Partners in Caring Highlights

Lifting the Spirit
A Message from the Rev. Dr. Walter J. Smith, S.J President &CEO

Lately, I have been weighing whether the Chaplaincy's 's mission extends beyond the New York Metropolitan Area to the national level. Can this unique partnership of medical facilities, religious institutions, business organizations and private philanthropy have an impact on a larger arena?

Events in recent weeks have included some notable evidence in the affirmative.

Of course, our partners know that the Chaplaincy's now attracts students from all parts of our country. We send graduates of our pastoral education courses to every region to use their skills in various settings of pastoral ministry. And our research efforts reach practitioners of various disciplines well beyond our borders.

But the last few weeks have underscored our involvement at the national level. First, my spirit was lifted when the Chaplaincy's was recognized by the Association of Professional Chaplains. They presented me with their Distinguished Service Award at the national conference in Charlotte, NC (see first page article). I accepted the award in the name of the highly skilled clinical staff with whom we and our partner institutions are blessed.

On this occasion, I recalled the quotation in Christian scripture: "Of every one to whom much is given, much more will be required."Greater than the blessing of dedicated staff is the richness of their multifaith and multiethnic collaboration in providing spiritual care to people in need. As I accepted the award, I felt a responsibility to help lift that spirit to the national level.

As a result, I was inspired to share a special $25,000 grant given to the Chaplaincy's by the Starr Foundation.

Its purpose is to help the Association broaden its representation among those minorities who do not have full access to the profession of health-related pastoral care. In addition, I offered to help the Association raise additional funds from other sources to pursue this worthy goal.

Even as we open wider the doors to the pastoral care profession, we need to help more institutional administrators on the national scene catch the vision of the Chaplaincy's 's healthcare partners. In the face of great financial pressure, these leaders understand the value that skilled spiritual support provides as part of medical treatment.

There are still many practitioners and administrators who do not connect spiritual strength with positive physical and mental health outcomes. And there are many Americans who, though "religious,"have little understanding about the profession of healthcare chaplaincy.

To address this dual challenge, the Chaplaincy's offered to help the major national professional organizations develop a White Paper ‹ a consensus statement of the role and benefits of professional chaplaincy in healthcare. With a generous grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, a valued Chaplaincy corporate partner dedicated to healing, we expect to publish the statement by year-end.

In the meantime, the Chaplaincy's continues to focus its ministry on people of all faiths who come to the distinguished medical facilities of the greater New York area for help and healing. But because "much has been given, much more is required,"I believe that helping to open up more spiritual care opportunities is one way of giving back. We hope you will join us in this endeavor, nationally, that has lifted the Chaplaincy's , locally.