Executive Director S Reflection

NACC Now

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains

Monday, December 17, 2007

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1. Executive Director’s reflection

2. Merry Christmas to all!

3. Seattle gathering draws a crowd

4. Do you know NACC members who died this year?

5. Pat Bradley publishes in Chaplaincy Today

6. Conference Early Bird registration deadline is March 7

7. Participate in CHA/NACC pastoral care survey

Executive Director’s reflection

I write this on December 13, the feast of St. Lucy, the famous Sicilian saint of the late third century, who was venerated by the sixth century in both the Latin and Greek world. As with so many of the early saints, facts of her life are few and uncertain, and legends reflecting her strength and heroism abound. She is known for praying for her mother’s healing all night at the tomb of St. Agatha, in order to convince her mother that Christ was Lucy’s preferred life partner instead of an arranged marriage. Miraculously, her mother was healed: Lucy did not have to marry and could give her money to the poor and dedicate herself to God. But the rejected man turned against Lucy and betrayed her Christianity, leading to her persecution and death. While she is the patron saint of the blind and those with eye troubles (due to the story that her eyes were plucked out), her faith in God’s healing power is an apt example for the ministry of chaplains. We all know her for the feast of light (Luce = light in Latin) associated with her feast. May this feast lead us to be ministers of the Light, as we are with people in the manifold experiences of darkness they suffer during this season. At the NACC Board meeting today, Karen Pugliese also shared a poem about St. Lucy by Thomas Merton written the day he entered the monastery. Visit http://www.nacc.org/resources/e-news/feast_of_st_lucy.asp for the poem. Santa Lucia, ora pro nobis.

Merry Christmas to all!

We are still one week away from the peak of the secular year, the busiest time for everyone, and one of the great feasts of the Christian calendar. We extend very merry Christmas wishes to all of our members and friends, and hope that the holiday is a time of spiritual and personal blessings for you. We also recognize that at this time of year, those in difficulty or despair feel their isolation and brokenness even more keenly — and we thank you deeply for the solace you offer, this week and every day of the year.

Seattle gathering draws a crowd

More than 40 chaplains gathered on Friday, Dec. 14 for a day of recollection on cultivating a contemplative approach to the chaplain ministry. Executive Director David Lichter led the day at the Palisades Retreat Center in Federal Way, WA, just south of Seattle. The participants expressed high appreciation for the day, and expressed the need to renew some form of regional gathering. A small group volunteered to begin plans for a fall gathering either in Washington or Oregon. As part of the reflection, we used some excerpts from An Interrupted Life by Ettie Hillesum, a brilliant young Dutch woman who died in Auschwitz at age 29. For a copy of those excerpts, visit http://www.nacc.org/resources/e-news/thinkingheart.asp.

Do you know NACC members who died this year?

As 2008 draws to a close and we are sending out mailings for a variety of reasons, we occasionally receive returned mail alerting us that a member has died. During the year, we really appreciate it when we learn through you of the death of an NACC member. We are both able to alert our members of the death, and remember that person in prayer. Please tell us if you know of any member who has died in the past year. We may know, and we may not. We appreciate your help.

Pat Bradley publishes in Chaplaincy Today

Deacon Pat Bradley, an NACC member in Cheyenne, WY, co-wrote an article in the most recent issue of Chaplaincy Today. “The Chaplain as an Authentic and Ethical Presence,” written in conjunction with Rabbi David Zucker and Rabbi Bonita Taylor, draws a distinction between “spiritual care” and “religious care” and argues for “authentic, ethical spiritual care with differently religious believers” and custom-made prayers appropriate for the moment. The article, which elaborates upon points made by Deacon Bradley and Rabbi Zucker during a workshop at our Columbus conference in 2006, appears in the autumn/winter 2007 issue of Chaplaincy Today.

Conference Early Bird registration deadline is March 7

Our national conference in Indianapolis is scheduled for April 5-8, and we have set March 7 as the postmark deadline for the Early Bird registration rate. March 13 is the last guaranteed date to reserve a room at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel at the special NACC conference rate. The registration form will be posted on our website later this month, and watch your mailboxes for the full brochure in early January.

Participate in CHA/NACC pastoral care survey

We are continuing to work with the Catholic Health Association to finalize the survey that will provide us with invaluable data on pastoral/spiritual care in Catholic health ministry. We ask all NACC members to please participate in this survey, because it is designed to provide critical data that will benefit our members in all settings. It will be accessed on the CHA website. The information will only be as good as the level of participation. We will send you a special NACC notice when the online form is ready, with specific instructions to follow. At the beginning of the survey, you will be asked to identify yourself as an NACC member.

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National Association of Catholic Chaplains

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