Our Catholic common language

Chaplains quickly adapt to the language they hear – by Robert Legato
Many years ago, I was in school in Belgium. Belgians speak two native languages: Flemish and French. The choice of an official language for an area sometimes hinged on the last election. The city where we lived had just had an election, and street signs were being changed. Thus, Avenue des Allies became Bondgenotenlaan…(Read more)

Spiritual care rotation exposes medical students to language of chaplaincy – by Fr. Joseph F. Mali
Albany Medical Center New York has begun a spiritual care rotation for medical students to help them provide more holistic care for their future patients.
The Spiritual Care Department participates in the Health Care and Society program, which is required of all students at Albany Medical College. In October 2020, a fourth-year medical student who was thrilled by a chaplain’s “enlightening commentary” sent us an email expressing interest in learning more about what chaplains do. She asked if she could join chaplains on their rounds during her elective time…(Read more)

Healthcare chaplains learn to be adept at code-switching – by Donna Foley
One of the first pastoral visits I made in skilled nursing was to a woman religious. After I introduced myself, she responded, “You are very welcome here.” We began talking, and as she reflected on her vocation, she said, “We were told that if we left everything behind for Jesus, we would receive a hundredfold.” Opening her hands, she leaned back a bit in her wheelchair. Over the hum of her oxygen concentrator, she quietly concluded, “This is my hundredfold.” No hint of bitterness or irony was in her expression…(Read more)

Make the time and effort to acknowledge autistic individuals’ grief – by MeiMei Liu
When my father died of lung cancer ten years ago, I was 18 years old. My mother wailed over his body for hours, like a Greek tragedy. My 19-year-old brother simply shut down. I, who am autistic and non-verbal, simply dealt with my grief on my own. Few observing me could tell what I was thinking or feeling…(Read more)

Chaplains’ skills translate well to address the ecological crisis – by Anna Johnson
The current state of the world is alarming, to say the least. The realities of the ecological crisis are gut-clenching, and for those living in a particularly impacted place or working in the field, this daily reality check can quickly become immobilizing…(Read more)

Benefits of building emotional intelligence will ripple outward – by Denise Blanc
Understanding our emotions is a key for successfully relating to others and to ourselves. When we tap into the power and insight of emotional intelligence, we respond with greater wisdom to whatever situation we happen to be in. Simply defined, EQ is about being smarter with our feelings…(Read more)

Whatever form an autistic person’s grief takes, acknowledge it – by Lisa Morgan
I have a core belief that I grieve wrong.
It comes from past experiences of losing people I love. During the times in my life when someone dear to me has died, I do not visibly react. My family members or friends cry, speak the right words, hug each other, and collectively acknowledge their sorrow and pain. I feel alone…(Read more)

Grief and Disability

Neurotypical or not, we all need to act out in grief – by Bill Gaventa
Years ago, in my supervisory education in CPE, I had a middle-aged student who was a wonderfully kind and gentle man. He was seeking to be a better pastor, but he had a tendency to avoid intense feelings of grief or loss…(Read more)

Whether loved one or patient, death brings grief to long-term caregivers – by Craig Modahl
I have been a caregiver for most of my adult life. But one loss several years ago affected my family very deeply.
We had returned from Kevin’s fifth hospital stay in a year without a solution or a prognosis. He had been in our care for almost half of his 53 years. He had been declining for the last three years. We were frustrated, frightened, and exhausted. Kevin had a developmental disability and did not speak. He could not identify when things changed. In the last year of his life, he had lost his ability to swallow and was fed by tube to keep him from choking…(Read more)

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