Issue #201 – July 6, 2015
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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection*
2. Welcome to our new NACC members who joined us in June!*
3. July-August Issue of Vision now available on the NACC website*
4. NACC ITE’s and Certification Commissioners meet this week in Milwaukee*
5. Please contribute to the NACC 2015 50th Anniversary Annual Member Campaign!*
6. Please read about NACC’s new member card process and distribution.
7. Have you read this notice regarding your NACC membership renewal process?
NACC – 50 YEARS OF CONTINUING THE HEALING MINISTRY
8. Have you recently accessed the excellent Vision columns of Fr. Joe Driscoll?*
9. Reflecting on the ministry: Discovering the power of presence in a darkened room, by Lori Kaufmann*
2016 NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 22-25, 2016
10. Mark your calendar for April 22-25, 2016, for the NACC 2016 National Conference!
11. 2016 NACC Conference Theme*
12. 2016 NACC Conference call for workshop proposals*
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
13. NACC Webinar on the ERD’s starts this Thursday, July 9th. Sign up today!*
14. NACC 2015 Webinars*
15. NACC Local Gatherings
16. Other Education Offerings
17. Healing Tree: a request for prayers*
18. Recent job listings*
Executive Director’s Reflection*
Yesterday’s gospel (Mark 6:1-6) provided again a story of the leaders’ resistance to Jesus’ teaching and works. It ends with: “So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.”
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070515.cfm
For me, one of the more complicated and perplexing characteristics of our human existence seems to me to be the experience of resistance within us, especially when it comes to acknowledging and embracing what life presents us at the time. Certainly, St. Paul (yesterday’s reading of 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10) had to deal with his resistance to his “thorn in the flesh” – asking God to remove it from his life, and eventually came to embrace those experiences of life that we all want to resist as they revealed a deeper truth to him. “Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Perhaps, this remains at the core of our ministry’s miracle – daily facing our own resistances in order to be with others in a redeeming way as they grapple with their own resistances to what very challenging and painful realities life puts in their lives. In the midst of life’s moments that are most difficult to embrace, I personally rely on Psalm 51:6, which is translated in many ways – “Indeed, you love truth in the heart; in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.” I do like the New Catholic Bible version that translates it as “Behold, you desire true sincerity; and secretly you teach me wisdom.”
Sincerity is a curious word that, I have been told, had its Latin origin in the two words: sine (without) and cere (wax). As roman sculptors used the marble medium and chiseled away to form their works of art, they would, as expected, at times nick the marble or hit a defect in the marble. A way to hide the “imperfection” would be to fill the “defect” with wax! Sine cere would be a work of art as it was – not “hiding” the “imperfection”!
I reflect on all the ways I want in my life and ministry to resist facing the “truth in the heart” and to cover or hide those parts of me that seem less than desirable and I believe inhibit my effectiveness in ministry.
How about you? How does facing your resistances help you discover “truth in the heart” and aid you in being with others as they battle embracing life’s sufferings and challenges?
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
Welcome to our new NACC members who joined us in June!*
We extend a warm welcome to our new NACC members who joined us in June!
Members
Ray Abella
Nsongolo Baswekundola
Larry Beck
Diana Durkin
Nasir Gulfam
Anne. C. Hood
Anne C. Millington
Deacon Daniel Raidt
Rev. Stephen Sniscak
Sr. Mary Rae Waller
Students
Deacon Conrad Donarski
Very Rev. Stephen J. Hrycyniak
Christopher Murray
Janet Satterlee
Lynn Singer
Associate
Rev. Emmanuella Othello
July-August Issue of Vision now available on the NACC website*
Please access the July-August issue of Vision now available on the NACC website. This issue is dedicated to articles on how to approach quality improvement in our electronic medical record (EMR) spiritual assessments, including our narrative charting. We are deeply grateful to all of our member authors who contributed to this issue.
NACC ITE’s and Certification Commissioners meet in Milwaukee this week.*
The Certification Commission meets this coming Thursday-Saturday, July 9-11, 2015, to review the recommendations from the interviews from the weekend of early May, and to conduct its other business. The Interview Team Educators (ITE’s) (LINK) will also be meeting this coming Wednesday and Thursday, July 8-9, 2015, to orient new ITEs as well as explore ways of improving the NACC certification interview process. We are deeply grateful to all our members who contribute their gifts to this important work of the NACC.
Please contribute to the NACC 2015 50th Anniversary Annual Member Campaign!*
We are deeply grateful to those who have already given to the 2015 50th Anniversary Annual Member Campaign! Thank you! If you have not yet contributed, please do so as soon as you can either by sending your gift in the donation envelope provided to you, or you can go right now to our NACC website and contribute online at https://nationalcatholicwiassoc.wliinc32.com/forms/donation. If you are not an NACC member (more than 1,600 non-NACC members subscribe to NACC Now), we also invite and encourage you to contribute to this special 50th Anniversary Campaign, by going to: https://nationalcatholicwiassoc.wliinc32.com/forms/donation. Your contribution helps us provide what we do, including this NACC Now and all NACC resources. Thank you in advance for your commitment and generosity!
Please read about NACC’s new member card process and distribution.
With the implementation of our new database we have been working on a new Membership Card that is compatible with the system. The card has been designed and is now ready to be emailed to you after your membership dues payment is processed. Please watch for the email as it will contain not only your receipt of payment but also the Membership Card on the bottom of the receipt which can be cut off and saved. If needed a Membership Card Receipt may be mailed to you upon request.
Have you read this notice regarding your NACC membership renewal process?
We want to remind our members that since our conversion to the new NACC database last fall (that made possible your ability to enter your profile information and make membership payments via the NACC website), we needed to change the membership expiration date to the first day of your renewal month. So we now are sending via email your first membership renewal notice two months prior to your renewal month, and indicate that your dues are to be paid by the first day of your renewal month. Our second notice is sent to you via email, the beginning of the month prior to when your dues are expected to be paid. Please note that we are still providing you with two months in which to remit payment. However, we are providing you with two months prior to your due date in which payment should be received. We do apologize for any inconvenience this might initially cause you the first time around with this process, and ask for your prayer and patience with the implementation of our new system. Thank you.
NACC – 50 YEARS OF CONTINUING THE HEALING MINISTRY
Have you recently accessed the excellent Vision columns of Fr. Joe Driscoll?*
A vital contributor to the NACC 50 years was Fr. Joseph Driscoll, who led the NACC from 1992 to 2003, as NACC President and Chief Executive Officer. While many of us heard him speak, either in person or via streaming, at the 50th Anniversary Conference in Arlington, our members who joined us since 2003 might not realize what a gifted writer he is. You can access his 1997-2003 Vision columns at www.nacc.org/vision/jjdcolumnsp. Be inspired by his reflections, and learn more about the NACC history of that time.
Reflecting on the ministry: Discovering the power of presence in a darkened room, by Lori Kaufmann*
An extended unit of CPE was my first attempt at pastoral care. To be frank, sick people frightened me. I was, therefore, not real effective as a chaplain. We had mid-unit evaluations that day, and I realized that I needed to deal with my fears or give up doing pastoral care. I had two visits before I could leave; one patient had gone home, and the other was sleeping. In my heart, I thought, “Yeah, I don’t need to meet with them.”
However, every place I stopped during the 30 minutes I was on the floor, I was asked, “Have you seen Marge? She has been crying all day.” “You need to see Marge. She has been crying all day.” “Stop in and see Marge. She has been crying all day.” I was overwhelmed. But … what could I do but go in and see Marge?
The room was barely lit and had no windows. A big air bed provided a constant backdrop of noise. On this cold December day, the room was warm and toasty. And there was Marge, a large woman in a big bed in a small, dark room, all alone and crying. I sat next to her and said, “Marge, I hear you have been having a tough day.”
She said, “Yes” and continued to cry. I wanted to run out of the room, because what could I do for her? Instead, I calmed myself and slowly mustered up my courage. “Can you tell me what is going on?”
Tearfully, Marge said, “I had part of my leg amputated. They told me that tomorrow they are going to get me up to walk. I am so afraid. I don’t think I can do it.” Knowing the great fear that enveloped me in the moment, I said “Wow, I can imagine how frightening that might be.” As Marge’s tears continued, she said, “And next week is Christmas and I won’t be home. I will be here and will be all alone.” With tears in my eyes, I softly said, “All alone for Christmas. That would make me so sad.”
As Marge’s tears moved into sobs, she shared, “I have been in the hospital for over three months. I don’t think that I will ever leave.” Taking those words in, hearing her sobs and feeling her fears, I said, “Oh Marge, I would cry too.” And I did. And we did. The two of us just cried for some time, and I didn’t know what else to do. Was there ever a time that I couldn’t stop crying? Yes … when I was a child and my mom would hold me and rock me. She couldn’t always fix the problem, but she could love me through the problem. Who does that for us now? “God,” I thought.
“Marge,” I said, “I would like to try something if you are open to it.” She nodded, and I continued. “Marge, I want you to just close your eyes. As you lie there, imagine yourself climbing into God’s lap. Tell God about your fears and your worries. Just sit in God’s lap and cry. Imagine that God will wrap you in love and hold all your fears and your worries. I will sit with you so that you are not alone.”
So Marge closed her eyes. I sat next to her, holding her hand. We sat like this in the dimly lit, toasty room with the constant sound of the air bed. We sat. After about ten minutes, I could see her face relaxing and I realized she had stopped crying. Inside, I shouted, “Oh my God, there might really be a God, and that God listens and is there, and I may be part of this. Woooow!”
After another five minutes, Marge opened her eyes. With no tears, she said, “I’m OK now. Thank you for being here.”
“Marge, can I ask, did you and God have a good talk?”
Marge smiled and said, “Oh, I didn’t talk to God. I talked with my mother. She let me know that I’m going to be OK. Thanks for reminding me that I could talk with her.” I smiled back and said, “You are welcome.”
I left the hospital that day with the budding awareness that I could do pastoral care. I could show up with empathy, with compassion, with offering some ideas. The patient would do what she needed to do. I realized that there is a God that cares deeply, that can work through me, and that people will know this God in the ways they need. On the calendar, it was a week before Christmas. I, however, experienced Christmas, the incarnation, in this moment in this day.
Marge asked to see me when I returned to CPE after Christmas break. She shared how much my visit had meant to her, and I told her the same thing. I tell her story whenever I can, to honor Marge and to remember that she taught me the essence of pastoral care.
Lori Kaufmann, BCC, is an ACPE supervisor and CPE manager at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI.
In each NACC Now, during this 50th jubilee year, we are featuring a reflection by one of our NACC chaplains on his or her ministry and an experience of a gift of that ministry. Please allow Lori’s reflection to inspire you in writing this year one of your “gifts” of ministry. Your own reflection is welcomed! If you want to share a reflection, please contact David Lewellen (dlewellen@nacc.org).
2016 NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 22-25, 2016
Mark your calendar for April 22-25, 2016, for the NACC 2016 National Conference!
Please mark your calendars for our 2016 NACC National Conference to be held Friday, April 22nd, to Monday, April 25th, 2016, at the Chicago Marriott (www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/chiap-chicago-marriott-ohare/) near Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
The Conference Planning Task Force is pleased to announce the theme for the 2016 National Conference is “Making All Things New: Co-creation, Transformation, Resilience and Hope”
More details on the theme will be available in the coming weeks.
2016 NACC Conference call for workshop proposals*
Watch the NACC Now in the coming weeks for our official “call” for workshop proposals. Please consider this opportunity to share your gifts as a workshop presenter.
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
NACC Webinar on the ERD’s starts this Thursday, July 9th. Sign up today!*
One of the standards for certification most frequently deficient is 302.41: Demonstrate an understanding of The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Whether you are preparing for certification or deep in ministry, the NACC Webinars of July 9 & 16 on Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services: Implications for Spiritual Care Decision-Making, by Rev. Thomas A. Nairn, OFM, Ph.D., are invaluable. Sign up today at ON LINE REGISTRATION.
The NACC webinars for 2015 are in full swing. They address often-requested topics by our members. All are scheduled, as in past years, on Thursdays, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Central Time. For these webinars we offer the option of registering (and paying by credit card) online: ONLINE REGISTRATION. The registration form may be accessed by clicking on this link: REGISTRATION FORM. Mark your calendars now, and stay tuned for the special invitation to register online coming later this week!
July 9 & 16
Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services: Implications for Spiritual Care Decision-Making
Presented by Rev. Thomas A. Nairn, OFM, Ph.D.
August 13
Renewal of Certification with the NACC
August 20
Certification with the NACC
September 10 & 17
Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying: Theology and Practice of the Rites
Presented by Bruce T. Morrill, SJ
October 15 & 22
The Journey of Mental Illness for Chaplains, Family Members, & Caretakers.
Presented by Kathleen Hagerty, CSJ, BCC
November 5 & 12
Practical Theology and Implications for Professional Ministry.
Presented by Kathleen A. Cahalan, MA, Ph.D
December 17
90 minutes
“Honoring the Gift: NACC and Chaplaincy Going Forward”
Presented by David A. Lichter, D.Min and Mary Lou O’Gorman, BCC
Several local gatherings are being scheduled for 2015. Some have registration details. For the others, please “hold the date,” as details will follow. If you would like to consider hosting and helping plan an NACC local event to mark our 50th Anniversary, please contact Andris Kursietis (akursietis@nacc.org).
- September 14, 2015, St. Louis, MO, details to follow
- September 17-18, 2015, Alexandria, MN, see details
- October 29, 2015, Pontiac, MI, details to follow
- November 6, 2015, Buffalo, NY
- November 17, 2015, Washington, DC, area
Fall 2015 special course offerings at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University—”Spiritual Paths in World Religions” and “Theology, Ethics, and Practice at the End of Life.” More information can be found here.
Healing Tree: a request for prayers*
Please let us know if you would like our membership to pray for your health and healing. Also please let us know when you want us to remove your name from our Healing Tree.
We continue to pray for: Michael Harkay, Diana Annunziato (Mother-in-law of NACC staffer Jeanine Annunziato), Sister Patricia Watkins, GNSH, Rev. Gerald U. Onuoha, David Markiewicz (grandson of NACC member Roberta Markiewicz), Sister Stephanie Morales, FMI, Marybeth Harmon, Renato Fallico, Konstanty Pawicz (husband of former staff member Mary Pawicz), Pam Kimmel, Susan Balling, Maria Meneses, Chaplain Julia Mary Sweeney (mourning the death of her sister, Margaret Maureen Lewis, BA Honors), Sr. Sheila Prendeville, CPPS, AnaLisa Bischoff, Sr. M. Dianna Hell,
Sister Maria Theresa Hronec, Betty and Louis Skonieczny, Mary Theresa (niece of NACC Chaplain Sister Dorothy Kline), Jim Castello, Kelly Bigler (mourning the death of her father, Vernon),
Jeff Michel (brother-in-law of David Lichter), Thomas from Chicago (12 years old), Thomas Smiley (brother of member Diane Smiley),
Marga Halala, Donn Renfro (son-in-law of Karen Pugliese),
Amy in Atlanta (friend of NACC member Theresa Sullivan),
Thomas (grandson of NACC member Ginny Grimes Allen), Beth from Boston (friend of NACC member Dana Sandlin),
Sr. Janet Bielmann, Mary Potts (twin sister of Deacon Francis Potts), Elizabeth A. Walsh,
Francesco Marshall, Glenn and Pat Teske,
Susan Murphy, Fr. Jim Radde, SJ, Sr. Mary Clare Boland, SP,
Sr. Phyllis Ann DiRenzo, Kathy Brier (daughter of NACC member Theresa Brier),
Gloria Troxler, Fr. Kevin Ikpah, Lourdes B. Ruta (wife of Peter Ruta), and
Kelly Elizabeth Sexton (daughter of NACC member Melyssa Sexton).
The following positions have been posted recently on our Positions Available page. Please go to www.nacc.org/resources/positions/ for more information.
HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN
Appleton and Neenah, WI – ThedaCare (Appleton Medical Center and Theda Clark Medical Center)
DIRECTOR – SPIRITUAL CARE
Green Bay, WI -Hospital Sister’s Health System
CHAPLAIN
Waterloo, Iowa – Covenant Medical Center
CPE RESIDENCY
La Crosse WI – Gundersen Health System
DIRECTOR of PASTORAL CARE and MISSION INTEGRATION
Lemont, IL – Franciscan Village
DIRECTOR of MISSION INTEGRATION / PASTORAL CARE
Lindenhurst, IL – The Village at Victory Lakes
CHAPLAIN
Nashville, TN – Saint Thomas Health
BILINGUAL CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN
Dilley, TX – CCA’s South Texas Family Residential Center
DIRECTOR, PASTORAL CARE
Sanctuary at Holy Cross in Burtonsville, MD
CHAPLAIN
Lufkin, TX – CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial
CHAPLAIN
St. Petersburg, FL – Bon Secours Maria Manor
CHAPLAIN – FULL TIME (Evenings)
Edgewood, Kentucky – St. Elizabeth Healthcare
SUPERVISOR CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION
Buffalo, NY – Sisters of Charity Hospital
ACPE, CERTIFIED SUPERVISOR
Wynnewood, PA – Lankenau Medical Center
