Issue #345 – February 15, 2021

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

NACC

1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
2. NACC 2021 World Day of the Sick letter to bishops was sent on Friday, February 12th. *
3. Remember DEADLINE for Initial Certification Applications is today, Monday, February 15, 2021. Must be postmarked by tomorrow Tuesday, February 16, 2021 *
4. Complete November-December Vision is posted *
5. NACC Networking Calls for March 2021 – All are welcome to participate! *
6. Member COVID Listening Calls will continue in February. *
7. Do you need a Listening Heart?
8. Healing Tree: a request for prayers *

2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 29 – NOVEMBER 1, 2021

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

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

10. Don’t forget to check the NACC Anti-Racism page for resources!
11. Don’t forget to check the NACC Coronavirus page for resources!
12. Vatican published Ash Wednesday Guidelines
13. Resources and Guidelines for Ash Wednesday Services *
14. Register today for our NACC upcoming February and March webinars *
15. Learn more about our 2021 NACC Education/Formation programming approach *
16. Other educational offerings *
17. Recent job postings *

1. Executive Director’s Reflection *
Yesterday’s first reading and Gospel concerned those afflicted by leprosy. In the Gospel Jesus cures the man with leprosy. “A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, ‘If you wish, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, ‘I do will it. Be made clean.’ The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.” (Mk. 1:40-41)

The Gospel story was not only about the cure, but the fact that the one cured went forth to tell everyone what Jesus has done for him. However, I would like to reflect for a moment on leprosy.

I had my encounter with the disease when spending three months in India the summer of 1973. Most of that time was with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta (now Kolkata since 2001) and some in Bombay (now Mumbai since 1995). Much care was given by the Missionaries to those inflicted with leprosy, while they experienced being social outcasts.

In learning about leprosy, Hansen’s disease, my eyes were opened to its symptoms and the effects it had on those inflicted. The CDC describes it in this way: “Since Hansen’s disease affects the nerves, loss of feeling or sensation can occur. When loss of sensation occurs, injuries such as burns may go unnoticed. Because you may not feel the pain that can warn you of harm to your body, take extra caution to ensure the affected parts of your body are not injured.”
www.cdc.gov/leprosy/symptoms/index.html

The extended effects of leprosy were significant. In listening to stories of those inflicted, some came with severe burns to arms and legs because while sleeping their limbs accidentally went into a fire, but, due to numbness in the extremity, they did not know it was occurring.

This is a horrible disease. “Since Hansen’s disease affects the nerves, loss of feeling or sensation can occur.” Without minimizing or spiritualizing this disease, it had me reflecting on “loss of feeling or sensation” and how it can lead me to consider this where this is true in my life. What have I become numb to? Where has the repetition of tragedy and loss lessened my horror or being repulsed by it? Where have I grown insensitive to loss and separation?

We are now a year into the pandemic. So many of you have experienced a deluge of destruction and people’s pain and suffering. Trauma builds and “the loss of feelings and sensation” can begin to infect us too. I might not be socially ostracized, but I might begin to separate myself from pain and loss as numbness begins to set it.

I pray this Ash Wednesday and Lent help me and help all of us remain deeply human and touched by those we encounter and who need our humanity, as much as anything else. This has me remember quotes from Betty Ferrell, PhD, MA, RN, FAAN, FPNC, presentation on “The Global Imperative of Palliative Care” at the 2013 Supportive Care Coalition Congress.

Blessings on your Lenten Journey!

David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director

2. NACC 2021 World Day of the Sick letter to bishops was sent on Friday, February 12th. *
For the past ten years, the NACC Executive Director has sent to the US Bishops a World Day of the Sick (WDS) letter, providing bishops with updates on NACC, thanking Bishop Hying and the Episcopal Advisory Council for their guidance, requesting their encouragement of chaplaincy, and other items. We also include each year a document explaining the meaning of endorsement, and often another news item. You can view the 2021 WDS letter, and the previous WDS letters and attachments at www.nacc.org/about-nacc/leadership/episcopal-advisory-council.

3. Remember DEADLINE for Initial Certification Applications is today, Monday, February 15, 2021. Must be postmarked by tomorrow Tuesday, February 16, 2021 *
Given today, February 15, 2021 is President’s Day and there is no postal service, application portfolios for initial certification need to be mailed and postmarked to the office or uploaded on our website at www.nacc.org/certification/certification-submission-form by tomorrow, Tuesday, February 16, 2021! If you have any questions or would like informational materials on initial certification please contact Lisa Sarenac at lisasarenac@nacc.org or call (414) 483-4898, Ext. 304. Please keep our applicants and those considering Board Certification in your prayers.

4. Complete November-December Vision is posted *
The complete November-December issue of Vision, on the theme of “Mental Well-Being in the Time of Covid,” is now available on its own permanent page at the NACC website. This is a convenient way to catch up on any articles you may have missed, including tips on online rituals, the benefits of a 15-minute pause, and the power of “one day at a time.” To read more, click on https://www.nacc.org/vision/.

5. NACC Networking Calls for March 2021 – All are welcome to participate! *

To sign up or for more information, questions, comments, or concerns contact Ramune Franitza at rfranitza@nacc.org.

You must sign up 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 place in a waiting room. Do not disconnect. Please be patient until the host joins the call and allows you access. THANK YOU!

6. Member COVID Listening Calls will continue in February. *
We continue to offer the COVID-19 listening/resource sharing sessions and invite you to participate. The listening sessions in February will be general listening sessions. Requested topics of importance include moral distress, compassion fatigue, and dealing with Psychosis. We are not limited to these topics and also ask “What are you bringing that is on your heart?”

NACC Covid Listening Call
Wednesday Feb 24, 2021
NEW TIME – 8pm ET, 7pm CT, 6pm MT, 5pm PT

Please register here to receive your ZOOM link.

For more resources and blog updates, be sure to take a look at our Coronavirus resources page.

7. 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 a 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.

8. 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, Sr. Ellen Moore, Sr. Theresa Chiappa SSC, Rev. Richard J. O’Donnell MI, Robert Lopez, Daniel Retelle BCC, Victoria Lucas, Mary Fiegel and husband Lee Fiegel, Liam O’Neill (brother of Mary T O’Neill), Russell Butler (husband of Carole Butler), Hernando Salazar (father of Sr. Sandra Salazar) Kathy Ponce (on the death of her sister Marilyn Silkey), Sr. Emily Demuth CSC (on the death of her sister Marietta Ricke), Sr. Betty Keegan (on the death of her brother Joe Keegan), Sr. Mary Brigid and her family (on the death of her brother John Riley), Autumn Vaughn (great-niece of Linda Bronersky), Edward M. Torres (requests prayers for Walter Marston, Jorge Bermudez, Michelle Torres, Danielle Picchi), and Nolan (grandson of Br. Dale Recinella, in gratitude for healing).

2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 29 – NOVEMBER 1, 2021

9. 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

10. Don’t forget to check the NACC Anti-Racism page for resources!
Please continue to check our NACC Anti-Racism page for resources.

11. Don’t forget to check the NACC Coronavirus page for resources!
Please continue to check our NACC Coronavirus page for resources.

12. Vatican published Ash Wednesday Guidelines
Here is a link to the Ash Wednesday 2021 Instructions from the Vatican published 1.12.21.
www.cultodivino.va/content/cultodivino/it/documenti/note/nota-mercoledi-delle-cenere/english.html

13. Resources and Guidelines for Ash Wednesday Services *
The NACC has partnered with the CHA Pastoral Care Advisory Committee, which has many NACC leaders represented on the Committee also, to prepare guidelines for Ash Wednesday.

• Here is a link to the guidelines: www.nacc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Addendum-Ash-Wednesday-FINAL.pdf
• Here is a link to a reflection prayer: www.nacc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-Ash-Wednesday-Reflection-Prayer.pdf
• Here are other CHA resources for Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Easter: www.chausa.org/prayers/lent-reflections

14. Register today for our NACC upcoming February and March webinars *
The February and March webinar presenters will be:

• February 18, 12:00 pm central, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, Most Reverend Joseph N. Perry who is also the Postulator for Cause for Fr. Augustine Tolton, the first Black priest in the United States, will address “Holiness and Prejudice: The Black Catholic Legacy.” REGISTER
• March 18, 12:00 pm central, Ms. Danielle M. Brown, Esq. Associate Director, Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, will address “USCCB US Bishops, Racism, and Implications for the Pastoral Care Healing Ministry.” REGISTER

15. Learn more about our 2021 NACC Education/Formation programming approach *
As shared earlier with you, our 2021 Education Program is offering a thematic approach to each quarter that will include webinars, days of reflection, and an extended learning experience.

The second quarter is devoted to Behavioral/Mental Health. Here are the presenters for our April, May, and June Webinars!

• April 15 – Thomas Rea, BCC; Cory Mitchell, D Bioethics, MA; Anne Dohrenwend, PhD: The Mental Health / Behavioral Health toll on Chaplaincy Ministry During a Pandemic
• May 20 – Sarah Cledwyn, MA: Self-Care: Body, Mind, Spirit
• June 17 -Amittia Parker, PhDc, LMSW, MPA: Closing the Gap: Cultivating a Racially Equitable Mental Health Practice, and Implications for Spiritual Care[RF1]

Watch for more detail at https://www.nacc.org/education-resources/nacc-webinars-and-audio-conferences/2021-webinar-series-overview-and-registration/.

16. Other educational offerings *

• Webinar: Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 16th at 3:00PM (EST) / 2:00PM (CST)
  Religiousness and Vaccine Hesitancy: Implication for Faith Leaders and Chaplains

  A recent study found that greater religiousness was associated with lower intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The investigators suggest, “Highly religious individuals [may] trust informal informational sources whose contents may be dominated by anti-COVID-19 vaccination messages.” This webinar, sponsored by TC’s Chaplaincy Functions Research Network, along with our friends at Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, will examine the findings from the study in light of other research about religion and health behavior and consider the implications of this research for faith leaders and chaplains.

  Presenter/Investigator:
  Ayokunle (Ayo) Olagoke is a doctoral candidate at the Division of Community Health Sciences at the School of Public Health, University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC). Her research interest is centered around understanding and designing interventions to promote safe vaccination among under-represented groups. She is an integral member of the Chicago Contact Tracing and Vaccination Corps. She is also a Research Scientist at the VA Health Administration – Hines.

  Respondents:
  Saneta Maiko, Chief Mission Strategist for Indiana United Methodist Conference
  Rev. Mishca Smith, MDiv, BCC, Staff Chaplain, Rush University Medical Center

  Moderators:
  M. Jeanne Wirpsa, MA, BCC, HEC-C, Program Manager & Clinical Ethicist, Medical Ethics Program and Research Chaplain, Spiritual Care & Education, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
  Christina Shu, BCC, Lead Interfaith Chaplain, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and Co-convener of the TC Chaplaincy Functions Research Network

  Click here for further details or to register

• Research article: Jung Kwak, PhD, MSW, FGSA, Associate Professor, School of Nursing at the University of Texas at Austin wrote NACC to express her thanks for our member participation in the research project. Now an article has been published: The Role and Activities of Board-Certified Chaplains in Advance Care Planning; below is the abstract. If you would like more information, you can contact her at Email: jkwak@nursing.utexas.edu

  Kwak J, Cho S, Handzo G, Hughes BP, Hasan SS, Luu A. The Role and Activities of Board-Certified Chaplains in Advance Care Planning. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®. January 2021. doi:10.1177/1049909121989996

  Title
  The Role and Activities of Board-Certified Chaplains in Advance Care Planning

  Abstract
  Background: Healthcare chaplains have key roles in providing palliative support to patients and families, and they are well-suited to facilitate advance care planning (ACP). However, empirical data on the roles and responsibilities of chaplains in facilitating ACP are limited.

  Objectives: To examine the roles of board-certified healthcare chaplains in ACP in various healthcare settings.

  Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based self-report survey was conducted with 585 board-certified chaplains recruited from 3 major professional chaplains’ organizations in the U.S. The survey data included chaplains’ demographic and professional characteristics, their roles and responsibilities, and responses regarding communication and participation with other healthcare team members in facilitating ACP, including experienced barriers.

  Results: More participants worked in community hospital settings (42%) and academic medical centers (19.6%) than in any other setting. Over 90% viewed ACP as an important part of their work, 70% helped patients complete advance directives, and 90% helped patients discuss their preferences about end-of-life treatments. Many chaplains were not consistently included in team discussions regarding decision-making, although most chaplains reported that they could always find ways to communicate with their teams.

  Conclusion: Professional board-certified chaplains regularly engage in facilitating ACP discussions with patients and families in various healthcare settings. There is a need to recognize and provide systematic support for the role of chaplains in facilitating ACP conversations and to integrate chaplains into routine interdisciplinary team and family meetings.
  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1049909121989996

   

  17. Recent job openings *
  The following positions have been posted recently on our Positions Available page.
  For more information go to www.nacc.org/resources/positions

  CATHOLIC PRIEST, Part-time
  Los Angeles, CA – Cedars-Sinai

  SPIRITUAL CARE MANAGER – BCC
  Pontiac, Michigan – St. Joseph Mercy Oakland

  PRIEST CHAPLAINS
  Boston, MA – The Archdiocese of Boston

  CHAPLAINS
  Kalamazoo and Saginaw, Michigan – Ascension Michigan

  CHAPLAIN
  Santa Rosa, CA – Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital

  MANAGER, PASTORAL CARE
  Galesburg, IL – OSF HealthCare

  FT PRIEST CHAPLAIN + PT PRIEST CHAPLAIN
  Paterson, NJ – St. Joseph’s Health