Coordinator's Report

 


December 3, 2003

Dear Fellow Chaplains,

December has arrived and it already seems as if Christmas is here! December always is a busy month for all of us. Besides all the preparations that have to be done for the great feast of Christ's birth, we are faced with the loneliness experienced during this "time to be jolly", especially experienced by those to whom we minister. That makes our own preparation even more difficult. This year we will celebrate the Incarnation of the Prince of Peace against the tragic backdrop of wars, bombings and the threat of even more severe escalation, which brings sadness and grief to all.

December is here and time rolls on. In a few weeks we will be entering the New Year of our Lord with great expectations. For us it will be a special year because we will be able to get together again in Dublin for the 8th Consultation of the ENHCC. Kathleen O' Conner, the organizer of the Consultation, has just sent out a letter officially announcing the Consultation, which will be taking place between the 1st-5th of September. She will be posting it as well.

Our Webmaster, Fred Coutts, has worked many hours in assorting the mailing list of all the participants and contacts of the Network. This was a big job and deserves a round of applause!

In the mean time, things have been rolling at a fast speed. Below you will see a report of all the "official" letters that I have written over the past month. Many of these letters are on the news page of our website www.eurochaplains.org/news.htm .
These letters are in three categories: 1) new participants and contacts which have come into the ENHCC; 2) Greeting to national conferences and special persons; 3) various other letters concerning the work of the Network. The journal of letters shows how the ENHCC has spread out and made contacts throughout and beyond Europe.

It is with great joy that we welcome three new participants to the Network: Rev.Drs. Jaap Roosjen of the Netherlands, Kristiaan Depoortere of Belgium and Lenka Payne of the Czech Republic. We hope to meet you all in Dublin! It is also with great joy that we welcome back Ulrike Frank-Schlamberger of Austria. Ulrike is an outstanding participant of many past consultations and has offered a great deal in enriching us with her presence. Ulrike, I am sure that your continued participation in the ENHCC will be an asset to us all and that your warm smile will brighten us along the way!!!

As may have seen on the web page, I have made an effort in writing a greeting to all the international and national conferences in the area of health care chaplaincy. If your national organization is going to hold a conference, I would like to ask that you let me know so that I can write a letter on behalf of all the participants of the ENHCC.

In the new edition of the International Journal Christian Bioethics, the "European Standards for Health Care Chaplaincy" were published! There is no need to say how important this is for each and all of us. I am now in contact with General Editor of the Journal of Pastoral Care so that something can be written about the ENHCC in one of the upcoming editions.

In closing, I would like to wish all of you and yours a holy holiday season. For "God is with us" and "His peace shall have no end"! May His grace, love and peace be with us all.

With great admiration,

Fr. Stavros Kofinas
Coordinator of the European Network of Healthcare Chaplaincy
(Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate)

 

Official Correspondence Record
October-November 2003

1. Welcome letters to new participants and contacts:

  • Rev.Drs. Jaap Roosjen,
    Hospital Chaplain in Mental Health Care/Psychotherapist/CPE Supervisor, Secretary to Board of the Dutch Association of Care Chaplains (VGVZ)

  • Kristiaan Depoortere
    Catholic University Leuven
    Belgium

  • Pastor Lenka Payne
    Conference of the Evangelical Church of the Czech Republic.

  • Pfarrerin Ulrike Frank-Schlamberger
    Protestant Health Care Chaplaincy of Austria
    (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Evangelische Krankenhausseelsorge in Ősterreich)

2. Greetings to:

  • The Chaplains of Associations of Catholic Health Care Chaplains in German Speaking Switzerland, October 2003. (RE: annual meeting)

  • The Chaplains of Associations Protestant Health Care Chaplains in German Speaking Switzerland, October 2003. (RE: annual meeting)

  • Swedish Conference of Health Care Chaplaincies, October 2003 (RE: annual meeting)

  • The International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care held in Rome November 13-15.

  • The CEC Conference on Bioethics and Biotechnology held in France (November 26-27)

  • Dr Alison Elliot
    Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (RE: her nomination)

  • Rev. Gunilla Malmborg
    Chairperson of the Association of Health Care
    Chaplains in the Church of Sweden (RE: congratulations for election as chairperson)

3. Communication:

  • Richard Fischer
    Executive Secretary of
    The Commission of Church and Society
    Strasbourg Office of the Conference of European Churches
    (RE: establishment of contact with Commission)

  • Rev. Jan-Anders Pettersson
    Chairman
    The Free Church Council of Sweden Committee for Health Care Chaplaincy
    Box 173, 191 23 SOLLENTUNA, Sweden.
    (RE: Donation)

  • Most Rev. Javier LOZANO B.
    Archbishop Emeritus of Zacatecas, President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care. (RE: establishment of contact).

  • Pater Dr. Manfred Entrich
    Director of the Department Pastoral Care of the Conference of German Bishops, Roman Catholic Hospital Association of Germany (RE: establishment of contact).

  • Dr. Orlo Strunk Jr.
    Editor of the Journal of Pastoral Care (RE: article to be published in JPC)

  • Rev. David Mitchell
    Joint Editor of the Scottish Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy (RE: article to be published)

  • Prof. Corinna Delkeskamp-Hayes
    Issue Editor of the Journal of Christian Bioethics (RE: Standards Document published in the CB)