing support for others and navigating the new normal without the opportunity to gather with extended family/friends, visit a favorite restaurant or workout at the gym, we invite you to share the load by reaching out for a listening heart of an experienced and compassionate retired chaplain. Please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) if you would like to speak with a Listening Heart.
5. Would you like to meet with other chaplains to process your experience during these times? *
“Sharing of Feelings for Chaplains in the Field” will be a 50-minute bi-weekly group ZOOM session offering an opportunity for our members to express personal feelings and stresses related to ministry in this era of dramatic health care crisis.
Guidelines:
- Minimum number of 3 and maximum of 6 persons in each group.
- Open group – must register through NACC and can participate in one or many sessions.
- Group members are expected to stay with the 50-minute session once it has started.
- Commitment to strictest confidentiality,
- Free expression of feelings, with acceptance, support and understanding from each group member to be facilitated by an experienced retired chaplain.
- There will be no notes or recordings.
- More groups available, if more than 6 people apply.
We invite you to be a part of this intimate sharing group. Please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) to express your interest and to set up a mutually convenient time for these sessions.
6. Certified Chaplain Educational Requirements for Renewal of Certification *
Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have heard from members who are concerned with the potential challenge in viewing sufficient in-person or live offerings this year to meet the educational requirements for maintenance of certification. Please know that the Certification Commission is aware of your concerns and have scheduled time at the Certification Commission meeting in early June to discuss this issue. Look for more information coming from the Certification Commission this summer after that meeting. If you have questions specifically related to renewal of certification, please reach out to Jeanine Annunziato (jannunziato@nacc.org or 414-483-4898 ext. 303)
7. Support of the 2020 Vision Conference *
While the 2020 Vision Conference has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Partners for Professional Excellence in Spiritual Care recognize those who supported the Conference efforts. From the Association representatives who have been planning the event, to the healthcare institutions who have provided financial support, we appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for contributions and continued support of the profession.
Conference Steering Committee and Subcommittees
Conference Donors
Conference Supporters
Conference Vendors
8. Thank you to our many members who are contributing to the Spring Virtual Certification Interviews! *
The National Office and many volunteers completed the first set of Virtual Interviews, which replaced the face to face interviews in the wake of the pandemic, this past weekend. There were 11 applicants who were interviewed by 15 interviewers, assisted by 4 ITE’s. The next session took place on May 2 and 3 with 15 applicants, 15 interviewers and 4 ITE’s. The final session will occur on May 16 with 4 applicants, 6 interviewers and 3 ITE’s. Please keep our applicants and interview teams 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!
9. NACC Members in the news *
During this COVID-19 Pandemic, several news agencies have sought to provide articles on the profession of chaplaincy. On our Coronavirus resource page, we have posted articles as we learn of them. Here is a sampling of articles that included one or more of our NACC members. Blessings on all of your ministries.
Sacred Heart hospital chaplain offers patients, staff ‘life-giving moments’ in hard and hectic circumstances – Spokesman-Review, May 7, 2020
Hospital chaplains offer solace from the sidelines, as patients ask them: ‘Am I going to die alone in here?’ – Business Insider, May 5, 2020
Through glass or from a distance, Orlando Health chaplains comfort COVID-19 patients – Orlando Sentinel, April 24, 2020
Catholic Chaplains Change Normal Routines – Rockford Diocese Observer, May 1, 2020
Hospital Chaplains Spend Final Moments With COVID-19 Patients: ‘I Just Stayed And Held Her Hand’ – CBS Boston, May 4, 2020
Chaplains Minister Amidst Changes Brought by Pandemic – Health Progress
LA chaplains look to create ‘bridges’ with isolated coronavirus patients – Angelus News, Apr 22, 2020
Amid distancing, Maryland priests find ways to comfort the sick and dying – Baltimore Sun, April 12, 2020
How a Hospital Chaplain Brings Comfort to Patients, Without Hugs or Holding Hands – KQED, April 11, 2020
Holy oil, masks and FaceTime: The coronavirus forces Catholics to adapt last rites – Los Angeles Times, April 11, 2020
What it’s like to be a hospital chaplain during Covid-19 – America magazine, March 27, 2020
Undeterred during COVID-19, hospital chaplains transform delivery of spiritual care – Internal Medicine News, April 27, 2020
10. In Vision: St. Paul might have done telechaplaincy by text *
In our newest coronavirus Vision blog post, John Gillman points to St. Paul’s letters as the original example of distance ministry, and shares a much more recent example of how a CPE student consoled a staff member worried about the pandemic via text. To read it, visit www.nacc.org/nacc-blog. Scroll down for a description of “grief kits” to assure families that their loved one did not die alone, and much more.
11. Vision seeks coronavirus contributors *
To deal with the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the next issue of Vision is appearing in blog form on the NACC website, with articles posted as we receive them. We are looking for experiences, resources, and best practices for spiritual care in this moment. Possible topics include telechaplaincy; moral distress; ministry to families; ministry to staff; personal protective equipment; ministry without touch; and more. Please email Vision editor David Lewellen, dlewellen@nacc.org, with your own contributions.
12. NACC Networking Call for May 2020 – All are welcome to participate! *
In addition to the COVID-19 Listening Calls, NACC is offering this Networking calls in May
Wednesday, May 13 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 the 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!
13. NACC 2019 Annual Report available on the NACC website
The NACC Board of Directors, volunteer leaders, Executive Director, and staff provide our members the NACC 2019 Annual Report for our review. It is one way our leaders provide to our members transparency and accountability. The report includes summaries of Board, committee, commission, panel, certification interview activities, the 2019 financial review, and the recognition and gratitude for the many volunteer contribution and donations. We are grateful to all who help us advance and fulfill our NACC mission and strategic priorities. Here is a link to the report.
14. Four NACC Chaplains share their experiences
Four NACC members share experiences from early in their careers, and what excites them about chaplaincy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6LvvB-RrU8
#choosechaplaincy
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
15. Sign up today for our next NACC timely and important webinar! *
Our next NACC 2020 webinar will be Post Traumatic Growth Tools for Spiritual Care, Presented by M. Therese Lysaught, PhD and Beth Reece, MDiv, BCC, Thursday, June 18, 2020 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time.
Trauma from illness affects patients physically, spiritually and emotionally. Chaplains enter this chaos and devastation of trauma, called to provide patients with spiritual care. Research shows that Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG), positive change that can follow traumatic events, is possible, even for many suffering with PTSD. PTG tools of story-telling, community, hope, creativity, and faith may provide personal strength, closer relationships, greater appreciation of life, acceptance of new possibilities, and spiritual development for 50 to 80% of trauma survivors despite physical impairment. In this workshop, chaplains will actively explore theology, definition, and facilitation of these tools in order to enhance pastoral care interventions.
Program Objectives
As a result of this webinar, participants will:
- Understand the definition and potential outcomes of Post-Traumatic Growth.
- Explore Post-Traumatic Growth tools that encourage resilience, strengthen faith, and provide transformation, and how these align with spiritual care.
- Interactively explore how chaplains can facilitate these tools in a variety of patient-care settings.
About the Presenters
M. Therese Lysaught, PhD, is Professor of Catholic moral theology and health care ethics at the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Healthcare Leadership at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment at Loyola’s Institute of Pastoral Studies. In addition to consulting with health care systems on issues surrounding mission, theology, and ethics, her major research foci have included global health, the anointing of the sick, genetics, gene therapy, human embryonic stem cell research, and issues at the end-of-life. Her most recent book is Catholic Bioethics and Social Justice: The Praxis of US Health Care in a Globalized World (Liturgical Press, 2018). In addition, she is the author of Caritas in Communion: Theological Foundations of Catholic Health Care (Catholic Health Association, 2014), and co-editor of On Moral Medicine: Theological Perspectives in Medical Ethics, 3rd edition (Eerdmans, 2012) and Gathered for the Journey: Moral Theology in Catholic Perspective (Eerdmans, 2007).
Beth Reece is Manager of Spiritual Care at the Shirley Ryan Abilitylab in downtown Chicago. It is the first-ever “translational” research hospital, where all staff work together in the same space, applying research in real time to physical and spiritual rehabilitation. Beth’s research has centered on self-care for staff and most recently, chaplain use of post traumatic growth tools for patients. She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Loyola Institute of Pastoral Studies and is certified through the Association of Professional Chaplains.
To register online for 2020 Webinars, please click on this LINK. Student members who are eligible for the special, reduced rates are asked to use the following link: STUDENTS. Alternatively, complete the registration form and send with your check, made payable to NACC, to: Pamela Jones, National Association of Catholic Chaplains, 4915 S. Howell Avenue, Suite 501, Milwaukee, WI 53207. Registration will not be considered complete until the NACC receives your registration form and fee. Access information and presentation materials will be made available to participants a few days before the webinar session. When you register for the live sessions, you will automatically be eligible for a copy of the recordings.
16. Conscious Grieving: Hope in the Land of Loss *
On May 23rd, 2020, Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center in Madison, CT presents an online gathering to explore and express our experiences of loss. NACC member, Lisa Irish, hosts a time of reflection and sharing as she draws from experience in bereavement chaplaincy and spiritual direction. As our global losses mount, our personal losses can become disenfranchised. This program will support both individual and our collective grief around the Covid-19 pandemic, presenting the transformative nature of grief and nourishing the sacred strands of connectedness between us. Fr Richard Rohr says of Lisa’s book, Grieving – the Sacred Art: Hope in the Land of Loss, “…The roadmap is wise, but sensitive – grounded in hope – and reminds us to rest in God’s healing love.” For more information and registration go to www.mercybythesea.org
17. 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: Barbara McKee (sister of Fr. Art Schute), Br. Kenney Gorman, Monica Ho (on the death of her parents Monica Ho and Augustine Wai-Hung), Marybeth Harmon, Nolan (grandson of member Dale Recinella), Susan Balling, Isabelita Boquiren, and Fr. Jim Radde SJ
18. 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
DIRECTOR OF CHAPLAINCY SERVICES
West Reading, PA – Tower Health
SPIRITUAL CARE SERVICES REGIONAL MANAGER
Chicago, Illinois – AMITA Health
CPE RESIDENCY September 2020- September 2021
Corpus Christi, TX – CHRISTUS Spohn Health System
CHAPLAIN DIRECTOR
West Point, NY – U.S. Military Academy
SUPERVISOR, CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION
Toledo, OH – Mercy Health St. Vincent
SPIRITUAL CARE PRACTITIONER – ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST (2 Full-time Positions)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Unity Health Toronto
