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CLICK HERE FOR CATHOLIC NURSE JOURNAL SPRING 2010 IN PDF FORMAT
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ACN Executive Officers at work in St Vincent‟s Convent, London .
Front row Nora McCarthy, Liz Cooney, Jacqui Hall, Fr Eric Mead, President Janet Muchengwa Back row Esther Mensah, Mary Farnan and Vice-President Gerry Yates.
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NATIONAL OFFICERS As elected at AGM 2009 |
National President Janet Muchengwa
National Vice-President Gerry Yates |
| National Chaplain Fr Eric Mead
National Ecclesiastical Adviser |
CICIAMS International Representative Jacqueline Hall
Catholic Medical Association Representative Nora Mc Carthy |
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National Secretary/Website Mary Farnan
National Treasurer Liz Cooney
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Catholic Nurse Journals and Newsletters Jacqui Hall/ Nora McCarthy/ Christine Bentley Mary Farnan
Printing Liz Cooney
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Association of Catholic Nurses of England and Wales
Contents
Page
2 Contents and Editorial.
3 The National President’s Report.
4-5 CICIAMS and the Pontifical Council for Health and Pastoral Care.
6 Catholic Bishops’ Conference -Health Care Reference Group.
7 The Order of St Camillus and the founding of the International Red Cross
8 Dates for Diary 2010 .
RCN Assisted suicide / Caritas Social Care Network DVD raising awareness
of spiritual needs of people with dementia.
Editorial
In March 2009 the CICIAMS World Congress was held in Mexico . On May 22nd 2009 Archbishop Vincent Nichols was installed as Archbishop of Westminster.
As the then President of ACN I was privileged to attend both of these events as your representative at these very auspicious occasions.
The consultation by the RCN regarding assisted suicide brought some interesting results. The RCN have taken a neutral stance, although there were some adverse sentiments by patients who considered that the RCN had failed the public in not being more forthright in proclaiming that they were against assisted suicide.
We have a new Pontifical Council President as Cardinal Lozano Barrigan retires from his position. He has been a very close friend to Catholic Nurses throughout the world and appeared to thoroughly enjoy his last attendance at the CICIAMS World Congress in Monterrey, Mexico, (his home town). His Eminence Archbishop Zimowski is to replace Cardinal Barrigan as the President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers.
With the ACN elections held in December 2009 the new Executive Board has a new President, Mrs Janet Muchengwa.
Jacqui Hall.
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NATIONAL
PRESIDENT’S
REPORT
I really feel honoured and privileged to be taking up office as the President of the Association of Catholic Nurses for England and Wales.
I am originally from Zambia, a land locked country in Southern Africa. I am currently working as a Junior Sister at Mayday University Hospital in Croydon. I qualified with a diploma in General Nursing from the University Teaching Hospital School of Nursing in Lusaka, Zambia and did a bachelors degree in Nursing Science, qualifying as a Nurse Educator and Health Services Manager from the University of South Africa.
I first joined the Catholic Nurses Guild in Botswana and upon arrival to this country, in 2002, I joined the St. Andrews branch in Thornton Heath, Croydon.
As Catholic nurses, I would urge every one of us to be conscientious and work within the teaching of the Catholic Church, be responsible and sensitive to our patients problems and the society at large. We have to display commitment and self application to peoples’ needs.
I would also take this opportunity for us to revisit our association objectives as follows:
- To promote the spiritual well-being of its members and inspire the whole practice of Nursing with Christian principles.
To promote activities designed to increase the knowledge of the teachings of the Catholic Church
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- Provide guidance on medico-moral problems thus enabling us to fulfill
- our specific vocation as Catholic Nurses.
- To further our knowledge on professional matters.
- To co-operate with others who share our ideals.
- I would also urge members to take part in the national pilgrimage to Walsingham which takes place every year in June to reinforce our commitments to our faith and the association, through prayer and spiritual support to the many health and social problems in our society. We also have to keep our prayer book handy and pray every day.
Finally, to echo what my predecessors have said, I would like to encourage as many Catholic Nurses as possible to join the association as we need the voice to continue on topical and professional issues and it’s my hope and prayer that through your support and co-operation, I will serve you as best as I can.
Thank you
God Bless
Janet Nsofwa Muchengwa
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Archbishop Vincent Nichols Mass for the Sick Westminster February 2010 |
‘A culture of true compassion and healing fosters a deep respect and attentive care of the whole person, it promotes genuine care characterised by a sense of humility, a profound respect for others, and a refusal to see them as no more than a medical or behavioural problem to be tackled and resolved’ | |
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CICIAMS The CICIAMS international congress March 2009 ‘PROFESSIONAL NURSING: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE TOWARDS EXCELLENCE’ was hosted by Mexico and attended by Jacqui Hall CICIAMS international representative for the Association of Catholic Nurses in England and Wales . Marylee Meehan international President of CICIAMS in Congress report congratulated ‘the collaboration of the dynamic leadership of Mary Vilchez, President of the Movement of Nurses of Catholic Action (MEAC), Carolina Vessic,MEAC’s Chairperson of the World Congress Planning Committee, the members of Mexico Catholic Action (ACM), CICIAMS Executive Board members plus the vigilance of pastoral care and guidance overseen by Fr. Fernandez and Fr. Valdivia, Ecclesiastical Advisors to MEAC and ACM respectively’ .The Congress was a huge success. Attended by representatives of twenty-four countries. The full report of and photographs of the Congress can be viewed on www.ciciams.org / |
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PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR HEALTH PASTORAL CARE
Archbishop Zimowski replaces Cardinal Barrigan as the President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers. |
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http://www.healthpastoral.org/
In 2009 The pope selected Bishop Zygmunt Zimowski of Radom to replace Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, who retired as council president at the age of 76. With the appointment, the Polish prelate was also named an archbishop. The Catholic News Agency October 13th 2009 produced the following article
‘Writing in the context of the Year for Priests Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, has sent a letter to those who are sick and suffering, asking them to pray for priests and the beatification of Pope John Paul II. The purpose of the Year is to call the whole Christian community to “rediscover the beauty of the priestly vocation and thus to pray for
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priests,” the archbishop said, noting that this includes the sick.
Archbishop Zimowski reminded sick people in his 1 October 2009 letter that priests play an important role in their lives. “A priest at the bedside of a sick person represents Christ himself, the Divine Physician, who is not indifferent to the fate of those who suffer. Indeed, through the sacraments of the Church, administered by a priest, Jesus Christ offers to a sick person healing through reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins, through anointing with holy oil and lastly in the Eucharist, in the viaticum in which Christ himself becomes, as Giovanni Leonardi used to say, ‘the medicine of immortality’ by which ‘we are comforted, nourished, transformed into God, and participants in the divine nature,” he wrote.
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The head of the Council for Health Care Workers also pointed out that the conclusion of the Year for Priests coincides with the 25th anniversary of the founding of Pontifical Council. Pope John Paul II, he recalled, founded the Council on the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes to demonstrate the Church's care for the sick.
“Because of this providential anniversary,” Archbishop Zimowski wrote, “I am near to each one of you and I invite you, dear sick brothers and sisters, to unceasingly address your prayers and the offering up of your sufferings to the Lord of life for the holiness of your well loved priests, so that they can with devotion and pastoral charity perform the ministry that is entrusted to them by Christ, the physician of bodies and souls.”
During the Year for Priests, he encouraged the faithful who are sick and suffering to “rediscover the beauty of the prayer of the Holy Rosary for the spiritual benefit of priests, in a special way during the month of October.” He also exhorted the sick to participate in Mass and adoration of the Eucharist, “every first Thursday and every first Friday of the month, which are respectively dedicated to devotion to the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.“I would like to remind you that in praying for priests one can obtain special indulgences this year,” the archbishop added. Looking ahead to April 2010, the Polish archbishop asked for their prayers for the pilgrimage of hospital chaplains that is being first in the French towns of Lourdes and Ars to mark the Pontifical Council's anniversary.
Archbishop Zimowski summed up his prayer requests by saying, To you, therefore, dear sick and suffering brothers and sisters, I entrust the Church which needs your prayers and sufferings, the person of the Holy Father
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Pope Benedict XVI, and all the bishops and priests in the world, who strive every day for your sanctification. I ask from you a special prayer for priests who are sick and afflicted in their bodies who every day experience, like you, the weight of pain, together with the force of saving grace which comforts and heals the soul.”
The Polish prelate also urged the sick to pray for “the beatification and canonization of the Servant of God John Paul II” recommending that they offer a prayer for the needs of the Church, authored by the late Pontiff.'
| 10 New Year’s Resolutions to think about for next year |
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1.Don’t miss the boat.
2.Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3.Plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
4Stay fit. When you are 600 years old you might get asked to do something big.
5.Don’t listen to critics. Get on with the job.
6.Build your hopes and future on high ground.
7.For safety travel in pairs.
8.Speed isn’t always an advantage . Snails boarded the ark .
9When you’re stressed let things float. 10.Remember the ark was built by amateurs. The Titanic was built by experts. | |
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CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE ENGLAND AND WALES
Health Care Reference Group |
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The Health Care Reference Group have been meeting both at St Vincent’s Centre and via Teleconferencing to organise their latest offering of guidance and support to Health care workers and Chaplains. The next Conference is planned to be delivered at Liverpool Hope University 24-26 June 2010. Full residential conference fee £260. Details and application forms will be on the HCRG website. The conference is open to all health and social care professionals, of all faiths or none. This is the second of the National Conferences ‘Faith in Health’ organised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and is supported by the Conference of Religious and the Catholic Medical Association. Plenary speakers include Archbishop Vincent Nichols Baroness Flora Finlay, Mr Martin Lupton, Sister Margaret Atkins , Professor Kath McCourt head of Policy RCN , and James Hanvey SJ.and Mrs Jacqui Hall Association of Catholic Nurses speaking about her experiences of serving in a military hospital in Afghanistan. Delegates are able to choose from 14 workshops led by experts in a range of related topics. CPD accreditation is being sought.
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THINK AGAIN AGAIN!!!!!!
A preacher and his wife are very very poor. They already have 14 kids. She finds out she is pregnant with a 15th. They are living in tremendous poverty. Considering their poverty and the excessive world population would you consider recommending an abortion?
A father is sick and the mother has TB. They have 4 children . The first is blind, the 2nd has died, the 3rd is deaf and the 4th has TB. She is pregnant again. Given the extreme situation would you consider recommending an abortion?
A white man raped a 13 year old black girl and she became pregnant. Would you consider recommending an abortion ?
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A teenage girl is pregnant. She is not married. Her fiancé is not the father of the baby and wants to break from the relationship . Would you consider recommending an abortion?
Would you ???????
In the first case you would have killed John Wesley 19th century evangelist . In the 2nd case you would have killed Beethoven. In the 3rd case you would have killed Ethel Waters the famous American blues singer . In the 4th case you have just killed Jesus Christ , Our Lord.
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THE ORDER OF ST CAMILLUS (CAMILLIANS) AND THE ORIGINS OF THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
The order of St Camillus (Camillians) describe themselves as an ‘international Religious community of both Brothers and Priests whose ministry is to care for the sick , suffering , dying , marginalized and the poor. They were founded in the 16th century in Italy and currently have Brothers and Priests working in 32 countries. It is believed St Camillus’s mother experienced a vision at the time of his birth of a cross on his chest. At the age of 25,in Rome, following a leg wound sustained during military service that resulted in frequent hospitalizations ,Camillus experienced a vocation to dedicate himself to God and to the service of the sick and to call others to religious life and to serve the sick. Rome was infested with plague and other diseases. A red cross later worn on the black cassocks of the Camillian order became recognized as the symbol of the order .St Camillus died in 1614 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746.
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The article below contains extracts of an interesting journal item supplied to us by Fr Eric Mead our national chaplain.
‘A Swiss Protestant ,Henri Dunant (1828-1910) was an eye witness of the Camillion Brothers in action at the Battle of Solferino in June 1859 , where nearly 40,000 casualties were cared for by the Red Cross Brothers.He went on to write his bookUn Souvenir de Solferino (1862) , in which he proposed the formation in all countries of voluntary relief societies , for the prevention and alleviation of suffering in war and peace without distinction of race and creed. This led to the formation of the international Red Cross Association, which has since used the emblem of the Camillian Brothers , slightly foreshortened as in the Swiss flag, and adopting of the same tradition of neutrality and service to all. However , nowhere in Henri Dunant’s book does he mention the source of his inspiration…
After 144 years the Red Cross has established a worldwide organization in which the red cross emblem has become recognized as a symbol of humanitarian neutrality. However , it was first used in 1691 as a distinctly Christian symbol’
PRAYER TO ST CAMILLUS
God ,Our Father, You chose St Camillus to bear witness in a special way to the love that Your Son Jesus Christ had for the sick and the dying. We pray, that through the loving intercession of St Camillus, You would send Your Spirit of consolation, encouragement strength and faith upon those who are burdened by illness , to heal them in mind, body and spirit. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ our loving and healing saviour. Amen |
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On July 24th 2009 the RCN chose to adopt a stance of neutrality on assisted suicide following a 3 month consultation of members February – May 2009. Earlier in July the BMA had reaffirmed its 2006 change of stance from neutral to one of opposing assisted suicide arguing that ‘legalized assisted suicide could put unreasonable pressure on the most vulnerable members of our society to accept it.' Whilst the consultation mostly conducted online had reached about 175,000 members out of a total of around 400,000 members the RCN decision was based on a response of only 1,200 members. 49% (588) of respondents had supported assisted suicide, 40% (480) opposed assisted suicide and the remaining opted for a neutral stance. There is too little evidence that the survey response accurately reflects the views of the majority of members of the RCN. The RCN Policy Briefing Document of April 2009 had already stated ‘Assisted suicide is illegal in England and Wales under the 1961 Suicide Act which makes it unlawful to aid , abet , counsel or procure the suicide of another’. In September 2009 Keir Starmer produced guidance on factors that could be taken into account when a decision to prosecute or not prosecute is made and pointed out assisted suicide remains illegal and carries a jail term of up to 14 years so there can be no guarantee that relatives assisting will not be prosecuted. As nurses we should be asking what drives individuals and their relatives to consider an option of assisted suicide? is there a lack of support or service provision that contributes to such a decision by people who may be worn out and unable to make a fully rational decision ? The Catholic agency Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) www.caritas-socialaction.org.uk has recently produced a DVD raising awareness of the spiritual needs of people with dementia. Relatives of mentally alert elderly , who through failing physical health find themselves unable to speak or fully communicate their needs might also find this DVD useful.
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DIARY DATES 2010
NATIONAL ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE AND RETREAT AT WALSINGHAM 2010
TUESDAY 8TH JUNE
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEETING 3.30PM
5.00PM RECEPTION MASS -CHAPEL OF RECONCILIATION
8.00PM PILGRIM SERVICE -CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION/RC PILGRIM BUREAU GROUNDS
WEDNESDAY 9TH JUNE
10.00AM PROCESSION TO THE RC SHRINE
12MD MASS CHAPEL OF RECONCILIATION
8.00PM EVENING PILGRIM SERVICE CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION (OPTIONAL)
NATIONAL AGM,MASS AND STUDY DAY
SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER 2010
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEETING 10.30AM
11.00AM-4.00PM
AGM /MASS/ TALK
COOLOCH CONVENT, LONDON ROAD
NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME
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MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS |
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Membership subscriptions are due for those who have not yet paid for 2010 . Please forward to Mary Farnan National Secretary 26 Charnwood Road , Great Barr , Birmingham B42 1JR
£30 Full members NMC Registered
£15 Retired members, students , and associate members (part time or non NMC registered healthcare workers) |
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER CHRISTMAS 2009 IN PDF FORMAT
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Newsletter
Welcome Janet Muchengwa our new National President –After many years of providing invaluable support to the Association of Catholic Nurses as National President Jacqui Hall has retired from her position as President and handed the badge of office over to Janet our newly elected and first African president in the UK at the AGM at St Vincents Centre, Carlisle Place London December 12th .
Jacqui represented the Association of Catholic Nurses at the inauguration of Archbishop Vincent Nichols at Westminster this year and continues to be our member representative to CICIAMS the International Catholic Committee of Nurses and Medico Social Assistants . As National Secretary I continue maintaining the CICIAMS website for the Association of Catholic Nurses England and Wales
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Jacqui Hall receives Holy Communion from Cardinal Brannigan at the recent CICIAMS international Congress in Mexico March 2009. |
Cardinal Brannigan has since been succeededby Cardinal Zimowski as president to the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care- more details on our website. |
| Christmas 2009 |
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| WEBSITE www.catholicnurses.org.uk EMAIL catholicnurses@msn.com |
| NATIONAL CHAPLAIN Fr Eric Mead ,St Anne's Presbytery ,DevonshireGardens, Cliftonville, CT9 3AF |
| NATIONAL PRESIDENT Janet Muchengwa ,290 Bensham Lane,Thornton Heath , Surrey CR7 7EP |
| NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Gerry Yates Laurel House, 35 Seaview Road , Heron Bay CT6 6JB |
| NATIONAL SECRETARY Mary Farnan ,26 Charnwood Road Great BarrBirmingham , B42 1JR |
| NATIONAL TREASURER Liz Cooney 5 Shefford Road ,Clayton , Newcastle Under Lyme,Staffs ,ST5 3LE |
| CICIAMS REPRESENTATIVE Jacqui Hall 2 Heswall Road,Cramlington,Northumberland NE23 3UU |
| CATHOLIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE Nora McCarthy, 22 Smallmead,Horley,Surrey,RH6 9AX |
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Members preparing for the Holy Mile and later Mass at the Chapel of Reconciliation WALSINGHAM 2009 | |
ASSOCIATION OF CATHOLIC NURSES DIARY DATES FOR 2010
Walsingham Tues. 8th - Wed 9th June 2010
Room Bookings available through Walsingham website www.walsingham.org.uk
AGM Sat. 30th October 11am-4pm 2010
St Vincents Centre Carlisle Place London or Parish Church of the Holy Trinity , Newcastle Under Lyme – venue to be confirmed. | |
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ASSISTED SUICIDE
On 15th December 2009 Keir Starmer QC ,the Director of Public Prosecutions, closed his public consultation on guidelines for prosecution in cases of assisted suicide . The new guidance is due to be published March 2010. An article in the Guardian printed to coincide with the closure of the consultation process informs us that the consultation document draws little distinction between a likelihood of prosecution for relatives supporting individuals through assisted suicide travelling abroad to places such as the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland , which has permitted assisted suicide since 1940 , and those choosing to remain in the UK . The document is also reported to go further in making assisted suicide available than Lord Falconer’s proposed amendment to the Coroners and Justice Act, rejected by Parliament earlier this year by making less distinction between the availability of assisted suicide for the terminally ill and the disabled. The Association of Catholic Nurses still has its 2004 statement in place that was submitted to the House of Lords Select Committee in response to the Joffe Bill acknowledging the pain and distress experienced by patients and carers in end of life situations , the right to adequate pain relief to relieve distress but that ultimately our care delivery should also be guided by our Christian beliefs that all human life is sacred and that no one has the right to intentionally take life. We congratulate Christine Bentley , who has served us for many years on the Executive as President and Vice President on being appointed Trustee of a hospice local to where she lives and works in Kent because of her interest in this area.
The Association of Catholic Nurses has already expressed its dismay through the Catholic press at the RCN decision to remain neutral on assisted suicide in July 2009 in spite of the fact that the BMA had , in the same month, reaffirmed its 2006 change of stance from neutral to opposing physician assisted suicide because of possible abuse through pressures on the most vulnerable members of our society to accept it . In 2007 we also submitted a response to the RCN expressing our concerns at RCN support of an expansion of nursing involvement with abortion .Most members of our Association are RCN members , some active as local representatives , and whilst we value the support of the RCN on employment rights and legal representation there is a danger if we cannot make our own Catholic and Christian beliefs known and understood when ethical decisions are made about our professional practice.
Nora McCarthy one of our long serving members on the Executive Committee has requested a special mention of the additional concerns recent legislation around mental health must raise through which an independent relative or friend can try to make a decision on behalf of an individual deemed to lack capacity since the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards published 2008 and implemented 2009 reinforce a legal right to remove freedom from somebody deemed to lack capacity but not detained under the sections of the current Mental Health Acts.
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ITEMS OF INTEREST
E Learning - A fully online international Certificate in Spirituality ,Health and Healing from Cardinal Stritch Franciscan University USA for nurses accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week but must be completed within 6 weeks . Current conversion price from US dollars is around £91- log on to the Homepage of our website for more details. We have approached Catholic institutions in the UK to see if something could be delivered through a UK Catholic Institution.
Executive Committee on Policy Review - For sometime the members of the Association of Catholic Nurses have had stakeholder involvement on NICE public consultations- I (Mary Farnan) have also had recent individual involvement in an online 3 month consultation process for the Recognising Child Maltreatment document sent out to PCTs and Safeguarding Boards June 2009. We now have a committee set up to try to expand some of our involvements in public policy consultations.
Healthcare Reference Group Jacqui Hall , as President of the Association of Catholic Nurses, has been representing the Association at Healthcare Reference Group Meetings in London . Jacqui, who was awarded the Afghanistan Medal last year has been invited to speak about her experiences of working in the military hospital in Afghanistan at their conference ‘ Beginnings and Endings’ June 24th – 26th 2010 at Hope Hospital , Liverpool
Catholic Medical Association The Guild of Catholic Doctors recently changed its name to the Catholic Medical Association and has moved to Eccleston Square – Nora continues to attend their meetings in London as our representative from the Association of Catholic Nurses
Year For Priests /Year of the Family The Church has designated a Year for Priests June 2009-2010 and our prayers are requested for support for priests in their work and for vocations to the priesthood. Many of us will have sons who have been altar servers , readers or involved in other Church group activities- with an increasing shortage of priests what can parents do better to support vocations.? During the Year of the Family the Natural Family Planning Teachers Association will be raising awareness in Catholic schools of Church teaching on and the health benefits of non invasive natural methods of birth control . The method which requires some discipline for accurate monitoring of fertility during the monthly cycle may be a first choice method or , as many couples now opt for sterilisation after the age of 35, may be an option for those experiencing problems with other methods. Details of courses for additional nurse or midwifery training in NFP are on the Events and Courses page of our website .
With best wishes for a happy and holy new year
from us all Mary Farnan National Secretary
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