Issue #338 – November 9, 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 October! *
3. Death of a NACC member *
4. Thank you to those of you who have already given to our 2020 Annual Member Campaign! Please join them! *
5. Sign up today for the Thursday, November 19th, Webinar on Certification! *
6. Need contributors to New Vision theme: Mental well-being in the time of COVID *
7. In Vision: Love wins. Prayer works. The spirit survives. *
8. Next Member COVID Listening Call scheduled for Wednesday, November 18th at 3:00 pm central time. *
9. NACC Networking Calls for November 2020 – All are welcome to participate! *
10. Healing Tree: a request for prayers *

2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 29 – NOVEMBER 1, 2021

11. Friday, October 29, to Monday, November 1, 2021, for NACC National Conference!

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

12. Don’t forget to check the NACC Anti-Racism page for resources!
13. Don’t forget to check the NACC Coronavirus page for resources!
14. Our NACC November Webinar needed to change, and we are grateful that…
15. End your professional education 2020 by participating in our NACC December webinar,
Serving At-Risk Adolescents Presented by Alan J. Schmitt, MA, BCC Thursday,
December 10, 2020 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time *
16. Other continuing education opportunities *
17. Recent job postings *

1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
Oh, it was good to reflect on yesterday’s first reading from the book of Wisdom (Wis. 6:12-16). It was a good contrast to the Gospel reading on the parable of the wise and foolish virgins awaiting the bridegroom that ended with Jesus cautioning, “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Mt. 25:13).

I liked and found comfort in the imagined action of Wisdom personified as a woman who “hastens to make herself known” when she anticipates those who desire her. She can be “readily perceived by those who love her and found by those who seek her.” It’s like Wisdom is just watching and waiting for us to desire her and she will hurry to be there for us. I love the image that “he shall find her sitting by his gate.”

So in contrast to me having to be hyper vigilant for the bridegroom of the Gospel, for me to stay ready for the unknown, I get the picture in the Wisdom reading of Lady Wisdom eager for me just to show some desire and she readily hastens and waits for me to find her at my gate. In the Gospel I am kept in suspense. In the reading from Wisdom, I am not waiting by wanting/desiring, eager to be alert/watching to discover where Wisdom has already shown herself. “Whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed, for he shall find her sitting by his gate.”

It’s different kind of keeping vigil, isn’t it? Rightfully the Gospel helps me to know there is the unknown in my waiting as to when the Bridegroom will arrive. In the Wisdom reading, there is the known that, if desired, Wisdom is here in her waiting for me to recognize Her and receive Her comfort… “whoever for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly be free from care.” Yes, the bridegroom will surprise me. However, Wisdom is now on the move seeking to come to me, “because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her, and graciously appears to them in the ways,
and meets them with all solicitude.”

So, I find this imagining of an eager Wisdom to find me, if I desire her. So, what does this look like to me? I appreciated mid-week a friend sending me this reflection from Katarina Kenison (www.katrinakenison.com/category/soul-work). I admit I was not familiar with this reflection. I appreciated receiving it at the time.

In looking back at this reflection, I could not help but to recognize “Wisdom on the move seeking to come to me.” I appreciated her reminding me that, “And yet there’s also a kind of knowing, or faith, that comes with opening to what’s right here, right now.” Do I recognize Wisdom in the “energy and kindness and fierce commitment in every corner of our country?” Do I recognize Her in the desire for mending, the reaching out, the holding up, the welcoming, the embracing?” Do I desire to recognize Her? Where is my desire? Where am I looking? What am I holding sacred?

In the end, I need to keep vigil for the Bridegroom, but I also need to know that Wisdom is already here, seeking me out and wanting me to recognize Her? Where am I looking and what am I holding sacred?

Blessings,

David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director

2. Welcome new NACC members who joined us in October! *

Full
Mr. Adeolu A. Ademoyo
Rev. Livinus I. Anweting
Mrs. Lisa M. Reshad
Ms. Cynthia D. Ward
Rev. Charles F. Smith SVD, BCC-VA

Student
Rev. James P. McCloskey
Chaplain Charles J. McMurrey

Affiliate
Rev. Raja Kennedy Arul Samy

Ministry Volunteer
Dr. Paul Ungar

3. Death of a NACC member *
We recently learned of the death of our former member, Sister Noel M. Frey, RSM, who joined the NACC in 1983 and retired from NACC in 1991. She died on October 11th. May the Lord grant her fullness of Life and Peace. Read more about her at www.legacy.com/obituaries/toledoblade/obituary.aspx?n=mary-noel-frey&pid=196940329&fhid=13898.

4. Thank you to those of you who have already given to our 2020 Annual Member Campaign! Please join them! *
We are deeply grateful to all those who have been able so far to give to the 2020 Annual Member campaign! To date, we have received 392 gifts totaling $45,647.10. We will be sending next week a reminder letter to those who have not yet been able to donate. If you are able to join your fellow members in giving, that’s wonderful. If not, we understand and appreciate your prayers for a successful Campaign.

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!

5. Sign up today for the Thursday, November 19th, Webinar on Certification! *
Certification by the NACC Presented by NACC Certification Commissioners Sr. Anne K. Breitag OP, BCC and Bro. Kenney Gorman CFX, BCC Thursday, November 19, 2020 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time Program.

Program Summary
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.

NACC Certification Competencies Covered by the Webinar: PIC1, PIC8, OL3

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, click here for the registration form, print it, and send with your check, made payable to NACC, to: 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.

6. Need contributors to New Vision theme: Mental well-being in the time of COVID *
We hope you have enjoyed the last two months of Vision articles about racism and how it has affected the lives of our members. Now it is time to address a new theme, one that has been developing with us for months but may become especially acute as Advent and the holidays approach. We are looking for articles about mental well-being in the time of Covid. If you have thoughts about how to maintain balance, how to find hope (if not joy) in the current moment, how to recognize and tend those feelings in others, how those needs intersect with race and equity, or other related topics — we want to hear from you. Please send a summary of your idea to Vision editor David Lewellen, dlewellen@nacc.org.

7. In Vision: Love wins. Prayer works. The spirit survives. *
Every chaplain, and every person that they minister to, has been through eight stressful months — and it won’t end soon. Mary T. Tracy, looking at her own stress, offers thoughts on what can keep us going: love, prayer, acknowledging grief, and listening for our own spirit. To read the first Vision article on our new theme of mental well-being, visit https://www.nacc.org/nacc-blog/

8. Next Member COVID Listening Call scheduled for Wednesday, November 18th at 3:00 pm CST. *
We continue to have good participation for our COVID Listening Calls. It is much appreciated. So, for the week of November 16th, the NACC will offer one general listening session This is a general listening session asking for you to bring what is on your heart.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020, 3pm – 4pm Central Time (4p1m ET, 2pm MT, 1pm PT)

ATTENTION: You will need to register HERE for this call. You will be sent automatically the ZOOM information to access this session. If you have trouble registering please let us know at info@nacc.org.

Due to increased security from ZOOM, you may be placed in a Waiting Room. Please be patient until the host joins the call.
For more resources and blog updates be sure to read the latest update on our Coronavirus resources page.

9. NACC Networking Calls for November 2020 – All are welcome to participate! *
In addition to our COVID Listening Session on November 18th, NACC is offering these Networking calls in November:

Tuesday, November 10, 2020; 10 a.m. CT NACC Purposeful Retirement Networking Call
Wednesday, November 11; 12 p.m. CT NACC Palliative Care/Hospice Networking 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 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.
Due to ZOOM Security requirements, you may be placed in a waiting room. Do not disconnect. Please be patient until the host joins the call and allows you access. If you have difficulty in joining calls using ZOOM please let Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) know so that we can address the difficulty. THANK YOU!

10. Healing Tree: a request for prayers *
We continue to pray for: the special intentions of Maritza Ramos-Pratt BCC, Sr. Mary A. DuPlain SJSM, Susan Balling, Isabelita Boquiren, Fr. Jim Radde SJ, Denice Foose, Fr. Jose Hernandez, Barbara McKee, Mary Lou O’Gorman, Joe Keegan (brother of Sr. Betty Keegan), Liam O’Neill (brother of Mary T O’Neill), Sr. Emily Demuth CSC (on the death of her sister Patricia), Autumn Vaughn (great-niece of member Linda Bronersky), and Nolan (grandson of Br. Dale Recinella, in gratitude for healing).

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.

2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 29 – NOVEMBER 1, 2021

10. Friday, October 29, to Monday, November 1, 2021, for NACC National Conference!
Mark your calendars for the NACC Conference in 2021! This conference will be held Friday, October 29 through Monday, November 1, 2021, at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo Hotel in Buffalo, NY. It will be preceded by preconference workshops and our NACC retreat. Plan to join us!

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

12. Don’t forget to check the NACC Anti-Racism page for resources!
Please continue to check our NACC Anti-Racism page for resources.
www.nacc.org/resources/antiracism-resources

13. Don’t forget to check the NACC Coronavirus page for resources!
Please continue to check our NACC Coronavirus page for resources.
www.nacc.org/resources/coronavirus-resources.

14. Our NACC November Webinar needed to change, and we are delighted to announce..!
Given our November Webinar presenter, Rev. Michele Guest Lowery who was going to address Behavioral Health and Chaplaincy, is not able to present due to family circumstances, we are delighted and grateful that two of our well-qualified NACC members, Richard W. Bauer MM, LCSW, BCC and Mrs. Adriana Rengifo, M.A., RP, CRPO, will lead this webinar on Mental Health and Chaplaincy, this Thursday, November 12, 2020 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. (Central Time)

Regretfully, given the number of current registrants is near the webinar limit of 100 needed for the format for this webinar, we are not able to take any further registrations at this time. If you would be interested in being on a waiting list, please contact jannunziato@nacc.org. Depending on interest we might offer this one again in the near future.

Program Summary
Over the past months, the mental health of clinical colleagues, family members, as well as ourselves has become a source of attention and concern as we daily encounter and seek to live with the presence and continuing impact of our global COVID-19 pandemic. We know our roles as chaplains and the spiritual care of others have grown in importance. Navigating this pandemic, tending to the toll it’s taking on our clinical colleagues, and staying spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy ourselves are all part of our daily life.

This webinar will be a “town hall” format during which our presenters will offer some initial observations and raise questions on this topic. Participants will also engage with one another on this topic in small groups, before returning to the full group for final sharing together.

Program Objectives

• Provide perspectives on the mental health issues facing chaplains
• Share resources gained over the past months
• Exchange with others their experiences and resources
• Determine together some next steps for professional development and one’s own spiritual health.

About the Presenters:
Mrs. Adriana Rengifo, M.A., Registered Psychotherapist (RP), CRPO, is a professional member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. She serves as a Clinical Chaplain at Bruyère Continuing Care supporting patients in complex, palliative and long term care. She is also a graduate student in the Catholic Bioethics program at Saint Paul University. Her training in psychology, theology, and counselling with a focus on humanistic existential theory, and a clinical residency as hospital chaplain, have informed her professional practice for the past 8 years. Her graduate research is focused on helping mitigate the impact End of Life issues have on patient’s life by attending to their psychosocial needs through Logotherapy and its meaning seeking therapeutic approach. She is also a certified Couple Facilitator with her local Dioceses and for 7 years has provided intake sessions for couples who are engaged and seek preparation for Sacramental Marriage in the Roman Catholic Church.

Fr. Rick Bauer, MM, LCSW, BCC, is a priest with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Board Certified Chaplain, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Utah) serving as the Director of Spiritual and Psychosocial Support for the Eastern Deanery AIDS Relief program in Nairobi, Kenya. He is on the Executive Committee of PalCHASE (Palliative Care in Humanitarian Aid Situations and Emergencies) and the Leader’s Council of the Global Network on Spirituality and Health with Dr. Christiana Puchalski at George Washington University. He has served on the board and currently on the advisory council for the African Palliative Care Association.

NACC Certification Competencies Covered by the Webinar:
ITP 2, PIC 3, PPS 2, PPS 5, OL 1

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: 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.

15. End your professional education 2020 by participating in our NACC December webinar, Serving At-Risk Adolescents Presented by Alan J. Schmitt, MA, BCC Thursday, December 10, 2020 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time *
On Thursday, December 10th, 12:00-1:30 pm central time, Alan J. Schmidt, MA, BCC, will present the webinar on Serving At-Risk Adolescents.

Program Summary
This webinar will identify challenges and helpful interventions in working with teens with mental health issues. We will identify ways to approach spirituality in a broad manner which does not alienate adolescents but builds upon things that enhance the human spirit, like music, art, teamwork, and meditation. We will explore group topics and approaches that draw youth into the process, encourage self-reflection and sharing. We will also learn how to facilitate the teens to be seekers in a journey of discovery which brings the day’s topic to life.

Program Objectives
1. Identify the challenges in working with adolescents with mental health issues.
2. Be introduced to a broad-based spirituality to help adolescents identify positive spiritual connections.
3. Learn new interventions in spiritual care for at-risk youth.

About the Presenter
Alan has worked with adolescents for six years in behavioral health and for 25 years in parish education programs and teen ministries, especially appreciating the service, retreat, and social components. His journey toward pastoral ministry began in a faith-based volunteer program immediately out of college at St. John’s University in Minnesota, serving in a mountain town on the western slope of the Rockies in Southwest Colorado with an inspired pastor in a community with a big heart. He returned to the Midwest four years later, earned an MA in theology at Loyola University in Chicago, began to serve at a suburban parish, and met his wife the following summer at a young adult ministry program. His pastoral and personal journey continued from there, raising 3 sons, serving in a variety of parishes and completing CPE at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove, IL.
NACC Certification Competencies Covered by the Webinar: ITP2, ITP3, ITP5, PPS3

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: 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. Other continuing education opportunities *

• We have promoted the Interfaith Speaker Series in the past, and I’m pleased to announce that its 4th annual edition will be held online from November 12th, 2020, to February 16th, 2021, with the theme of African American religion and dialogue.

  It’ll kick off on Thursday, November 12th at 7pm with the series’ keynote address. Dr. Anthony Pinn, professor of Religious Studies at Rice University, will offer an interactive, engaging overview of African American religious life in America, with an opportunity for dialogue following. Subsequent lectures and discussions explore African American diversity of faith in Charleston within different faith traditions, including Islam, Catholicism, and Baha’i. https://www.cicouncil.org/events

• Opportunity to Reflect on a Chaplain’s Grief, Friday, November 13, 10:00-11:30 am, (eastern time) webinar hosted by Spiritual Care and Education Department, J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, to register: https://form.dotform.com/202684177224153 Webex link will be sent prior to the event. This is a free webinar.
• Racial Differences in Spiritual Care: Existing Evidence and Future Research, a free webinar offered on Tuesday, December 1st, 1:00 pm CT/2:00 pm ET, by Transforming Chaplaincy. Click here to Register

  Data from several large U.S. studies suggests Blacks are somewhat more likely to receive
  chaplain visits and Blacks may be more likely than Whites to request chaplain care. In this webinar we will review these findings and what they do and don’t tell us about possible racial disparities in the provision of spiritual care in healthcare. We will also discuss directions for future research about racial issues in spiritual care in healthcare.

  Presenters:
  George Fitchett, DMin, PhD, is the Director of Transforming Chaplaincy and Professor in the Department of Religion, Health and Human Values, Rush University Medical Center
  LaVera Crawley, MD, MPH, is the Director of Spiritual Care and Clinical Pastoral Education at the California Pacific Medical Center
  Kelsey White, MDiv, MSc, BCC is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Health Management & System Sciences, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville. She is a former Transforming Chaplaincy Research Fellow.

  Moderators:
  Marilyn J. D. Barnes, MS, MA, MPH, BCC, Vice President, Mission and Spiritual Care, South Wisconsin & Central Chicagoland PSA, AdvocateAurora Health. She is a former Transforming Chaplaincy Research Fellow
  Christina Shu, BCC, Lead Interfaith Chaplain, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

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

DIRECTOR OF SPIRITUAL CARE
Cleveland, OH – Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital

MARKET DIRECTOR PASTORAL CARE
Des Moines, IA – MercyOne Central Iowa

HOSPICE CHAPLAIN
Rochester, MN – Mayo Clinic

CATHOLIC PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Rochester, MN – Mayo Clinic

MANAGER of SPIRITUAL CARE
Springfield, OR – PeaceHealth

PRIEST/CHAPLAIN – FT
Camden, NJ – Lourdes Health System

CERTIFIED CHAPLAIN – Part time
Sturgeon Bay, Door County, WI – Door County Medical Center

SPIRITUAL CARE SERVICES MANAGER
St. Louis, MO – Barnes-Jewish Hospital

RESIDENTIAL LIFE ASSISTANT
Rochester, MN – Assisi Heights