Issue #373 – March 21, 2022
Click here to return to the main NACC Now page.
(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
BUFFALO NY – August 19-22, 2022
Lent Reflection on Health Care and Racial Justice
Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (March 19)
the patron of the Universal Church, of carpenters, the dying, and workers
NACC
1. Celebrate What’s Right with the World *
2. News from our Executive Director *
3. Invitation to share reflections of your ministry
4. Deaths of former members *
5. Consider 2022 volunteer leadership with NACC’s Board, Commissions, Committees, and Panels!
6. Important 2022 March Cancellations of Conference Registration & Hotel Updates *
7. Important 2022 August Conference Information *
8. In Vision: After psychiatric nursing, pastoral care required new mindset *
9. Scheduled Synodal Listening dates – All are welcome to participate! *
10. The Member Listening Call for April will be Tuesday, April 12, 2022! *
11. NEW! Dementia Care Resource Page *
12. Listening Hearts are available for chaplain support
13. Healing Tree: a request for prayers *
14. Follow us on social media! Please look at, like, and follow our NACC social media meme graphics and Instagram!
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
15. Important Webinar for all those Board Certification Applicants Interviewing for the Spring Session.
16. Bishop Caggiano Honors Two Sisters for their Service *
17. CRJN Webinar Series 2: Accompaniment and Restorative Justice Ministries *
18. St. Camillus 18th Annual Awards Luncheon honors David Lichter *
19. How Restorative Justice Helped Make the Justice System Work Better in Seattle (National Catholic Register) *
20. NALM- Field Hospital Document *
21. CASC/ACSS Conference 2022 – Reconciling Heart and Soul: Moral Injury and Pathways to Healing; May 1- 4th, 2022 online/virtual *
22. Chaplaincy Innovation Lab offerings *
23. Transforming Chaplaincy offerings *
24. The Graduate Theological Union is launching a new platform *
25. Other Resources from Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC)
26. Recent job postings *
1. Celebrate What’s Right with the World *
“Each small task of everyday life is part of the total harmony of the universe.” Saint Terese of Lisieux
Loving God, we ask you to be with each of us in our openness to accepting the mysteries of your created world.
Help us to focus the lens of our deepest insights present within external or internal chaos; to seek your constant guiding light in the midst of individual and global darkness, and to comprehend your pervasive joy hidden within our personal and communal sorrows.
Show us an amazingly abundant world despite the scarcity we see.
In our frustrating experiences, guide us to transform discouragement Into hopeful possibilities.
Give us the serenity to accept what we cannot change by allowing the unexpected flow to bless our uncertainty with confidence.
Teach us to discover our maximum edge of intensity with compassion for ourselves and others.
Let us be gentle with ourselves in forgiveness and understanding.
Guide us to trust ourselves enough to be our best FOR the world without concern about external responses.
We pray for the inner light of Your Holy Spirit to encourage our Possibility Thinking to serve as a strong beacon for others.
Creator God, we ask You to embrace us with your Joy as we ponder all these mysteries and paradoxes. Help us to act with complete authenticity in all that we do, and to be mindful that even our acts of giving are ultimately from You.
“We know that for those who love God, ALL things work together for good.” Romans 8:28
Prior to my retirement when I was working at CHI Saint Elizabeth in Lincoln, Nebraska, our staff studied DeWitt Jones, a National Geographic photographer, whose work focused on possibility, beauty, and Joy. This convergence led my close chaplain friend, Sister Suzanne Vandenheede, and I to compose the above prayer together. You can Google Dewitt Jones website for inspiring thoughts, TED talks, and videos. As you ponder the words in our prayer above, know that I am supporting and praying for each of you from my little corner of Nebraska fields.
— Maureen Bausch BCC
2. News from our Executive Director *
We long to include YOUR voices in synod sharing. As chaplains, you serve on the front lines of the Church. You make up the ‘field hospital’ that Pope Francis often refers to, providing crucial and emergent care to those in hospital beds and prison cells, and those confined to ships at sea or experiencing a crisis requiring the presence of first responders, etc. You bear witness to people who are spiritually bleeding out and the Church needs to hear your perspective.
The NACC will be hosting a series of listening sessions for board certified chaplains and other members of our community. I want to personally invite you to attend one of these sessions. Please share your feedback and advocacy based on your volumes of first-hand experience with those who cry out. The synod process is not complete without you.
The scheduled Synodal Listening dates are:
- Tuesday, March 29th (1:00 pm ET, 12:00 pm CT, 11 am MT, 10 am PT, 9 am AKDT, 7 am HST)
– 90 minute session - Thursday, March 31st (7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT, 5pm MT, 4 pm PT, 3 pm AKDT, 1 pm HST)
– 90 minute session
Erica Cohen Moore
Executive Director
More information: To register: web.nacc.org/events/NACC-Synodal-Listening-Sessions-1303/details
USCCB: Synod on Synodality: Communion, Participation, and Mission
Vatican: Synod 2021-2021
3. Invitation to share reflections of your ministry
NACC would like to offer the opportunity for our members to share thoughtful reflections of their ministry throughout the year. Please offer your thoughts that would inspire your colleagues by sending your reflection to Ramune Franitza rfranitza@nacc.org. We may also post previous reflections from our former Executive Directors.
4. Deaths of former members *
We remember Sister Bernadette Sullivan, OSB, who died on March 3, 2022. Her first career was teaching, her second was as an ecumenical chaplain in Erie, Pennsylvania. She served two years as president of the Pennsylvania Society of Chaplains. Sr. Bernadette joined NACC in 1979 and was a member for almost 40 years, up until her retirement from chaplaincy. We are also grateful for her service in multiple roles on NACC certification interview teams over the years.
You can read her obituary at www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/bernadette-osb-obituary?id=33646973
We remember Georgetta L. German S.F.O., who died on March 8, 2022. She was a member of the NACC for two years (1997-1999), while working at Little Flower Manor in Darby, PA.
You can read her memorial here: www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/delcotimes/name/georgetta-german-obituary?id=33577030
5. Consider 2022 volunteer leadership with NACC’s Board, Commissions, Committees, and Panels!
NACC is grateful for all those called to leadership in our Association. Prayerfully consider offering your gifts and talents in your areas of interest and expertise. If you feel called to join our leadership team, please take a look at opportunities available here or contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) to speak with someone from the NACC Nominations Panel. NACC will hold elections this summer for 2 Board vacancies.
6. Important 2022 March Cancellations of Conference Registration & Hotel Updates
- All 2022 March Conference Registrations have now been cancelled.
- Credit card refunds have been issued back to the original payment source. Please check your credit card statement.
- Undeposited checks were mailed out on Monday, February 28, 2022. Please give USPS up to 10 days to deliver these checks.
- All hotel reservations have now been cancelled and a cancellation confirmation email sent.
- Any questions related to this communication can be addressed to Jeanine Annunziato (conference@nacc.org).
7. Important 2022 August Conference Information *
The Conference Planning Task Force is continuing their planning efforts to move the conference program to the new dates ~ August 19-22, 2022.
Thank you for your patience as we finalize the details. We can share a few updates:
- Conference registration will open late April/early May
- Early bird registration deadline is June 13, 2022
- Conference registration will close on July 1, 2022
- The hotel will begin to take reservations in late April
We are excited to welcome you to beautiful Buffalo in the Summer. Check out all the city has to offer.
8. In Vision: After psychiatric nursing, pastoral care required new mindset *
“Chaplain” was the third childhood dream that Sr. Frances Smalkowski fulfilled. But the transition from her previous career as a psychiatric nurse required a very different attitude toward the people she was helping. To read more in our newest Vision article, click below.
After Psychiatric Nursing Pastoral Care Required a New Mindset
Moving from nursing to chaplaincy was a response to God’s whisper
Kathy Mattone went into nursing because she felt called to heal the body, but it took her a long time to realize that the body of Christ also needs spiritual healing. When she finally discovered chaplaincy, “it only took a few weeks of my CPE internship to realize that this was where God was calling me.” To read more in Vision, click below.
Moving from Nursing to Chaplaincy was a Response to God’s Whisper
9. Scheduled Synodal Listening dates – All are welcome to participate! *
The NACC will be hosting a series of listening sessions for board certified chaplains and other members of our community. We long to include YOUR voices in synod sharing. As chaplains, you serve on the front lines of the Church. You make up the ‘field hospital’ that Pope Francis often refers to, providing crucial and emergent care to those in hospital beds and prison cells, and those confined to ships at sea or experiencing a crisis requiring the presence of first responders, etc. You bear witness to people who are spiritually bleeding out and the Church needs to hear your perspective.
Please share your feedback and advocacy based on your volumes of first-hand experience with those who cry out. The synod process is not complete without you.
The scheduled Synodal Listening dates are:
- Tuesday, March 29th (1:00 pm ET, 12:00 pm CT, 11 am MT, 10 am PT, 9 am AKDT, 7 am HST)
– 90 minute session - Thursday, March 31st (7:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm CT, 5pm MT, 4 pm PT, 3 pm AKDT, 1 pm HST)
– 90 minute session
To register: web.nacc.org/events/NACC-Synodal-Listening-Sessions-1303/details
Additional information can be found at the Vatican website and at the USCCB – Synod on Synodality.
10. The Member Listening Call for April will be Tuesday, April 12, 2022! *
As current situations evolve, so do our concerns and causes of stress. Patient counts may be down in many places, and we are relieved as symptoms abate and restrictions begin to lift. Chaplains are still affected by increased patient loads and staff shortages. Spiritual Care continues to support patients and staff during these latest crises. Weariness, fatigue, and uncertainty continue to be a part of chaplaincy’s days and nights.
Often, it can be helpful to spend an hour with those who understand, our colleagues. NACC continues to offer our listening sessions and remains grateful for the participation and sharing that happens during these virtual communities. The NACC strives to support those who have found it helpful and healing to share their thoughts and experiences in these gatherings; to be there for one another.
NACC will offer one listening session on Tuesday, April 12; 4pm ET, 3pm CT, 2pm MT, 1pm PT, 11am HI.
ATTENTION: Register here to participate and receive the ZOOM link for the call. If you have trouble registering please let us know at info@nacc.org.
Notes from previous sessions can be found here: www.nacc.org/resources/coronavirus-resources/#listen. Sharing is confidential to the group. Notes do not reflect the names of the speakers.
For more resources and blog updates, be sure to read the latest updates on our Coronavirus resources page.
11. NEW! Dementia Care Resource Page *
This new resource page includes a gift from Sarah Fredricksen, BCC:
A Picture Book to share with your patients
A hospice chaplain with an idea to create a book of images to share with her Catholic dementia patients; to bring them the comfort of their faith. Sarah Fredricksen, BCC found an artist and commissioned these drawings for her picture book. Sarah offers her beautiful collection of watercolors to the NACC.
As always, if you have a resource to suggest for this page, contact Phil at pparadowski@nacc.org
12. Listening Hearts are available for chaplain support
A Listening Heart is always available for one-on-one conversation (Spanish speaker available).
This ministry is provided by NACC retired chaplains. Please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) if you would like to speak with a Listening Heart or have questions.
13. Healing Tree: a request for prayers *
The NACC holds the Healing Tree as a place for members to seek the supporting prayers of their colleagues. We prayerfully support and publish the names submitted by our membership for themselves or their family members. We also ask that you please include members and their families who have been affected by the COVID pandemic in your prayers.
We continue to pray for our members: Sr. Madeline Cipriano RDM, Susan DeLongis, Sr. Andre Dembowski RSM, Denice Foose, Marybeth Harmon, Fr. George Henninger LMHC, Sr. Ellen Moore, Fr. Jim Radde SJ, Martiza Ramos-Pratt, Sr. Mary Lou G. Schnitzer SSJ, Sr. Paula M. Tinlin SND, Wanda Walker, Rev. Henry M. Williams, and Sr. Louise F. Zaplitny SC.
For loved ones: Autumn Vaughn (great-niece of Linda Bronersky), Larry DuPlain (brother of Sr. Mary DuPlain SJSM), Mila Rose (granddaughter of James Engelbert), Kathi Peot and family (sister-in-law of Mary Heintzkill, ), Fred Leas (husband of Charlotte Leas), Claudia Legato (wife of Robert Legato), Ed Drake (husband of Hilda Lethe-Drake), Pearl Marie Perkins (mother of Nicholas Perkins), and Natalie (cousin of Sue Walker), and the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Marc.
For the families of: Bev Beltramo (on the death of her niece Jessica Grassmick, [her parents Carol & Jim Grassmick and her three young children]), Deborah Bradley (on the death of her father-in-law Jack Bradley), Bonnie Burnett (on the death of her brother Terence Burnett), Rev. John O. Ekeocha (on the death of his mother Catherine Ekeocha), and Marga A. Halala on her death.
There are members whose needs are personal, so please remember our members whose journey needs the support of your prayer.
If you would like our membership to pray for your health and healing, email Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org). We will leave the person’s name on the Healing Tree list for three months unless you ask us to remove the name earlier. You can always request us to leave the name on longer.
14. Follow us on social media! Please look at, like, and follow our NACC social media meme graphics and Instagram!
We continue our new series of popular social media meme graphics. The themes for this campaign are Chaplain Wisdom and Join NACC. They will post each Tuesday morning, and we would love for you to share them on your own personal social media channels, as you feel moved. Please make sure to like and follow us on Facebook (@choosechaplaincy), LinkedIn (@National Association of Catholic Chaplains) and on our new Instagram (@NACC_Chaplains). If you would like to be a part of NACC’s Instagram story, please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) to speak with someone from the NACC Marketing Panel.
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
15. Important Webinar for all those Board Certification Applicants Interviewing for the Spring Session.
If you are interviewing in April or May for Board Certification, it is highly recommended that you attend the Virtual Interview Webinar with Sr. Pam Nosbusch on Thursday, March 31 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time.
To register for this event, please click on this link: Virtual Interview Webinar. This webinar will be recorded and will be sent to all participants who have registered for the event.
16. Bishop Caggiano Honors Two Sisters for their Service *
NACC celebrates with Holy Family Province’s St. Augustine Medal of Service recipients for the Diocese of Bridgeport, CT. Presented during mass at the St. Augustine Cathedral on Saturday March 19. Among the honorees are Sisters Rita Ashwell and Frances Smalkowski CSFN of the John Paul II Nursing Facility in Danbury, CT. Warm congratulations and thank you for your service.
Sister Rita Ashwell was a member of the NACC for two years (1998-2000). Sr. Frances Smalkowski is a long time member of NACC who joined in 1985.
17. CRJN Webinar Series 2: Accompaniment and Restorative Justice Ministries *
Please join the Catholic Restorative Justice Network in CRJN Webinars Series 2: Accompaniment and Restorative Justice Ministries. Thursdays March 24 – May 12. A six-part series of presentation to increase understanding and best practices in Restorative Justice and Spiritual Care/Community Resilience and Accompaniment Ministries. All are welcome. Register Here.
18. St. Camillus 18th Annual Awards Luncheon honors David Lichter *
The Saint Camillus Center Annual Awards Luncheon is a joyful event to celebrate their honorees including David Lichter, retired Executive Director of NACC, for their outstanding service and dedication to the communities served by Saint Camillus Center. In their professional work and volunteer work, they share in the mission and vision of Saint Camillus Center to “accompany people with hope.” (April 24, 2022, Los Angeles, CA)
Saint Camillus Center Annual Awards Luncheon 2022
19. How Restorative Justice Helped Make the Justice System Work Better in Seattle (National Catholic Register) *
Read about how The Archdiocese of Seattle participated in a pilot program for selected juvenile offenders.
How Restorative Justice Helped Make the Justice System Work Better in Seattle
20. NALM- Field Hospital Document *
National Association of Lay Ministers (NALM) is inviting review of the document titled “The Church as a Field Hospital: Caring for our Own The Catholic Church and Lay Ecclesial Ministers in the United States.” NALM would like to receive feedback by April 15, 2022.
Here is a link to the pdf download: cdn.ymaws.com/www.nalm.org/resource/resmgr/documents/field_hospital_white_paper/the_church_as_a_field_hospit.pdf
Here is a link for people to share their comments and suggestions: www.nalm.org/surveys/?id=draftresponse
21. CASC/ACSS Conference 2022 – Reconciling Heart and Soul: Moral Injury and Pathways to Healing; May 1- 4th, 2022 online/virtual *
Winnipeg was originally planning on hosting a Hybrid conference which allowed attendance both in person and through virtual online connection. However, with the continuing rise in the omicron variant and the uncertainty of travel this spring, the difficult decision was made to go to a virtual only format. Though in person connection will be missed, we will still be able to communicate through our professional on-line conference platform. Satellite locations (think CPE Groups, Spiritual Care Departments, regional gatherings, etc.) will still be able to bring together attendees to connect virtually at a reduced registration fee.
The objective of this conference include:
- Share expertise on moral injury and its impact on practitioners and those we serve/encounter
- Focus on moral injury through a variety of lenses, in particular, the Indigenous experience.
- Create space for a variety of voices speaking to their experience of MI
- Motivate with leading practices in research and professional development; with attention on the calls to action of the TRC
- Strengthen participants as they consider their world view lens and explore a variety of healing pathways.
Surprisingly Affordable
As a fully virtual conference with no costs for transportation, accommodation, food and beverage it will be very economical to attend the conference from anywhere in Canada or the world. For more information, check out the specific topic pages on the left hand sidebar. spiritualcare.ca/home/conferences/2022-conference
22. Chaplaincy Innovation Lab offerings *
Employers, practitioners, educators, and leaders in the field of chaplaincy have differing views about the training chaplains need in order to do their jobs well.
What are Chaplains Learning? Perspectives on the Supply Side: A working paper.
23. Transforming Chaplaincy offerings *
Call for presentations for upcoming training seminar on telechaplaincy, hosted by Transforming Chaplaincy and the University of Zürich
Telechaplaincy is the delivery of spiritual care where recipients and providers are separated by distance. Telechaplaincy is increasingly common practice, and chaplains and providers regularly request trainings to implement and improve their practice of telechaplaincy. To meet this need, the Telechaplaincy Community of Practice is hosting a series of trainings and knowledge-exchange events. We invite chaplains, scholars and interdisciplinary team members to contribute to these events by proposing case study presentations, vignettes and didactics. The due date for submission is May 10th, 2022.
Click here to learn more!
PCRC Dementia Care Project
We are looking for chaplains to participate in one of four focus groups exploring providing spiritual care and religious care with people with dementia in long term care centers, including the roles of music and music therapy in that care. Long term care centers may include nursing homes, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and hospice.
Study participation will consist of a 90-minute focus group with 6-8 chaplains, scheduled at your convenience. The focus groups will discuss the spiritual care you provide in your facility, your spiritual care for persons with dementia, and any use of music in your spiritual care for persons with dementia.
To be included in the study you must:
- Work full-time as a spiritual care provider
- Work in a long-term care facility
- As part of your job, you provide some direct care for persons with dementia
- Board certified chaplains are welcome to participate but board certification is not a requirement to participate
This study is being conducted by the Religion and Spirituality Special Interest Group of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group and Transforming Chaplaincy. We believe the results of this research will provide important information about current practices in spiritual care for nursing home residents with dementia, including the use of music in providing spiritual care.
If you are willing to participate in a focus group, please provide us with some basic information about yourself and your work here.
We will use this information to select participants who are diverse in demographic characteristics and place of employment. If selected, we will email you to schedule your participation in one of the focus groups.
Please feel free to forward this information to any colleagues who you think would be interested in and qualify to participate in the study.
If you have any questions, please contact Sarah McEvoy (samcevoy@comcast.net) or Meganne Masko (mkmasko@iupui.edu)
FREE EBOOKS Now Available for download
In Their Own Words, Stories of Chaplains’ Courage, Creativity and Compassion During the Early Pandemic
Staff Care in the Midst of Traumatic Events, edited by Transforming Chaplaincy Fellow Shelley Varner-Perez of Indiana University Health and co-authored by a team of Chaplain Varner-Perez’s colleagues at IU Health Chaplaincy Services. This eBook was produced with support from the Henry Luce Foundation as part of the Lab’s project Building and Supporting Resilience in Frontline Spiritual Care Providers.
24. The Graduate Theological Union is launching a new platform *
The Graduate Theological Union, a leader in interreligious scholarship, is launching a new platform taught by experts in the world’s major religions on such social justice issues as climate crisis, power and religion and racial injustice. Click here for more information.
25. Other Resources from Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC)
- Holding Still, Centering Prayer and the Spiritual Journey, is a riveting, candid and insightful documentary film about practicing centering prayer while incarcerated in Folsom Prison. You can view the film and download a reflection guide at www.catholicprisonministries.org/holding-still-2
- The PBS series, Searching for Justice explores criminal justice reform unfolding across the country, as leaders from both sides of the political aisle attempt to end mass incarceration by rethinking laws that some say have become barriers to work, housing, and economic stability. www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/searching-for-justice
- CPMC continues to host town halls and offer webinars monthly on topics vital to prison ministry, but many pertain to all chaplaincy ministry. These are all available without cost. Browse the titles at: www.catholicprisonministries.org/webinars
26. 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
CHAPLAIN
Stevens County, WA – Providence Inland Northwest Washington Stevens County Ministries
MANAGER of SPIRITUAL CARE
Springfield, MA – Trinity Health, Mercy Medical Center
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
Indianapolis, IN – Franciscan Health-Indianapolis
ACPE CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
Corpus Christi, TX – CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline
MANAGER – PASTORAL SERVICES
St. Louis, MO – Mercy
DIRECTOR of SPIRITUAL CARE
Birmingham, AL -Ascension St. Vincent’s
DIRECTOR of PASTORAL CARE
Bangor, ME – St. Joseph Healthcare (Covenant Health)
CHAPLAIN HOSPICE – Full Time
Hermiston, OR – Hospice Hermiston
CHAPLAIN HOSPITAL – Full Time
St. Cloud, MN – CentraCare: St. Cloud Hospital
DIRECTOR of MISSION and PASTORAL CARE
Chicago, IL – Mercy Circle
CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN: Full Time, Day/Evening, 7:30am to 4:00pm Weekdays. Rotating weekends.
Cedar Rapids, IA – Mercy
WOMEN & INFANTS STAFF CHAPLAIN
Milwaukee, WI – Ascension Wisconsin Spiritual Care
CHAPLAIN – Full Time
Wauwatosa, WI – Children’s Wisconsin
