F our new students have been admitted to apioneering new clinical pastoral supervisoryeducation program, which eventually will be

linked to an accredited doctoral-level degree program.The innovative curriculum for this first class ofstudents is being developed and implemented in partwith a $1.1 million grant awarded by the JohnTempleton Foundation and a complementary$360,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.

“We are revamping theway CPE faculty arementored, taught,and evaluated, andwe are alsodevelopingnew curric-ular andassessmenttools,

which will establish new professional standards forfuture leaders in clinical pastoral education,” said theRev. Meigs Ross, director of CPE at The HealthCareChaplaincy. “We are thrilled to have launched ourfirst program with such a bright and motivatedgroup,” the Rev. Ross said.

The dynamic class for this pilot project includesChaplain Thomas Chirdo (Roman Catholic, NorthShore University Hospital), the Reverend Katherine

Higgins (Presbyterian,North ShoreUniversity Hospital),

Chaplain WillMebane(Episcopal,GriffinHospital),and theReverend

I t is beneficial to periodically reevaluate priorities and goals andupdate our strategic plan. Though an enormous undertaking, itis critical to the future success of The Chaplaincy,” says planning

chair Amy Radin, Citigroup executive vice president and HealthCareChaplaincy trustee. The Chaplaincy is re-envisioning its mission andworks through a collective, systematic, and rigorous process—ledprincipally by its board of trustees. The result will be a board-approvedplan by May 2008, which will define the strategic priorities to guideThe Chaplaincy through to 2011, its 50th anniversary year.

All sixteen of the strategic recommendations delineated in the 2004plan have been implemented or substantially advanced, including amajor project to design and build an innovative, spirit-centered,end-of-life care residence and develop new palliative education andresearch programs. Completion of the new building is expectedwithin the next few years, which will house not only the end-of-lifecare residence, but all of The HealthCare Chaplaincy’s other expandingand diverse programs in clinical services, education, consultation, andresearch. Educational programming—a hallmark of The Chaplaincy’s

BeaconNews from The HealthCare Chaplaincy – A Multifaith Center for Pastoral Care, Education & Research

TheVol. 32 No. 3/Fall 2007

INSIDE

10

2

10Rabbi Naomi Kalish Receives

Len Cedarleaf Award

8

CONT. ON PAGE 5

Fr. Lawrence Nam: Quiet Moments

Can Be Healing Moments

Howard F. Sharfstein:Making a Difference

2007 Pastoral Care Week Events

“

Innovative Program in ChaplainEducation Commences: First in Class

CONT. ON PAGE 4

The Chaplaincy Lays Framework for New Strategic Plan

Looking Ahead to 2011

T he midday autumn sun danced on the tranquil face ofLake Cayuga as Ithaca College—on whose governingboard I serve as trustee—welcomed Tenzin Gyatso,

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama. The campus was ablaze withmaroon and saffron robes as an entourage of Buddhist monksaccompanied their spiritual teacher. For two hours, we sattogether with the religious and political leader of the Tibetanpeople as he reflected thoughtfully about reverence for all living things and of the universal responsibility to embrace allhumankind and nature.

His lecture focused on eight brief verses from an 11th centuryTibetan teacher, Langri Thangpa, on “mind training,” orlojong. The Tibetan word lojong comes from two roots: “lo”meaning attitude, mind, intelligence, and perspective; and“jong,” suggesting to train, purify, remedy, or clear away. Thesebrief thousand-year-old texts—which remain at the heart ofBuddhist practice and are a continuing source of inspirationand guidance—promote the development of altruisticthoughts and emotions, such as compassion, love, patience,forgiveness, and perseverance.

As I listened to this revered seventy-two-year-old teacher, Ibegan to understand how these amazingly fresh spiritualprinciples have helped him and his people cope with theirchallenges and hardships, and how they can also assist us ineducating others for ministry as chaplains.

F or twelve years, I have beenworking as a Roman Catholicpriest in parish ministry in

London. During the last five years, Ihave also trained to be a psychotherapistwhile simultaneously engaged in mypastoral ministry.

Eager to take a respite from full-timeacademic studies, my Jesuit provincialsuperior suggested that a change of

ministry might infuse me with new energy. He proposed that Iconsider hospital chaplaincy, which sparked an immediate interest. Enticed by my provincial’s recommendation, I recalledthat Father Walter J. Smith, S.J., formerly the dean of my divinityschool in Cambridge, Massachusetts, had been working in chap-

laincy and had written a couple of books on the spiritual care ofthe dying. I contacted Father Smith and he put me in touch withthe director of the clinical pastoral education (CPE) program atThe HealthCare Chaplaincy.

It felt right to come to New York and pursue a multifaith CPEprogram at The Chaplaincy. Among other things, the culturalattractions of New York and the beauty of autumn here werebound to spark creativity, prayer, and new learning. Most impor-tantly, I wanted to be in an environment where I could beenriched by all faiths. Suffering, illness, and end-of-life issues arecommonalities in all faith traditions, and also for those who don’tidentify with one particular faith. In hospital chaplaincy, it isessential to be skilled in dealing with the universals of faith, and tobe able to assuage the fears and emotional pain of all those withwhom we come into contact. Sometimes, this means talking and

Healing Moments

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2 The Beacon

SpiritLifting the

Quiet Moments Can Be Healing Moments

© Photography by Connor Gleason/The Ithacan

Fr. Lawrence Nam

One of the great riches of our multifaith work at TheHealthCare Chaplaincy is our privileged encounters withpeople at very critical moments in their life journeys. HisHoliness observed that when people experience real mis-fortune in life, they react in one of two ways: either bylosing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or byusing the challenge to discover their inner strength. Ourchaplains try to help patients find their inner strength.

Parallel research in positive psychology is studyingvirtues that enable individuals and communities tothrive in this way. Applied to the pastoral care of persons,chaplains need to understand how ready and ablepatients are to turn adversity to advantage. We teach ourchaplaincy students how to assess a patient’s capacity forlove, their courage and resilience, self-knowledge andinsight.

For forty-six years The HealthCare Chaplaincy has beenfashioning this kind of caring community with its ownbrand of lojong that prizes diversity, justice, nurturance,

leadership, teamwork, purpose, and tolerance. For yourgoodness and continued generosity to The HealthCareChaplaincy, we wish you a prosperous and healthy NewYear, simply expressed in this traditional Buddhistblessing and chant:

By the power of every moment of your goodness,May all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.May no obstacle come across your way.May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.

3 The Beacon

listening and sometimes, this means being comfortable in the “quietmoments.” Healing happens in the quiet moments, too.

A few weeks ago, I met with a widowed German-Jewish woman inher late eighties. She welcomed a visit from me, even though she wasexperiencing intermittent pain. There seemed to be an immediateconnection between us. I didn’t know what her ailment was, but thatwas not something I needed to know to keep her company. Sheseemed somewhat consoled when I suggested that God is with her inher pain, in all of her ups and downs, in all seasons. After a momentof prayer—to which she consented—I sat next to her, holding herhand for about ten minutes in wordless communion. During thistime, she periodically clutched her stomach in pain, but I sensed thatmy presence provided her with some comfort. I felt God so power-fully present in those moments where words seemed superfluous.She seemed much more peaceful than when I first encountered her.

We are all connected to each other, no matter where we were born.At The Chaplaincy, both my peers and my patients come from dif-ferent parts of the world, with different faith backgrounds and different cultures. My time here at The Chaplaincy will not only helpme to broaden my ministry but will also help me to replenish thewell, so to speak, through exposure to expanded diversity of clinicalprofessionals, patients, and thoughts. My CPE studies will addanother valuable experiential perspective on healing in the pastoral setting, and these learnings will be put to great use when I return to theU.K. Already I have seen how healing occurs in quiet moments. n

The Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J.

President & CEO

The Rev. Lawrence Nam, S.J., a Jesuit priest from the U.K., is currently enrolled in a HealthCare Chaplaincy sponsored clinicalpastoral education course at NYU Hospitals Center.

Osvaldo Tañón (Seventh-Day Adventist, Beth Israel MedicalCenter/St. John’s Riverside Hospital). The four students were selectedfrom an applicant pool of forty highly qualified and diverse candi-dates from across the country. Individually and collectively, theselected students possess a wealth of prior educational achievements,life experiences, and strong interpersonal skills, which are well-suitedto the academic rigor and demanding clinical requirements of thishighly collaborative program. During the course of the three-yearformation, these future pastoral educators will divide their timeamong formal course work, supervision of introductory-level clinicalpastoral education (CPE) students, and direct pastoral care giving.

Chaplain Chirdo, who is a native New Yorker, started his career inengineering, and eventually decided to attend seminary, receivinghis Master of Divinity degree from The Washington TheologicalUnion in Washington, D.C. Chaplain Chirdo completed two unitsof CPE at The HealthCare Chaplaincy during the summers of 1997and 1999 at Lenox Hill Hospital and Beth Israel Medical Center. “Ihad been thinking about doing supervisory training for a fewyears, and I always thought that if I did it, I would do it at TheHealthCare Chaplaincy. Last winter, I received a postcard from TheChaplaincy inviting me to apply. That clinched it for me,” ChaplainChirdo said. “My previous CPE experiences with The Chaplaincywere positive and eye-opening. This time around, the vision of theprogram is in line with my career aspirations. The academic back-grounds and years of experience of the faculty appealed to me, aswell as the richness of pastoral care resources—the researchdepartment, publications in top journals, and the extensive library.I describe The HealthCare Chaplaincy to my friends and col-leagues in Virginia, as ‘the Harvard of CPE,’” says Chaplain Chirdo,who was certified as a chaplain by the National Association ofCatholic Chaplains in 2002. “What I like most is that I am withpeers and supervisors who are ready and able to help me todevelop my supervisory skills and form my identity as a CPEsupervisor. The learning is intense, fulfilling, and life-giving. WhatI find most life-giving is becoming the person God made me to be.

And what I love is helping others to develop personally and profes-sionally as chaplains,” he said.

The Rev. Higgins, originally from North Carolina, discovered TheChaplaincy from colleagues at Carolinas Medical Center. TheChaplaincy’s track record for shepherding SITs through the process,the sizeable peer group, and the emphasis on research were appealingto her. The Rev. Higgins, who completed her seminary training inNew York City in 2003 at Union Theological Seminary, is delightedto be back in New York. “It’s incredible to be once again training forministry in this resourceful city. There’s such a breadth of experi-

ence, culture, and religion in my supervisory education program. Mypeers, students, and faculty have already—in just four weeks—lengthened the stakes and the poles for the tent under which I meetGod,” said the Rev. Higgins.

Chaplain Mebane, a postulant for Holy Orders in The EpiscopalDiocese of Connecticut, is originally from Durham, NorthCarolina. He started his professional career in television marketing,and ultimately went back to school for a Master of Divinity degreefrom Yale Divinity School. Chaplain Mebane’s CPE residency pro-gram supervisor told him about The HealthCare Chaplaincy whenhe mentioned an interest in supervisory education. He was drawnto The Chaplaincy because of its academically rigorous programand the timely matriculation process, in contrast to other lengthiercertification programs. “It is both exhilarating and somewhatdaunting to be part of the first class of supervisory residents pilottesting a new curriculum. However, I am grateful for the privilegedopportunity to study clinical pastoral education in such a struc-tured manner. I know this is a ‘luxury’ that is not available to most,if any other, supervisors-in-training, and I am humbled by thisopportunity,” Chaplain Mebane said.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, and most recently living in Houston,Texas, the Rev. Tañón, first encountered The Chaplaincy through the

4 The Beacon

Innovative Program in Chaplain Education Commences: First in Class

Chaplain Thomas Chirdo The Rev. Katherine Higgins Chaplain Will Mebane The Rev. Osvaldo Tañón

CONT. FROM PAGE 1

identity and reputation—has already grown as a result of the 2004plan, and will continue to be a major thrust in the new planning effort.The Chaplaincy’s pastoral care research department, highly regardedfor its pioneering work in the field, is expected to expand its staffingand broaden its research endeavors, which will contribute to a morerobust understanding of best practices in pastoral care. TheChaplaincy’s consultancy program has made significant progress todate and holds continuing promise of success and growth. All of thesepriorities were identified in the last planning process, which chartednew directions for the core programs in clinical services and education.The present planning effort is expected to further build on many ofthese new initiatives.

“I’m a practitioner of the strategicplanning process in business,” saysMs. Radin, “and when I was asked tojoin the board at The Chaplaincy, thething that impressed me the most wasthat this is an organization that is verysuccessful at articulating a long-termvision and following through withdelivery. There is a tremendous pay-back to the organization from disci-plined planning and the results from 2004are testament to that.” As the trustee chair of the overall planningeffort, Ms. Radin will be able to call upon the extensive business andmanagement experience of her fellow trustees, as well as the staff atThe Chaplaincy, to successfully craft the 2008 plan.

The plan will define strategic priorities in each of The Chaplaincy’sprincipal areas of operation. To this end, eight working task forceshave been established:

• Governance and Executive Leadership• Capital Financing and Advancement• Talent Acquisition and Retention• Branding and Marketing• Pastoral Education and Research• The End-of-Life Care Center Project• Real Estate Development• Core Business Ventures (Pastoral Care and Consultancy)

“A strategic process is most productive when it successfully engagesthe minds and hearts of a committed group of passionate people.This is why we have engaged not only all of our trustees, but theentire staff of The Chaplaincy as well,” said Fr. Walter J. Smith, S.J.,The Chaplaincy president and CEO. “Through focused discussionsacross the organization and by drawing upon the wealth of their collective talent and experience, we are confident that our new planwill provide renewed challenges and inspiration to our perennialcommitment to leadership and excellence. Along with our clinicalpartners, supporters, and benefactors, we maintain high expectationsfor what The HealthCare Chaplaincy can yet offer to the fields ofmultifaith pastoral care, education, and research. The new plan willhelp to name and shape those new objectives.” n

Association of Professional Chaplains’ Web site. The Rev. Tañón hadbeen looking for a supervisory education program, and also then saw anad for The Chaplaincy in a magazine. “I figured a CPE program locatedin the heart of NYC would offer the best possible options for education,as far as cultural diver-sity is concerned. I wasvery impressed withthe faculty listed onThe Chaplaincy’s Website. The varied faithand cultural backgrounds of the clinical staff appealed to me instantly,”said the Rev. Tañón, who received his Master of Divinity degree atAndrews University in Michigan.“I believe that great education is foundin diversity. The quality of the faculty at The Chaplaincy is second tonone. The vision of this organization is something unique in the chap-laincy world. I am very proud of being part of this organization, and I amconfident about the fact that I am receiving the best pastoral educationavailable,” said the Rev. Tañón.

Jackson Kytle, Ph.D., the HealthCare Chaplaincy’s vice president ofacademic affairs and a lead developer of the curriculum, expressedthat there is an alarming shortage of well-trained, theoretically-grounded supervisors in the United States, which is a hindrance for

the CPE system interms of educatingchaplains. “With thisfirst class of chaplaineducators-in-training,The Chaplaincy has

begun its transformation into a dedicated doctoral-level clinical edu-cation center,” said Dr. Kytle, adding, “We have begun to build clinicalchaplain capacity nationwide and to ensure the highest standards formultifaith pastoral care. These initial four student leaders are sterlingexamples of our commitment to that mission.” n

5 The Beacon

CONT. FROM PAGE 1

The HealthCare Chaplaincy Lays Framework for New Strategic Plan

“The vision of this organization is somethingunique in the chaplaincy world.”

Trustee Amy Radin

O n Thursday, November 8th, The HealthCareChaplaincy held its 21st annual Wholeness ofLife Awards Dinner at Cipriani 42nd St.,

raising over $1.4 million in support of its programs inpastoral care, education, and research. 550 peopleattended this Gathering of Friends, which recognizes andcelebrates the dedication and accomplishments of thosein healthcare and business who represent TheChaplaincy’s core mission, to care for the whole person—spirit, mind, and body. Thirteen patient care professionalswere bestowed with gold medallions and recognized withpersonal citations onstage. This year’s CommunityHonoree was businessman and philanthropist TimCollins, Senior Managing Director and CEO of

Ripplewood Holdings L.L.C. Vernon Jordan, SeniorManaging Director, Lazard Frères & Co. L.L.C., andMartin Lipton, Dinner Chairman and Founding Partner,Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, presented the award. Thelifetime achievement awards were presented by TheHealthCare Chaplaincy’s President and CEO, the Rev. Dr.Walter J. Smith, S.J., to New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s(Weill-Cornell campus) Director of Breast Oncology, Dr.Anne Moore; and her husband, Dr. Arnold Lisio, a leading internist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital(Columbia University campus). The honored couple hasserved as trustees of The Chaplaincy and has supportedits mission for many years with their friendship and philanthropy. n

6 The Beacon

Arlyn and Former Trustee Edward L. Gardner

Trustee Diana S. and Jay Goldin

Suzanne Fawbush and TrusteeChristopher C. Grisanti

Trustee Hector Perez and Diana Sobogal

Trustee Rita Foley and her son,Michael Buckley

Nikki and the Very Rev. RobertStephanopoulos

Sabina and Jeb Breece Life Trustee William G. and Trustee Maria T. Spears

Lifetime Achievement Awardees Dr. AnneMoore and Dr. Arnold L. Lisio 2007 Wholeness of Life Awards

A Gathering of Friends

Ripplewood Holdings L.L.C. Vernon Jordan, SeniorManaging Director, Lazard Frères & Co. L.L.C., andMartin Lipton, Dinner Chairman and Founding Partner,Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, presented the award. Thelifetime achievement awards were presented by TheHealthCare Chaplaincy’s President and CEO, the Rev. Dr.Walter J. Smith, S.J., to New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s(Weill-Cornell campus) Director of Breast Oncology, Dr.Anne Moore; and her husband, Dr. Arnold Lisio, a leading internist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital(Columbia University campus). The honored couple hasserved as trustees of The Chaplaincy and has supportedits mission for many years with their friendship and philanthropy. n

7 The Beacon

Trustee Janet P. Seidler

Trustee Judith Pond Kudlow

Gladys and Carter J. Dinkeloo

Trustee Judith A. and David Lewittes

The Rev. Canon John G.B.Andrew, O.B.E., D.D., FormerTrustee and Rector Emeritus ofSt. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue

Trustee Dr. David and Dr. Jean Case

Former Trustee Lucy Flemming McGrath, Irene McCreery, Joan Triulzi, andCharles McCreery

Konstantin Soukhovetski andSheila Toal

The Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J.;Community Honoree Tim Collins

See more photos at www.healthcarechaplaincy.org

ss of Life Awardsng of Friends

8 The Beacon

The Beacon: There are so many good causes to support, especiallyin New York City. What first drew your attention to TheHealthCare Chaplaincy, and what made you decide to get involved?

HS: In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with a recurrence ofNon-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph system, which wasfirst diagnosed and treated in 1992. I chose to undergo a stem celltransplant at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, which involved alengthy hospitalization. During this time, I was visited by a chaplain,who I later learned was a chaplain from The Healthcare Chaplaincy.Rabbi Stephen Shulman had seemingly unlimited time to speak withme, find out my fears, and help me determine what was true to meat that difficult time. He contributed greatly to my healing and recovery. A short time after I was back at work, I was introduced toFather Smith, and the rest is history. I am now on the Board ofTrustees and assist The Chaplaincy in any way that I can. TheChaplaincy both saved and changed my life. I hope that the legacythat I leave will do the same for many others.

The Beacon: How would you describe the mission of TheChaplaincy to a person who isn’t familiar with it?

HS: The HealthCare Chaplaincy is the premier organization in thiscountry for training chaplains and advancing the study and aca-demics of a discipline that truly helps a patient healing their spirit,mind, and body. Illness is terrifying; contemplation of death isoverwhelming. A chaplain leads a patient through the darkness to apowerful awareness and awakening.

The Beacon: You actually took clinical pastoral education (CPE) inthe last few years. What did you hope to learn?

HS: I enrolled in clinical pastoral education (I have 1.5 units undermy belt as of now), because I want to be certified as a chaplainsomeday, and make chaplaincy my vocation in my retirement. Iwant to walk the halls of a hospital, day or night, asking patients ifthey would like to speak with me; and I will listen, helping thepatient speak about what is true and powerful in his or her life.Healing comes from speaking, sharing, and opening up. Healingand recovery is a process.

The Beacon: You have already remembered The Chaplaincy inyour estate planning. Do you think that this type of contribution issomething that more donors should consider?

HS: Definitely. A planned gift, such as a testamentary bequest, ornaming The Chaplaincy as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or lifeinsurance policy, enhances The Chaplaincy’s endowment, which inturn strengthens the economic foundation. It is certainly a viableoption for those who would like to include The Chaplaincy in theirestate planning, but there are also more immediate ways to sustainthe good work of The Chaplaincy. Setting up a monthly or quarterlycontribution process that sustains the day-to-day operations, andthus the strategic momentum, is also beneficial to the organization.The Chaplaincy provides a vital service, yet it falls outside of thehealthcare reimbursement process, such as private insurance, orMedicare and Medicaid. It is really important to provide a predictablefinancial lifeline and regular giving is the best way to accomplish that.

Making a Difference... Howard F. Sharfstein with a personal perspective

Howard F. Sharfstein is a partner in the law firm of SchulteRoth & Zabel LLP, where he specializes in individual estateand gift planning, domestic relations matters, charitable giv-ing, and elder law. He is president of the Board of Trustees ofCentral Synagogue, a member of the Board of Trustees ofThe Mental Health Association of New York City, and atrustee of The HealthCare Chaplaincy.

9 The Beacon

H ospital for Special Surgery held their 6th annual Spiritualityand Health Forum on September 11, which was sponsoredby the Pastoral Care & Education Committee. Dr. Keith

Meador of the Duke Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health atDuke University Medical Center spoke on “Healing Arts: Formation inPractices of Caring.” Dr. Meador discussed some of the seductive illu-sions of ourtherapeuticc u l t u r e .Spiritualityis a viableand impor-tant com-ponent of healthcare, he said, but challenged some notions: techno-logical utopianism, elimination of suffering, heightened consumeristexpectations, and the goal of manipulable well-being.

In today’s therapeutic culture, practitioners often believe that withmore medical technology and more treatment options than ever, inmany cases, suffering can be eliminated—or alleviated very quickly.Some practitioners view these options as completely positive, anddisregard the formative significance of suffering. Meador argues thatsome suffering is important in the human experience, as sufferinghelps us to mature and grow. Meador is not advocating letting peo-ple suffer unnecessarily, but wanted to shed light on suffering and itsmeaning for humanity, which is often discounted.

Meador also cautioned against turning to prayer because it is “goodfor you.” Prayer is ideally about being in connection with God, notjust trying to achieve a particular end. He emphasized that prayer isessential in sickness and in health—to only pray when sick is incon-sistent with our understanding of prayer in most major faith tradi-tions. Meador talked about health in terms of its relationship tocommunity. Health and community are interrelated, he explained,quoting Wendell Berry, “Health is not just the sense of completenessin ourselves but also is the sense of belonging to others and to ourplace; it is an unconscious awareness of community (Health isMembership, 1995).” In terms of The HealthCare Chaplaincy, this isthe crux of the mission and goals of the organization—to be thecommunity that can make a difference in medical care and healing.

Meador went on to talk about the burden of those who care forthose who are suffering. He said that one of the most importantthings a caregiver can do is to connect to those who are suffering sothat they know they are included in the community. “Spiritualityand health are perhaps most intimately related in how we care for

one another in sickness and in health with a mutuality formedwithin a spirit of gratitude, hospitality, and trust,” he said.

“Dr. Meador reminded us to think big about what constitutesmeaningful human flourishing and how it is related to spirituality.He wisely cautioned researchers against falling into the charis-

matic—andcommon—trap offalsely com-modifyingspirituality.

Ultimately, spirituality is much more than a targeted, allopathicintervention to reduce suffering. As the field moves forward, thebetter research will spring from an awareness of that broader scope,”said Matthew Porter, The HealthCare Chaplaincy’s Templeton post-doctoral fellow.

Ronald MacKenzie, M.D., HealthCare Chaplaincy trustee and chairof the Pastoral Care & Education Committee at Hospital for SpecialSurgery, and Sr. Margaret Oettinger, O.P., director of pastoral care atHospital for Special Surgery, organized the talk. n

The Illusions of a Therapeutic Culture: Spirituality as anInstrumental Tool of Healthcare

Health & Healing

Dr. Meador is a professor of psy-chiatry and behavioral sciencesand codirector of the Center forSpirituality, Theology and Healthat Duke University. A physicianand board certified psychiatrist,his work builds on his clinical,research, and his teaching back-ground in mental health, pas-toral theology, and publichealth. He is the author of severalpublications, including his coau-thored book entitled, “Heal Thyself: Spirituality, Medicineand the Distortion of Christianity.” He served as the directorof theology and medicine at Duke Divinity School for tenyears, where he continues to serve as a senior fellow in the-ology and health. He is the medical director for inpatientpsychiatry at the Duke affiliated Durham Veterans AffairsMedical Center and serves as a senior fellow in the DukeCenter for the Study of Aging and Human Development.

“Spirituality and health are perhaps most intimately related in howwe care for one another in sickness and in health with a mutuality

formed within a spirit of gratitude, hospitality, and trust.”

T he Len Cedarleaf Award is very prestigious and is onlygiven out to someone who has written an exceptionaltheology paper,” said the Rev. Jo Clare Wilson, director of

pastoral care and education for Griffin Hospital. Rabbi NaomiKalish’s paper was selected as the “Theology Paper of the Year” andshe received the Len Cedarleaf award. Rabbi Kalish is a supervisorat St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital.

“I am thrilled and feel very honored to have received this awardand recognition by my colleagues. This award has sparked manyconversations between me and others about how theology informsour teaching and our pastoral care. I drew upon research from myMaster’s thesis in Jewish philosophy, which was on the works ofEmmanuel Levinas. The experience of writing the paper, receivingthe award, and engaging in theological conversations with my col-leagues has inspired me to continue my work in this area. It hashighlighted to me the importance of scholarship, theory, and,

specifically, theology in thefield of clinical pastoral edu-cation. As part of TheHealthCare Chaplaincy’sstrategic plan I am now pur-suing opportunities to continue my education on the doctoral levelin education and philosophy. The paper I wrote will serve as afoundation as I begin my studies,” said Rabbi Kalish.

“By this award and the merited recognition from the Association ofClinical Pastoral Education of her theological work, Rabbi Kalishhas taken a rightful place in this distinguished group of pioneeringvoices, such as Hiltner and Cedarleaf, in pastoral care and educa-tion. Her efforts to achieve unity between theology and pastoralpraxis have now been recognized and lauded. I applaud this won-derful accomplishment,” said the Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J., TheHealthCare Chaplaincy’s president and CEO. n

10 The Beacon

Rabbi Naomi Kalish Receives Len Cedarleaf Award for “Theology Paper of the Year”

Above, the new CPE stu-dents, from left to right:rabbinical student DavidSinger, Susan HondiDuncan Brasco, TrevaMuhammad, Sister MaryFrancis Okoroji, andMuhammad Ali. At left“Meet and Greet”Luncheon with new CPEstudents at MemorialSloan-Kettering CancerCenter. The Rev. DavidFleenor (standing at right)introduces the students.

“

Fall 2007 Pastoral Care Week Events

T he HealthCare Chaplaincy celebratedPastoral Care Week with events at sev-eral of our partner institutions, in

recognition of the work of chaplains and theprofession. Pastoral Care Week, established in1985, is a way for organizations and institutionsof all kinds to recognize spiritual caregivers.Pastoral Care Week commemorates the practiceof spiritual care in the service of healing, topromote a greater understanding of pastoralcare, to honor practitioners, and to expressappreciation to institutions who support pas-toral caregiving. n

Chaplaincy Briefs

11 The Beacon

The Mayor’s Office recognized Pastoral Care Weekwith a Proclamation.

The Rev. Peggy Muncie blesses the hands of staff atSt. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center.

Marianne Hardart, Director of the Creative Arts TherapiesDepartment, receives the Wholeness of Life Award at NYUHospitals Center from HCC Trustee Louis Scenti. The Rev.Stephen Harding, Director of Pastoral Care, and Stewart Ault,Vice President for Hospital Operations, in the background,took part in the ceremony.

The Rev. George Handzo (vice president, pastoral care leadership& practice) was the featured speaker for the annual meeting of theSouth Carolina Chaplains Association in Columbia, South Carolina,on the topic “Growing Pastoral Care in a Climate of ScarceResources.” The Rev. Handzo also presented a workshop at thenational Planetree conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, on thetopic, “Proposing, Implementing, and Growing a SuccessfulProfessional Pastoral Care Service.”

Sr. Margaret Oettinger (director, pastoral care, Hospital forSpecial Surgery) presented on spirituality and healing at the pro-gram “Sharing Ideas, You, The Patient and Pain,” sponsored bythe Department of Anesthesiology. The forum was held in recogni-tion of Pain Awareness Month.

The Rev. Stephen Harding (director, pastoral care, NYU HospitalsCenter) edited the “Manual for New York City Religious Leaders:Mental Health and Spiritual Care for Disaster Response andRecovery,” a publication of New York Disaster Interfaith Services.The 150-page manual, compiled by mental health and spiritualcare experts, offers an overview of the lifecycle of disasters, dis-cusses the role of faith leaders throughout these phases, and pro-vides information to guide NYC religious leaders. The manual isdownloadable and free at www.nydis.org.

Rabbi Bonita Taylor (associate director, Center for Clinical PastoralEducation) blessed in-coming ACPE President, The Rev. William E.Scrivener, during his installation ceremony at the annual ACPEconference in Dallas, TX.

Al-Hajji Imam Yusuf Hasan (Memorial Sloan-Kettering CancerCenter) made presentations at the following institutions:Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY, on end-of-life Issuesfor Muslim patients and families; Albert Einstein College ofMedicine, Bronx, NY, to first-year medical students on religious,cultural, and ethical issues for Muslim patients; Calvary Hospital fortheir first “Pastoral Care Day,” panel member and workshop leaderon “Religious and Ethical Issues for Muslims at the End of Life.”

Dr. Kathleen Galek (research associate, Spears Center for PastoralResearch) and Dr. Kevin Flannelly (associate director, research,Spears Center for Pastoral Research) recently had their study,“Religious Doubt and Mental Health across the Lifespan,”accepted for publication in the Journal of Adult Development. Thistop-tier journal provides a transdisciplinary forum for the publica-tion of peer-reviewed, original theoretical, and empirical articles onpsychological and sociocultural development in young, middle,and late adulthood. Dr. Neal Krause of the University of Michigan,Dr. Christopher G. Ellison of the University of Texas at Austin, andour former Templeton Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Taryn Kudler, arecoauthors of the paper.

Vol. 32 No. 3/Fall 2007

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The HealthCare Chaplaincy isthe nation’s largest non-denominational multifaith center for pastoral care services,chaplain education, spiritualityand health research, and con-sulting services for healthcareorganizations. Our chaplainsmake more than 220,000patient visits yearly within ourpartner institutions. TheChaplaincy is one of the mostefficient charities in the country,with an average of 80 percent ofits funds supporting programsthat advance its mission. Thisnewsletter is published forfriends, supporters, and graduates.

Elizabeth Szaluta

DesignBrian H. Kim

PhotographyBrian H. Kim, John Calabrese

© The HealthCare Chaplaincy, 2007

BeaconT

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2007 Wholeness of Life AwardsNovember 8, 2007 v Cipriani 42nd Street v New York City

Fr. Lawrence Nam: Quiet Moments

Can Be Healing Moments

Community Honoree Tim Collins, Vernon Jordan, Chairman of theBoard Larry Toal, and Dinner Chairman Marty Lipton

The Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J.; Lifetime Achievement Awardees Dr. ArnoldL. Lisio and Dr. Anne Moore; and Chairman of the Board Larry Toal

More photos on pages 6 – 7