Issue #204 – August 17, 2015
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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. NACC member, Tim Serban, is the nominee for NACC Board of Directors
3. September 9 deadline approaches! Nominate candidates for the three NACC awards!
4. NACC Certification Commission announces newly certified NACC chaplains
5. Planning to be NACC certified? Plan also to take the August 20 NACC Webinar!
6. Member news: Wisconsin priest named director of spiritual care
7. Death of NACC member June Marie Pashia
8. Have you learned more about improving the quality of our chaplain notes?
9. New NACC member pins are being sent to members
10. You can still be part of the NACC “Ambassador Project”
11. Upcoming NACC Networking Calls
12. Please contribute to the NACC 2015 50th Anniversary Annual Member Campaign!
NACC – 50 YEARS OF CONTINUING THE HEALING MINISTRY
13. A Moment in NACC History: Collaborator on “White Paper” published spring 2001!
14. Reflecting on the ministry: Ashes and grace, by Patricia Regan
2016 NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 22-25, 2016
15. Please note! This Friday, August 21, is the deadline for 2016 NACC Conference call for workshop proposals
16. NACC announces plenary speakers for the 2016 NACC Conference!
17. Mark your calendar for April 22-25, 2016, for the NACC 2016 National Conference!
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
18. Did you read about the research on cancer patients who report more religiousness and spirituality?
19. Please consider commenting on revised Standards of Practice by September 7!
20. Have you begun your preparation for Pastoral Care Week, October 25-31?
21. Planning to be certified or renewing your certification? Plan also to take the August NACC Webinar!
22. NACC 2015 Webinars
23. NACC Local Gatherings
24. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
Executive Director’s Reflection
So how wise have I become over the years? In or because of ministry? In or through faith? What does it mean to be wise? We recall Aristotle to have written, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” So would I say I have a deeper, humble self-knowledge, and does that make me wise? Socrates more controversially stated, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Has my ministry left me, as Socrates, much more apophatic in my sense of living, affirming the unknowns? Socrates is also known to have written, “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” Has the gift of wonder become more a part of my ministry, and is awe the crowning gift of wisdom?
Yesterday’s first reading from Proverbs (9:1-6) began with “Wisdom has built her house… Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed!” So somehow Wisdom invites us to receive abundance in our midst that we can foolishly miss. So is part of being wise recognizing that tasty fullness about us?
Then Ephesians (5:15-20) goes on with the counsel, “Watch carefully how you live… not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity.” Maya Angelou playfully expressed something similar, “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.” So is part of Wisdom the realization of the precious, passing nature of our lives, and the gift to reverently engage life’s disarming simplicity? Is it our reverence for every moment in which we gaze and marvel at the unpretentious, humble, heroic goodness and strength of the people in their most trying times to whom we minister?
Ephesians’ reading ends with a call to unceasing gratitude, “…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.” I was deeply struck and convicted by the phrase “singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts.” So is becoming wise, for us Christians, living in and expressing that constant thanksgiving in our hearts? Have I reached that level of wisdom? Hmmm…guess not.
So, as I reflect on the question, “How wise have I become over the years?” Perhaps, I need to ask myself: Can I marvel at the unknowns, as well as knowns (of self)? Am I touched by the fullness of life about me that invites me to take it (him/her/them) in? Do I have that reverential regard for life’s simplicity, its precious, passing nature, and its unpretentious dramas that I witness daily? Do I live with a profound, persistent, inward and outward expressive gratitude? Do I catch myself singing and playing to the Lord in my heart?
What are your questions that help you recognize whether you are growing in “wisdom” as well as age?
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
NACC member, Tim Serban, is the nominee for NACC Board of Directors
We invite you to vote in this fall’s election for the open seat on our National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) Board of Directors. The membership will be voting to fill one elected seat on the NACC Board.
NACC colleagues in leadership positions on the NACC Nominations Panel, the Governance Committee, and the Board of Directors worked conscientiously to discern leadership needs, seek from our membership board applicants, assess the potential applicants based on current board needs, and provide you with a board candidate that brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Board. We are grateful to those who offered to be applicants for candidacy to the board.
The Board of Directors is pleased to present to you Tim Serban as the candidate for the one open seat. While there is only one candidate for this position, it might seem your vote does not matter. However, your vote is a vital sign of your endorsement of this process and this individual. This elected member will serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors beginning January 1, 2016. Please go to www.nacc.org/aboutnacc/board_election to read about Tim Serban’s background.
We will be inviting members to vote via email. Those NACC members who do not have email addresses, will be sent a letter about voting eligibility, timeline and process.
Eligibility
Members in the following categories are eligible to vote: Board Certified Chaplain, Certified CPE Supervisor/Associate Supervisor, Certified CPE Supervisory Candidate, Missionary, Retired, and Emeritus. Members in the following categories are not eligible to vote: Student, Associate, Ministry Volunteer, Inactive Board Certified Members.
Timeline
The voting time period will be three weeks, from Tuesday, September 1, 2015, through Monday, September 21, 2015.
September 9 deadline approaches! Nominate candidates for the three NACC awards!
It is the time of year when we invite NACC members to nominate an NACC member who exemplifies the award criteria for the Distinguished Service Award. Also, we invite you to nominate a non-NACC member professional colleague who embodies the award criteria for the Distinguished Colleague Award. Finally, in 2015 we introduced a new Emergent Leader Awardfor an NACC member 50 years of age or younger who is serving NACC in some leadership capacity.
These awards will be presented at our 2016 Annual Conference. Criteria and nomination forms can be found here. Please send in your nominations by Wednesday, September 9.
NACC Certification Commission announces newly certified NACC chaplains
The newly certified chaplains listed in this link: www.nacc.org/certification/newlycertified participated in the May 2015 certification interviews and were reviewed by and received their certification from the NACC Certification Commission at the July 2015 meeting in Milwaukee, WI. We are excited to welcome these 36 newly certified chaplains. In addition, four board certified chaplains achieved the Palliative Care and Hospice Specialty Certification from interviews in March and July 2015. We celebrate with them. Please join in congratulating them.
Planning to be NACC certified? Plan also to take the August 20 NACC Webinar!
We remind our NACC members of the upcoming August webinar.
Thursday August 20 (12:00 p.m. CDT): Certification with NACC
This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the NACC Certification Process, with special attention to the revised NACC standards 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 the members of the NACC Certification Commission.
Those seeking certification for the first time are particularly encouraged to register for this webinar. Registration can be submitted online by clicking on this link: REGISTER or by completing a paper registration form (click on link): FORM.
Member news: Wisconsin priest named director of spiritual care
Our NACC member, Rev. Michael E. Burns, has been appointed director of spiritual care services at Franciscan St. Francis Health in Indiana, effective Aug. 24. Since 2006 Fr. Mike has served as director of pastoral care at St. Anne’s Salvatorian Campus in Milwaukee, where he oversaw chaplaincy and spiritual care outreach services. The facility provides assisted living, long-term skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation and respite care for the elderly.
www.dailyjournal.net/view/local_story/Business-briefs-8-8-15_1438992099
Death of NACC member June Marie Pashia
NACC recently learned through her daughter of the death of our member, June Marie Pashia. Please go here to learn about her. Also her daughter, Cathy Elliot, provided a beautiful tribute to her mother which you can read here. We commend June Marie to the Lord.
Have you learned more about improving the quality of our chaplain notes?
Read Kay Gorka’s article on how she and her spiritual care team initiated a process for improving their chart notes by engaging other clinical colleagues in the process.
This issue is dedicated to articles on how to approach quality improvement in our electronic medical records (EMR) spiritual assessments, including our narrative charting. We are deeply grateful to all of our member authors who contributed to this issue. Please access the July-August issue of Vision now available on the NACC website.
New NACC member pins are being sent to members
If you have renewed your NACC membership during the months of January-July 2015, you should have received in the past few days the new NACC member pin, or you will be receiving it soon. Many of you who have received it notified us and enjoy the new look! As you renew your membership in the coming months of 2015, you will be sent the new pin. All new members will receive the new pin. May the pin remind us of continuing the healing ministry of Jesus in the name of the Church.
You can still be part of the NACC “Ambassador Project”
In April, we asked our members to consider becoming “ambassadors” by sharing the profession of chaplaincy with those who might not know of it, and to plant and nourish the seeds of chaplaincy in another generation for them to consider this vocation and profession. We are happy to report that ten of our members stepped forward to help us, and we had two conference calls in June. The initial steps included reflection on one’s own personal journey to chaplaincy, as well as brainstorming new ways of evangelizing the ministry of chaplaincy. We also held a special conference call with our newer members and the “45 and under” members. The group provided enthusiasm, energy, and new ideas. We are looking to explore connections with parishes, dioceses, colleges/universities, religious and civic groups, medical institutions and associations. Have you ever been asked to share your journey to chaplaincy? Has anyone ever approached you to inquire about becoming a chaplain? Were you able to help them? Do you have a desire to call and nurture more chaplains for service? If any of these questions touch you, please consider joining the “Ambassador Project.” We are still a work in progress. Please contact Tim Charek (tcharek@nacc.org) to have your email address put on our roster for news and notifications of future conference calls.
Upcoming NACC Networking Calls
In the coming weeks, the NACC will be hosting several networking calls.
If you would like to participate, please contact Tim Charek (tcharek@nacc.org).
- Monday, August 24, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time — NACC Retired/Emeritus Members
- Tuesday, August 25, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time – State Liaisons
- Tuesday, August 25, at 2:00 p.m. Central Time — NACC Retired/Emeritus Members
- Wednesday, August 26, 1:00 pm Central Time – State Liaisons
- Thursday, August 27, 10:00 a.m. Central Tim – Ambassadors Group Call
- Thursday, August 27, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time — Palliative Care/Hospice Group
- Thursday, August 27, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time — Deacon Members
- Friday, September 11, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time – CPE Supervisors
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!
NACC – 50 YEARS OF CONTINUING THE HEALING MINISTRY
A Moment in NACC History: Collaborator on “White Paper” published spring 2001!
The Journal of Pastoral Care, Spring 2001, Vol 55, No. 1, published the landmark document that has historically come to be known as the “White Paper” – “Professional Chaplaincy: Its Role and Importance in Healthcare” Edited by Larry VandeCreek and Laurel Burton. This was a remarkable collaborative venture of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education (CAPPE now Canadian Association of Spiritual Care – CASC)), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), and National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC now Neshama-Association of Jewish Chaplains). The White Paper served as the foundation and framework for expressing the professionalism and benefits of chaplaincy for nearly fifteen years. There is some discussion now among this association to consider a revision/update/redo of this seminal document.
Professional Chaplaincy: its role and importance in healthcare
Reflecting on the ministry: Ashes and grace, by Patricia Regan
It was Ash Wednesday, and I was in my second unit of CPE at a local hospital. The priest asked me if I would help him by distributing ashes. It was something so different, so sacred, that I didn’t feel that I was worthy. Then a message came requesting the priest to come to the doctors’ lounge and give ashes to the doctors. Father felt overwhelmed already and he asked me go. I thought it was so wonderful that the Catholic doctors would wish to have the sign of their faith so visible as they did rounds.
People throughout the hospital were so appreciative when I approached them and asked them if they wanted to receive ashes. My assignment that unit had been the women’s section of the hospital and the NICU. I had visited several women often as they lay in bed trying to prolong their pregnancies and allow their babies’ lungs to develop as fully as possible.
As I walked down one hallway, a young woman recognized me and asked me if I could give ashes to her and her daughter. I made the sign of the cross on the woman and said the prayer. Then she led me to the NICU. Her daughter had been born weighing less than 2 pounds and was in an isolette, hooked to all kinds of tubes and machines. “I don’t think the staff will allow me to put ashes on her,” I said. But the mother quickly asked the charge nurse, who consulted the doctor, and they said I could.
I will never forget the feeling of putting my hand into that special circular entrance and tracing the cross on the baby’s forehead. “What is your daughter’s name?” I asked the mother.
“Grace,” she answered.
This was a graced moment I will always remember. It was truly an amazing grace.
Patricia Regan is a retired chaplain who previously worked at Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, NY.
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 Georgia’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
Please note! This Friday, August 21, is the deadline for 2016 NACC Conference call for workshop proposals
On behalf of the NACC, you are invited to submit an application to lead a workshop for the upcoming 2016 NACC Conference. This conference promises to be rich and memorable, with the gift of presence of friends, mentors and colleagues old and new. We welcome the addition of the gift of your presence as a workshop presenter.
Visit the NACC website today to view the Submission Guidelines and download an application form.
Workshop applications will be accepted through Friday, August 21, 2015.
NACC announces plenary speakers for the 2016 NACC Conference!
We are excited to announce our plenary speakers for the 2016 Conference! They will be:
George Fitchett, DMin, PhD, is Professor and the Director of Research in the Department of Religion, Health, and Human Values, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago Illinois. (See more)
Brother Loughlan Sofield, ST, is a Missionary Servant of the Most Holy Trinity, and currently the Director of the community’s Senior Ministry house. (See more)
Carol Taylor, PhD, RN, is a senior clinical scholar in the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University and a Professor of Medicine and Nursing. (See more)
C. Vanessa White, DMin is Assistant Professor of Spirituality and Ministry, Director of the Certificate in Pastoral Studies and the Director of the Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program at Catholic Theological Union. (See more)
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 22, to Monday, April 25, 2016, at the Chicago Marriott near Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
Did you read about the research on cancer patients who report more religiousness and spirituality?
Cancer patients who report more religiousness or spirituality may also experience fewer physical symptoms of cancer and treatment and more social connection, several new papers suggest…Cancer treatment specialists should keep in mind that patients who are experiencing spiritual distress may benefit from talking with a chaplain or a member of their religious or spiritual community. Read more: www.businessinsider.com/r-spirituality-may-be-tied-to-easier-cancer-course-2015-8#ixzz3iW5HiKIS
Please consider commenting on revised Standards of Practice by September 7!
We encourage our NACC members to review and comment on the proposed revisions to the Standards of Practice for Professional Chaplains. NACC, as part of the Spiritual Care Collaborative had affirmed and promoted the original version of the Standards of Practice. After the conclusion of the comment period on September 7, 2015, feedback on the SOPs will be reviewed and carefully considered as the final version of the document is prepared. When the final draft is complete, the NACC plans to again affirm and promote these standards. Here is a link to the Standards of Practice.
The invite reads:
All chaplaincy professionals, as well as interdisciplinary colleagues, are invited to review and comment on the integrated Standards of Practice for Professional Chaplains. These new standards provide chaplains with one unified resource to turn to and speak from as we hold ourselves accountable and promote our profession. Just like the competencies for certification are the same no matter what the setting of the chaplain, so too are the Standards of Practice for Professional Chaplains. Having one set of standards will create consistency in our diverse profession and will make us stronger.
Whether you use the Standards of Practice for Professional Chaplains for your own goal setting or to promote professional chaplaincy in your organization, they now speak to any specialty setting without having to redefine terms to speak the language of your context.
The comment period will close September 7, 2015, after which time, the standards will be finalized based on the feedback received, and a final draft will be published.
Have you begun your preparation for Pastoral Care Week, October 25-31?
The theme of this year’s Pastoral Care Week, October 25-31, 2015, is “Spiritual Care Together.”
For more information and resources, please go to: www.pastoralcareweek.org
Planning to be certified or renewing your certification? Plan also to take the August NACC Webinar!
We remind our NACC members of the upcoming August webinar.
Thursday August 20 (12:00 p.m. CDT): Certification with NACC
This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the NACC Certification Process, with special attention to the revised NACC standards 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 the members of the NACC Certification Commission.
Board certified members looking to renew their certification, and those seeking certification for the first time, are particularly encouraged to register for the appropriate webinar. Registration can be submitted online by clicking on this link: REGISTER or by completing a paper registration form (click on link): FORM.
NACC 2015 Webinars*
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!
August 20
Certification with the NACC (free webinar)
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
NACC Local Gatherings
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).
- August 28, 2015, Milwaukee, WI, see details
- September 14, 2015, St. Louis, MO, see details
- September 17-18, 2015, Alexandria, MN, see details
- October 17, 2015, Chicago, IL, see details
- October 29, 2015, Pontiac, MI, see details
- October 30, 2015, Denver, CO, details to follow
- November 6, 2015, Buffalo, NY, details to follow
- November 17, 2015, Washington, DC area, see details
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: Kathleen (Kate) Sullivan, Sandy Tiefenbrun (spouse of Anita Barni), Mary Nelson (friend of former NACC staffer Cindy Bridges), Marie Coglianese, Nancy and Sheila Amrich (nieces-in-law of NACC member Sr. Paracleta Amrich), Isabelita Boquiren, 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).
Recent job postings
The following positions have been posted recently on our Positions Available page. Please go to www.nacc.org/resources/positions/ for more information.
PASTORAL CARE CHAPLAIN
Adrian, MI – Dominican Life Center
STAFF PRIEST
Brevard County, FL – Health First Healthcare Systems
CLINICAL CHAPLAIN PRIEST
Portland, OR – Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
DIRECTOR MISSION & SPIRITUAL CARE
Lakewood, CO – Centura Health
CHAPLAIN
Honolulu, HI – St. Francis Healthcare System
CHAPLAIN, SPIRITUAL CARE
Longview, WA – PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center
SPIRITUAL CARE COORDINATOR
Lenox, MA – Mount Carmel Care Center
CHAPLAIN
Columbia, SC – Providence Hospitals
MANAGER, SPIRITUAL CARE POSITION
Philadelphia, PA – Nazareth Hospital
PASTORAL CARE ASSOCIATE II
Camp Hill, PA
SENIOR DIRECTOR of MISSION INTEGRATION
Kalamazoo, MI – Borgess Health
CHAPLAIN
Milwaukee, WI – Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare
