The National Association of Catholic Chaplains

Menu
  • Membership
      • Apply for Membership
      • Frequently-Asked Questions about Membership
      • Request Retired Membership
      • State Liaisons
      • Newest Members
      • Membership Directory
      • Member map
      • Celebrating Our Members’ 25-year Membership and Certification
      • In Memoriam: deceased NACC members
    • Close
  • Certification
    • Initial Board Certification
      • Board Certified Chaplain (BCC)
      • Certified Associate Chaplain (CAC)
      • Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC)
      • VA Initial Board Certification
      • Recognition of Strategic Partners Board Certification
      • Newly Certified Chaplains
      • Close
    • Renewal of Certification
    • Certification Competencies & Procedures
      • Certification Competencies & Procedures
      • Important Background on NACC Certification Competencies
      • Professional Code of Ethics for Spiritual Care Professionals
      • Certification Commission
      • Certification Appeals Panel
      • Ethics Appeals Panel
      • Close
    • Mentors
    • Recognition of Strategic Partners Board Certification
    • Verifying Certification
    • Maintaining Certification in Retirement
    • Graduate Theological Programs
    • Close
  • Education Resources
      • 2023 National Conference
      • 2023 Webinar Series
      • Recorded webinars (2009-2022)
      • Calendar of Events
      • Graduate Theological Programs
      • CPE Programs
      • NACC Professional Networking Calls
      • Continuing Education Hour Requests – Guidelines and Forms
      • Ongoing Educational Opportunities
      • Local/Regional Gatherings & Events
      • Past Conferences (2004 – 2022)
      • Vision
    • Close
  • Resources
    • Antiracism Resources
    • Administrator Resources
    • Awareness Resources
    • Chaplaincy Care Resources
    • Coronavirus Resources & Updates
    • Job Listings
    • The Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling
    • Partners in Pastoral Care
    • Research
    • Specialty Care Resources
    • Spirituality and Prayer Resources
    • Spiritual Care Department Resources
    • Vision
    • Close
  • About NACC
    • About the NACC
      • Mission/Vision/Values
      • Constitution and ByLaws
      • Strategic Plan
      • History
      • Close
    • Annual Awards
    • Association Leadership
      • NACC Board of Directors
      • Committees, Commissions, and Panels
      • National Office Staff
      • Episcopal Advisory Council
      • Close
    • Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC)
    • Choose Chaplaincy
    • Health Care Collaborators
    • NACC Merchandise
    • NACC Publications and Documents
      • Vision
      • NACC Now
      • Annual Reports & Financial Reviews
      • Documents and publications
      • NACC Blog
      • Close
    • Partners in Pastoral Care
    • Partners for Professional Excellence in Spiritual Care
    • Vision
    • Close
  • Choose Chaplaincy
  • Contact Us
      • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    • Close
  • Donate Now
  • Member Login
Home » Vision » Vision: Reports from our 2022 National Conference » Journeying together: World Café gathers NACC members’ thoughts

Journeying together: World Café gathers NACC members’ thoughts

By Austine Duru

NACC hosted its very first World Café at the 2022 NACC National Conference in Buffalo, and participants shared that it was a meaningful experience.

The word “café” often evokes images of cozy informal spaces where people gather to connect with friends – or of NPR’s music radio program called “World Café.” But the NACC’s World Café, put simply, is an engagement tool to draw multiple people into conversation around several topics of mutual interest simultaneously, over a short period of time. The intent is not to come to a resolution, but simply to identify potential solutions or paths forward.

The impetus for the NACC’s World Café rises out of the synodal journey that we embarked on this year, alongside the local and universal Church. Describing the synodal process, Pope Francis wrote on Nov. 29, 2021, “Synodality is a style, it is a walk together, and it is what the Lord expects from the Church of the third millennium.”

You may recall that NACC members early in the year welcomed this incredible opportunity to share their joys and challenges on a wide range of subjects relating to their ministry to God’s people and their service to the Church. Members responded to the initial survey questions: What have been the joys and obstacles in your journeying together with the church? And how might the Holy Spirit be prompting you, and all of us as church, to improve the ways we journey together?

To share further insights with the NACC leadership, the conference planning committee wanted to take advantage of this moment where members were gathered in person. Four questions that surfaced during the initial phases of the synodal process were posed:

  • To better meet the sacramental needs of our Church: How can individual chaplains (and/or your local facility) improve relations with your diocese?
  • To nurture greater appreciation for women in ministry: How can the voices and skills of women chaplains facilitate meaningful engagement with the local church?
  • To foster greater collegiality between NACC chaplains and the local diocese: How can NACC members impact the formation of seminarians? How can NACC members influence and collaborate with local diocesan structures and ministries?
  • To strengthen our diversity and inclusion: How can NACC more authentically reflect the racial diversity within the American Catholic Church? How can NACC members more authentically reflect the racial demographic of the geographical areas they serve?

The process was simple and largely unstructured. Each topic question was assigned a meeting room with a chaplain facilitator. Participants could visit any of the rooms and join the dialogue with that group. They were free to move between meeting rooms and engage in as many conversations as they wished.

Following the lunch break, participants gathered in the grand ballroom of the conference hotel for a brief report back to the full group.

The process was fruitful and meaningful for participants. Several flip chart pages were filled with ideas, suggestions, and recommendations. Participants reported that they were impressed with the level of excitement and engagement from participants as they listening to the Holy Spirit and to each other, discerning the path we are called to walk together.

Austine Duru, BCC, is chief mission officer at Providence Mission Hospital in Southern California.

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains
Become a Member Would you like to get Certified?

Free Publications

Don’t miss the latest news, subscribe to our newsletter today! You don’t have to be a member to subscribe.

National Association of Catholic Chaplains
4915 S. Howell Avenue, Suite 501
Milwaukee, WI 53207
Get Directions

Phone: (414) 483-4898
Fax: (414) 483-6712
Email: info@nacc.org

Our office hours
Mon-Thur 8:00am – 5:00pm Central Time
Friday 8:00am – 12 Noon
Sat-Sun closed

Job Listings

Current job opportunities for chaplains, priests, CPE residents, supervisors, directors of pastoral care, managers, mission directors, and more.

Job Listings

Free Publications

Don’t miss the latest news, subscribe to our newsletter today! You don’t have to be a member to subscribe.

Donate Now

Learn more about making a tax-deductible donation to NACC.

Donate Now

Connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
© 1997 - 2023 National Association of Catholic Chaplains - Sitemap

Built by Westwords