Issue #226 – June 27, 2016

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

NACC

1. Executive Director’s Reflection*
2. Seeking applicants for additional NACC leadership positions*
3. Interviewer Recruitment for the October 8-9, 2016 Interviews Beginning in June!*
4. Sofield finds the humor of resilience*
5. We are grateful to the over 500 members who responded to the recent NACC survey!
6. New NACC giving opportunity through AmazonSmile purchases!

2017 NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2017

7. Mark your calendar for April 28-May 1, 2017 NACC Conference in Santa Ana Pueblo, NM!
8. 2017 NACC Conference Planning Task Force has been appointed!*

2016 NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 22-25, 2016

9. Ordering audio recordings of 2016 National Conference materials
10. 2016 Conference resources can be accessed on the NACC website
11. We are deeply grateful to our 2016 Conference Scholarship Donors!
12. We are deeply grateful to our 2016 Conference sponsors!

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

13. July NACC Webinar addresses the role of chaplains in nurturing employee resilience in healthcare institutions. Not too late to register!*
14. Article: “Providing companionship at the end of life,” by Angelo De Lorenzo*
15. Other future NACC Webinar Topics *
16. Reflective Practice, Theme: How do Adults Learn? Volume 36 is now available!*
17. Healing Tree: a request for prayers*
18. Recent job postings*

 

1. Executive Director’s Reflection*
The last lines of yesterday’s Gospel of Luke, 9:59-62, are:

And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

For us who are daily involved with families who are burying “their dead” this statement seems harsh if it suggests that the healing ministry is not aligned with Jesus’ fitness for God’s reign. God’s reign requires of us undivided attention and hearts.

Personally, yesterday and today, our family is burying Jeff Michel, my dear brother-in-law, and my wife Jackie’s oldest brother, who ended a three-plus-year battle with Lyme and Lower Motor Neuron diseases. Back in February 2008, Jeff spoke at his father Jack’s funeral and commented that he would not have wished on his worst enemy the effects that Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s had on his dad. Now, after being ravaged with corporeal compromises of all but his bright mind and unfailing spirit, Jeff could meet his dad again and maybe one-up him with, “You think you had it bad!” 

This “burying the dead” of Jeff celebrated a life marked by Jeff’s and his family’s undivided attention and hearts in the midst of the experience of living with his illness. There could be no distracted, diffuse, or indifferent attention to life’s demands and invitations as Jeff’s compromised physical condition left him on a vent the past three years and a feeding tube the past year, unable to move any limb, and communicating just via an eye gaze assisted technology (http://www.tobii.com/). Every moment for him and those caring for him required undivided attention and hearts. He lived and loved in the moment whether via face time with his children and grandkids who lived a distance or with his wife, Lynn who was at his side 24/7, save for a four-hour window on Tuesday afternoons when two care givers overlapped in their times so that she would take care of errands.

So I read the scripture passage above a little differently today. It’s not about whether to bury or not to bury the dead, but it’s about the call to the urgency and immediacy of God’s reign as we are invited daily to recognize and respond to it. Jeff and Lynn embodied the response to God’s reign by their example of singular purpose and presence of a married couple living with and for one another in the worst of conditions that bring out the best in one another for one another. I witnessed God’s reign present when I was with them. Burying this dead one acknowledges and reverences God’s reign.

I suspect each of you also witnesses daily such undivided attention and hearts in the urgency and immediacy of life as you minister to those who are given to serve. May each of us be blessed and humbled by these encounters.

Blessings,

David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director

 

2. Seeking applicants for additional NACC leadership positions*
The Board of Directors election process has concluded for 2016. The Nominations Panel is now focusing its efforts on the NACC leadership positions that will be open January 1, 2017. Currently identified openings are:

Certification Appeals Panel (1)
Certification Commission (2)
Editorial Advisory Panel (1)
Educational Advisory Panel (2)
Ethics Appeals Panel (2)
Finance Committee (1)
Governance Committee (1)
Nominations Panel (1)
Standards Commission (2)

You can access the Roles, Responsibilities and Criteria for the various committees, commissions, and panels on the NACC Website at www.nacc.org/about-nacc/leadership/association-leadership. Make a difference and get involved, as NACC is a membership-directed organization! Please contact Tim Charek (tcharek@nacc.org) at the national office for more information.

 

3. Interviewer Recruitment for the October 8-9, 2016 Interviews Beginning in June!*
Please check your email if you are interested in being an interviewer this Fall. Interviews are being held in Portland, OR; Omaha, NE; Milwaukee, WI; and a, yet to be determined, site in the Northeast. We start our recruitment within the interview state and then move recruitment to surrounding states. We will be looking for a commitment from about 22 experienced interviewers and 11 new interviewers. If you would like to sign up to be an interviewer before the recruitment begins, please email Ramona Zeb at rzeb@nacc.org.

 

4. Sofield finds the humor of resilience*
Amid his expertly timed jokes, Br. Loughlan Sofield gave the NACC conference a serious message about the importance of resilience. To read an account of his plenary speech and much more conference coverage in the May-June issue of Vision, click below.
www.nacc.org/vision/2016-may-jun/sofield-finds-the-humor-of-resilience

 

5. We are grateful to the over 500 members who responded to the recent NACC survey!
We are very grateful to the more than 500 members who completed the recent survey that asked members questions that would provide us information to help us present NACC to potential funders, as well as to help us develop messages to share with those who are not aware of chaplaincy and the NACC. You can view the responses below. We will keep you updated on our progress with this effort.
National Association of Catholic Chaplains – Members Survey – Goal IV
Question #1 How have you benefited from your membership in NACC?
Question #2 Why should foundations or potential donors care about funding the work of NACC? What difference does our ministry make?
Question #3 As you think about the continuum of programs and services offered by NACC, which area(s) do you believe offer(s) the greatest opportunity to do the greatest good? Why?

 

6. New NACC giving opportunity through AmazonSmile Purchases!
The NACC is now listed as one of the charitable organizations you can designate for your AmazonSmile purchases. Support us every time you shop on Amazon! Just select the NACC as your AmazonSmile charity of choice and we’ll receive a donation every time you shop. Here’s what to do:

1. Make sure you’re logged in to Amazon.com
2. Go to the NACC’s AmazonSmile page: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/39-1368967
3. If you don’t have a charity selected, just click “Start shopping.” If you’ve previously selected a charity through AmazonSmile you’ll be prompted to change. Click “Yes, change my charity.”

Whenever you want to shop with Amazon, be sure to go to smile.amazon.com—it has all the same products and prices as the main Amazon website, but we’ll receive 0.5% of the purchase price as a donation!

2017 NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2017

 

7. Mark your calendar for April 28-May 1, 2017 NACC Conference in Santa Ana Pueblo, NM!
The NACC is pleased to announce that the 2017 Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, just outside Albuquerque (tamaya.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html). Mark your calendars for April 28 – May 1, 2017. More information on the conference will be available in the coming months. We hope you can join us.

 

8. 2017 NACC Conference Planning Task Force has been appointed!*
Beth Lenegan will chair the 2017 Conference Planning Task Force, with Tom Chirdo heading the plenary speakers, Alex Chamtcheu-Tchamtcheu heading the workshops, Fr. Rich Bartoszek liturgies, and Mary Ann Casey and Eve Kelly Corcoran local events.

 

2016 NATIONAL CONFERENCE APRIL 22-25, 2016

9. Ordering audio recordings of 2016 National Conference materials
If you are interested in audio recordings of any of the 2016 National Conference offerings, you can place an order at www.dcprovidersonline.com/nacc/.

 

10. 2016 Conference resources can be accessed on the NACC website.
Whether you participated in the 2016 National Conference or not, you can access the support materials and PowerPoints for many of the workshops on our NACC website at www.nacc.org/conference/2016-conference-handouts-and-other-materials

 

11. We are deeply grateful to our 2016 Conference Scholarship Donors!
We are thankful for the generosity of all those who donated to the NACC Scholarship Fund. All donations received help NACC members to attend the NACC National Conference. Your support is appreciated. To view the conference scholarship donors, please go to: www.nacc.org/conference/gratitude2

 

12. We are deeply grateful to our 2016 Conference sponsors!
The ability to keep the conference fees reasonable relies very much on the willingness and generosity of a variety of sponsors. We received $37,500 in sponsorships. We are deeply grateful. To view the sponsors, please go to www.nacc.org/conference/gratitude.

 

CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS

13. July NACC Webinar addresses the role of chaplains in nurturing employee resilience in healthcare institutions. Not too late to register!*
Don’t miss this next NACC webinar in our 2016 program which is scheduled for Thursday, July 14, 2016 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time. Charles Ceronsky, BCC, Director Spiritual Care Services, and Judy Connolly, BCC, DMin, Chaplain, will present “Chaplaincy Support for Employee Resilience: A Work of Improvisation”.

Across the country, healthcare reform is demonstrating the need for more robust staff engagement even as the stress associated with rapid change mounts. The science of resilience is advancing in ways that suggest that the skillset of professional chaplains is particularly important and timely in that regard. As part of system-wide strategic planning three years ago, Spiritual Health Services at University of Minnesota Health decided to move beyond mere availability to staff and declare nurturing staff resilience a strategic initiative. This webinar offers a case study of efforts and outcomes that are now fueling new thinking and creative openings for the role of chaplaincy in the support of staff and providers.

If you have not already done so, it is still not too late to register for this webinar.

Program Objectives

1. Summarize the research that underlines the value of building resiliency in healthcare organizations.
2. Discuss the role of a strategic planning process to generate insight and resolve to prioritize staff resiliency work.
3. Describe the relationship of this initiative with institutional priorities for clinical excellence, patient satisfaction, and employee engagement.
4. Review specific strategies and interventions to consider for your setting.

Participants qualify for 2.0 CEHs total for the session (which includes 90 minutes for the webinar plus 30 minutes preparation time).

To register for this webinar, as well as for any other NACC 2016 webinars, please visit the webinar page on our website by clicking on this LINK. The web page contains a link to a downloadable paper registration form, but you can also register online by clicking on REGISTER.

 

14. Article: “Providing companionship at the end of life,” by Angelo De Lorenzo*
NACC member Angelo DeLorenzo, a Board Certified Chaplain and Trainer of Volunteers for the No One Dies Alone program at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, recently published an article about the program in the Philadelphia Inquirer. To read the article at Philly.com go to www.philly.com/philly/blogs/diagnosis-cancer/Providing-companionship-at-the-end-of-life.html

 

15. Other future NACC webinar topics*
Certification by the NACC
Presented by the NACC
Thursday, July 28, 2016 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time

Renewal of Certification by the NACC
Presented by NACC Certification Commissioners: Augustine (Austine) Duru, MA, MDiv, BCC, Kathleen M. Ponce, MAPS, BCC, and Jane W. Smith, DMin, BCC, AADP
Thursday, August 18, 2016 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time

Metrics for Spiritual Care Interventions: a CHI Kentucky One Initiative
Presented by Rabbi Dr. Nadia Siritsky, MSSW, BCC
Thursday, September 22, 2016 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time

What Every Chaplain Should Know About the Business of Health Care
Presented by Tim Crowley, MHA, MAPM, LFACHE
Thursday, October 13, 2016 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time

Ethical Issues Facing Our Healthcare Settings, and Implications for Spiritual Care
Presented by Rev. Thomas A. Nairn, OFM, PhD
Thursday, November 10, 2016 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time

Certification by the NACC
Presented by the NACC
Thursday, November 17, 2016 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time

Chaplaincy and the Ritual Ministry: Its Role and Value
Presented by Jim Letourneau, BCC and Linda Bronersky, BCC-S
Thursday, December 8, 2016 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time

 

16. Reflective Practice, Theme: How do Adults Learn? Volume 36 is now available!*
The theme for volume 36, 2016 of Reflective Practice is “How Do Adults Learn?” Learning is at the heart of what we do. All the constituencies in Reflective Practice from richly varied religious traditions—whether they be CPE supervisors, chaplains, pastoral counselors, supervisors and mentors in con¬textual education, religious educators, spiritual directors or guides—are involved in one way or another with teaching and learning. We teach concepts, skills, attitudes, intuition, and practical wisdom in a wide variety of contexts with learners who are equally diverse. How does learning occur? What have we learned about “How Adults Learn” from our unique contexts and perspectives on adult education theory from our distinct work of preparing religious leaders?
Read it free, online http://journals.sfu.ca/rpfs, or purchase a printed copy (go to www.reflect-practice.org – click on “Journal Back Issues” to access the Order Form)

 

17. 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: Rosemary Benya BCC, Sr. Nancy Beckenhauer, Charlotte Leas, Mara Kujawa (very good friend of NACC staffer Sue Walker), Jeanine and Jim Annunziato (at the death of Jim’s father and mother), Marilyn and Chuck Silkey (sister and brother-in-law of NACC member Kathy Ponce), Dr. David Nile (Husband of recently deceased NACC member Lucy G. Nile BCC),Amy in Redwood City, CA (friend of NACC member Theresa Sullivan), Julie Bablin, the family of Dale Dewitt, Fr. Douglas F. Faraci, Maritza Ramos-Pratt, Jane Chiamaka Onuoha (very young baby of our NACC member Michael Onuoha), Kathleen (Kate) Sullivan, Sandy Tiefenbrun (spouse of Anita Barni), Marie Coglianese, Nancy and Sheila Amrich (nieces-in-law of NACC member Sr. Paracleta Amrich), Isabelita Boquiren, Sister Patricia Watkins, GNSH, Rev. Gerald U. Onuoha, David Markiewicz (grandson of recently deceased NACC member Roberta Markiewicz), Sister Stephanie Morales, FMI, Marybeth Harmon, Renato Fallico, Susan Balling, Maria Meneses, Chaplain Julia Mary Sweeney (mourning the death of her sister, Margaret Maureen Lewis, BA Honors), Sr. Sheila Prendeville, CPPS, Sister M. Dianna Hell, Sister Maria Theresa Hronec, Betty and Louis Skonieczny, Jim Castello, 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), Thomas (grandson of NACC member Ginny Grimes Allen), Beth from Boston (friend of NACC member Dana Sandlin), Sr. Janet Bielmann, 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, and Kelly Elizabeth Sexton (daughter of NACC member Melyssa Sexton).

 

18. 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 CATHOLIC
New Mexico – UNM Hospitals

CATHOLIC PRIEST CHAPLAIN
New York City, NY – Mount Sinai Health System

CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION SUPERVISOR
Peoria, IL – OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

CERTIFIED CHAPLAIN
Baltimore, Maryland – Mercy Medical Center

REGIONAL DIRECTOR – MISSION, ETHICS AND PASTORAL CARE
Jefferson City, Missouri – St. Mary’s Hospital

FULL-TIME STAFF CHAPLAIN – ROMAN CATHOLIC
St. Paul, Minnesota – St. Joseph’s Hospital

CATHOLIC PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Grand Rapids, Michigan – Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, hospital campus

STAFF CHAPLAIN AND COORDINATOR OF CATHOLIC MINISTRIES
La Crosse, Wisconsin – Gundersen Health System

ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST CHAPLAIN
St. Louis, Missouri – Mercy Hospital

CATHOLIC PRIEST CHAPLAIN
Blue Springs and Kansas City, Missouri – Prime Healthcare

HOSPICE CHAPLAIN
DePere, Wisconsin – Unity Hospice

DIRECTOR, MISSION INTEGRATION & SPIRITUAL CARE
Medford, Oregon – Providence Medford Medical Center

View these jobs and more at: www.nacc.org/resources/positions.