Posted on September 24, 2009. Filed under: 2009 Summer-Fall Newsletter, All Posts, CTF Central, CTF Network, CTF-PC CPE, CTF-PC Conferences, CTF-USA (SOS DRS), English, Formation, Order (MI) - Pastoral Centers, Provinces, Spain, Tres Cantos (Spanish Province) |
Table of Contents – Summer-Fall 2009 – CTF-SOS DRS Newsletter
July 9-15, 2009 in Tres Cantos – Spain.
CTF-Camillian Pastoral Centers Conference 1 took place from July 9-15, 2009 in Tres Cantos, Spain. The week-long event was hosted by the Center for the Humanization of Healthcare, the Spanish Province of the Order, CTF Central and SOS DRS. The Conference was an intense yet enjoyable social, liturgical and work/formation experience. Present were representatives from 4 pastoral centers: Malaika Ribolati (Verona); Fr. John Mosoti MI (Nairobi); Francisco Prat (Madrid); Fr. Aristelo Miranda MI (Manila); 2 members of CTF Central (Dr. Marco Iazzolino and Fr. Scott Binet MD, MI); 4 guest formators: Fr. Arnaldo Pangrazzi MI (Camillianum); Mag. Eva Meunker (Center for Applied Psychotrauma – Vienna); Benedetta Bonato (Italian Medical Research); Consuelo Santamaria (Center for the Humanization of Healthcare – Spain)
CTF-Camillian Pastoral Centers Conference 1 is part of the strategic plan for the Camillian Task Force agreed to at the CTF Leaders Conference in Rome in February 2009. The purpose of the meeting in Tres Cantos was to further promote collaboration between the CTF and the 16 Camillian pastoral centers in the world in the areas of: formation; organizational structure; and responding to disasters. There is already collaboration between the CTF and the pastoral centers in Verona (St. Camillus Project); Nairobi, Kenya (CTF-SOS DRS Project in the slum of Kibera); and Madrid (CTF Pastoral Center 1 meeting).
The work and formation aspect of the conference included the following: examining the history, activities and mission of the CTF – to witness to the merciful love of Christ for the poor and the sick in word, deed and sacrament by serving the medical, pastoral and humanitarian needs of people affected by man-made and natural disasters; teaching and interactive learning in the two areas that comprise CTF pastoral care for disasters – psychosocial and spiritual assistance; reviewing both the Saint Camillus Project (disaster relief in Abruzzo after earthquake) and the CTF-pastoral center pilot project in Nairobi. Social highlights of the conference included a day-trip to Toledo, Spain and the celebration of the Feast of St. Camillus on July 14 with the members of the Spanish Province in Tres Cantos. Daily liturgical highlights included celebrating Holy Mass, Eucharistic adoration and the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the World Mission Rosary.
Particular attention was directed at examining the nature of the pastoral care intervention of the CTF in its psychosocial and spiritual dimensions. In this the participants were particularly informed by the example of St. Camillus and his sons and daughters who through the years have served the poor and the sick in disasters and elsewhere. St Camillus, himself a recipient of mercy, was the founder of a new school of charity (Constitution – Ministers of the Infirm 8, 9). This school finds an excellent expression in the mission of the CTF: to witness to merciful love of Christ for the poor and the sick in disasters. As with the Order, CTF members are called to see the Lord himself in the poor and the sick and to be Christ’s presence to those they serve in His name (Constitution 13).
The CTF pastoral care intervention is one of being, communicating, learning and doing – serving the psychosocial and spiritual needs of those affected by man-made and natural disasters – including victims, families, team members and other relief workers. Providing psychosocial assistance entails detecting needs and accompanying and counseling individuals and the affected community who have experienced normal and abnormal stress reactions to a traumatic event. Recognition, prevention of and providing therapy for abnormal stress reactions, particularly post traumatic stress disorder, is an important part of the intervention. Providing spiritual support is the second dimension of the CTF pastoral care intervention for disasters. This includes assistance in primarily 4 areas:
1) Preparing CTF members for their disaster relief mission in an ongoing manner through cultivating a certain “CTF way of being and doing” that is informed by the Catholic Faith, the Camillian charism and those faith expressions that are particular to the CTF. This cultivation includes liturgical experiences, prayer, the promotion of individual spiritual development, retreats, formation experiences and reading.
2) Supporting disaster victims and family members after a disaster through prayer; sacraments; counseling them in the face of stress, grief, and questions of meaning; establishing and facilitating encounters, including self-help groups for the traumatized.
3) Supporting the CTF team in its spiritual needs during a disaster relief mission through liturgy, prayer and the accompaniment of members by qualified personnel.
4) Facilitating the reintegration of CTF team members into daily life after a disaster relief mission.
The conference participants spent a significant amount of time doing strategic planning as regards collaboration between the CTF and the pastoral centers in the areas of formation, organizational structure and responding to disasters.
Goals and Objectives for 2009-2011
Goal 1 – To progressively implement the developing CTF knowledge platform in pastoral centers with the help of trained formators and formation packages.
Objective 1 (Spain)
- To sensitize the pastoral center staff and students regarding the CTF and its mission
- To give a short course on “grief in disasters” at the 2-day national congress on grief to be held in November 2009 at the Center for the Humanization of Healthcare
- To partner with the Center for Humanization to provide 2-day training sessions on disaster relief as part of the Masters in Counseling.
- To implement the relevant decisions regarding formation that result from the CTF Formation Committee meeting in Verona in October 2009.
Objective 2 (Kenya)
- To sensitize the pastoral center staff and students regarding the CTF and its mission
- To implement the relevant decisions regarding formation that result from the CTF Formation Committee meeting in Verona in October 2009.
- To collaborate with the pastoral center and its clinical pastoral education program so as to prepare people for relief work in man-made and natural disasters.
Objective 3 (Italy)
- To sensitize the pastoral center staff and students regarding the CTF and its mission
- To implement the relevant decisions regarding formation that result from the CTF Formation Committee meeting in Verona in October 2009.
- To continue to develop the collaboration between the CTF and the pastoral of Verona in the Saint Camillus Project in Abruzzo.
Objective 4 (The Philippines)
- To sensitize the pastoral center staff and students regarding the CTF and its mission
- To implement the relevant decisions regarding formation that result from the CTF Formation Committee meeting in Verona in October 2009.
Objective 5 (Burkina Faso)
- To encourage a representative from the pastoral center of the vice-province of Burkina Faso to be present at the CTF-(vice)provinces meeting in Thailand in late 2009.
Objective 6 (India)
- To encourage a representative from the pastoral center of the vice-province of India to be present at the CTF-(vice)provinces meeting in Thailand in late 2009.
Objective 7 (IMR)
- To dialogue with Italian Medical Research, a group of trained formators and a CTF partner in the St. Camillus Project, about working together to develop formation modules and to implement the CTF knowledge platform, particularly as it concerns pro-social information and interventions in disasters.
Goal 2 - To promote a CTF culture of responding to disasters in pastoral centers and elsewhere - primarily as concerns the theological/spiritual and psychosocial aspects of disaster relief, through:
Objective 1 (Short Formation Experiences)
- Organize short courses and 1-3 day conferences
Objective 2 (Pastoral Center Pilot Project – Language Based)
- Organize a meeting of Spanish-speaking pastoral center representatives (e.g. at the pastoral center in Guadalajara, Mexico) with the goal of sensitizing them to the CTF; assessing their formation, organizational and disaster response needs; looking for ways to collaborate in building up a CTF culture of responding to disasters - particularly through distance learning experiences.
Objective 3 (School of Charity)
- To develop and implement the idea of a “school of charity” – a 3-4 week intense experience during which CTF volunteers and members can learn and serve in a disaster setting while experiencing social, liturgical and formation activities in a community environment.
Goal 3 - To further develop the CTF-Pastoral Center Pilot Project in Nairobi, Kenya
Objective 1 (Strategic Planning)
- To engage the members of CTF-SOS DRS Kenya in a strategic planning dialogue
Objective 2 (Strengthening of Existing Collaboration)
- To strengthen the already existing collaboration in the areas of formation (CPE); organizational structure (CTF Office and staff at the pastoral center) and disaster response (ministry in slum of Kibera)
Objective 3 (Promote Collaboration)
- To encourage the members of CTF-SOS DRS Kenya to continue ministry in the area of pastoral care including direct psychosocial and spiritual support of people in the slum of Kibera and examine the development and implementation of prosocial programs directed at the prevention of psychospiritual trauma, particularly in the most vulnerable – women and children.
Objective 4 (School of Charity)
- Together with the Kenyan Delegation, SOS DRS, CTF Central and CTF-SOS DRS Kenya to develop a “school of charity”. As a pilot project, the school will be an opportunity for CTF members and volunteers to have an intense 3-4 week experience of formation and ministry in a community setting. This school of charity would involve the following areas: liturgy, prayer, learning, common-living, and disaster-ministry experiences in the slum of Kibera. All activities would be directed at helping participants to experience the CTF “way of being and doing”.
Goal 4 -To collaborate with the Center for the Humanization of Healthcare in Spain to develop a biennial formation program to promote the CTF culture of responding to disasters in Latin America.
Objective 1 (Strategic Planning)
- Together with CTF Central to develop and implement a distance-learning project in Latin America that involves promoting a CTF culture of responding to disasters. The project would be implemented through 2011 in Latin America together with at least 3 pastoral centers to be chosen in conjunction with the meeting of Spanish-speaking pastoral center representatives in 2010.
Goal 5 - To further explore the role of a pastoral center in promoting the mission of the CTF in its (vice) province or delegation.
Objective 1 (CTF-Provinces Meeting 1 – 2009)
Exploring the role of the pastoral center will receive significant attention at the CTF-Provinces Conference 1 in Thailand towards the end of 2009.
Objective 2 (CTF formation meeting – October 2009 in Verona)
To explore the ways of implementing the various formation initiatives contained in this document and agreed to in principle at the CTF – Pastoral Centers 1 meeting in Tres Cantos, Spain (July 2009).
Collaboration Between CTF and Pastoral Centers
Achieving the Stated Goals and Objectives for 2009-2011
To achieve the above-mentioned strategic planning goals and objectives and to promote further collaboration the conference participants agreed:
1. To develop a CTF formation committee and to convene a meeting in October 2009 at the pastoral center in Verona, Italy.
2. To have a representative of CTF Central make a presentation of the developing collaboration between the CTF and the pastoral centers at the CTF-Provinces meeting to be held in Thailand in late 2009.
3. To convene a meeting of Spanish-speaking pastoral center representatives in Latin America towards the beginning of 2010.
4. To assess and promote collaboration between the various members of the CTF disaster relief network at the CTF Leaders Conference 2 to be held in early 2010. These members include CTF Central; Camillian provinces, vice-provinces, delegations; Camillian pastoral centers, Camillian NGOs [SOS DRS]; lay and religious collaborators.
5. To hold the CTF-Pastoral Centers Conference 2 in Nairobi, Kenya in the summer of 2010.
6. To plan and implement a school of charity experience in the summer of 2010 around the time of the CTF-Pastoral Centers Conference 2 and in association with the CTF-Pastoral Center Pilot Project in the slum of Kibera (Nairobi).
On Behalf of CTF Central – Fr. Scott Binet MD, MI
September 14, 2009
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Table of Contents – Summer-Fall 2009 – CTF-SOS DRS Newsletter
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Posted on September 14, 2009. Filed under: CTF-PC CPE, CTF-SOS DRS Kenya, English, Formation, Order (MI) - Pastoral Centers, Personal Reflections |
Current Events — August 2 – 10, 2009 — Kenya
By Theresia Sinaga
It was August 1, 2009. I had just graduated from the Servants of the Sick Training Center in Nairobi after completing my first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training – 10 weeks of verbatims, visiting the sick in nearby hospitals, and many group and individual encounters. I wanted a break, and one of my fellow CPE students – Fr. Apil – gave me that opportunity. He has completed 2 units of CPE and is a diocesan priest from the Kisumu area in western Kenya.
Servants of the Sick Training Center in Nairobi, Kenya
Theresia Sinaga receives a diploma for Clinical Pastoral Education.
Pictured are (from L to R) Mrs. Botela (Deputy of Matron of Mathare hospital,) Sr. Dervilla O’Donnel (CPE Supervisor, Servants of the Sick Training Center), Fr. John Mosoti (CPE Supervisor & Director of Servants of the Sick Training Center), Students
On August 2, following a spirit-filled Mass at St. Bosco Catholic Church in Nairobi, Fr. Apil Bosco and I embarked on a journey to Tabaka. Our first stop was Uriri, the home of Fr. Bosco’s mother. The seven-hour journey was pleasant, despite the irregularity of the unlighted roads. We arrived in Uriri at about 8:30 pm, where we were warmly greeted. I was surprised to discover that the homes did not have electric service. I wondered how the inhabitants were able to function and assist their children with their studies without electricity.
We spent the night at St. Ann’s convent with the five Fransiscan sisters who reside there. The site also serves as a dispensary, school and a boarding house, where approximately 300 students live and learn. In the morning, I had the opportunity to spend several hours with Sr. Vera, the headmaster. Her heart-rending description of the school and the histories of the individual students touched me deeply. Most of the pupils came from poor families; many were orphans. I was particularly moved by my acquaintance with a timid 9-year-old child by the name of Pauline. Her mother is infected with HIV, and she has no father. Sr. Vera told me that there has been no tuition paid on behalf of the girl for two years. After acquiring more details, I decided to support Pauline by assuming the responsibility of her tuition. I already support four children in my own country, Indonesia. If we do not help them, who will help them? So many have no means of support other than what is provided by benefactors.
The dispensary provides medical services to approximately 20 to 30 patients daily. One of the two nurses who work at the center is a midwife; the other is a pharmacist. There is no medical doctor on staff, as the current budget is insufficient for such services. The sisters have applied to the government for funding for the salary of a doctor, but thus far their request has not been granted. Medication is also in short supply. Presently, medication is purchased with money provided by patients, or an occasional dispersement from the government. The sisters continue to pray for increased funding so that they can provide their patients with more adequate treatment. I was most grateful to have the experience of witnessing this lifestyle of love of the Lord through service to the poor and the sick, and also for the opportunity to be of assistance to this disadvantaged population. Prior to our departure to the project in Tabaka, Fr. Apil and I thanked the Franciscan sisters for welcoming us so hospitably. Thank you, Franciscan Sisters, may God continue to bless your good works in serving the medical and pastoral needs of these people.
The following morning, we departed at 9:00 am for our next destination – Ahero (Kisumu). We arrived around noon to a very warm welcome. Fr. Apil has started a project in Ahero for orphans and widows. I was warmly welcomed – especially by Inda. Fr. Apil then showed me the facility and what he has accomplished there. I saw many hungry children waiting in anticipation for their lunches. The Center serves approximately 117 orphaned children, all between the ages of 2 and 16 years old. The Center provides lunches, but a scarcity of funds prevents the distribution of more than one meal daily. Local widows cook and care for some of the orphans. One widow will often take 4 or 5 children into her home and care for them. Fr. Apil has arranged to provide shelter and support for these widows. Currently, he assists 5 widows who farm and attend to the Center. The project is directly supervised by a man named Charles. He has been managing the project in a volunteer capacity since 2004. He assists in caring for the orphans and widows, and he works as a farmer.
Fr. Apil provided me with some information about the history of the project. In 2004 in Kisumu, he befriended a man from Germany who arranged a visit to Ahero along with some of his associates. There they witnessed the tribulation of the local people as they struggled with the primitive conditions. Aghast, they observed the difficulties suffered by the impoverished population to accommodate the basic necessities of life. People transported water on their heads. There was no electricity, and even food was in short supply. Many perished for lack of basic medical care.
Following a year of observation, the German benevolently provided a water tank at the school adjacent to the Center, thus benefitting the entire community.
Presently, there is a hospital within a reasonable distance from the Center. It is a private hospital, however, and the cost of services is quite formidable. Fr. Apil has been seeking support for medical services for a number of years, to no avail. His hopes have been renewed through getting to know me and the work of CTF-SOS DRS.
Fr. Apil’s account of the German’s intervention to minimize the poverty surrounding the project in Ahero inspired me to contribute to the improvement of the existing pathetic conditions. I recalled a fine lunch which included fried eggs that were served to me upon my arrival. I had inquired as to the source of the eggs, and I was told that they were purchased for 10 shillings each. Upon further inquiry, I discovered that the price of a chicken was 300 shillings. I proposed to provide the project with 10 chickens if they agreed to provide a chicken coop, and explained to them some basic principles of operating a small business. I agreed to evaluate the endeavor after a period of time and consider additional support.
After spending the entire day at Fr. Apil’s project near Kisumu we went to the pastoral center nearby where we stayed overnight. We were waiting for Fr. John Mosoti to arrive the following morning. Fr. John, the director of the Camillian pastoral center in Nairobi and a CPE supervisor, was also interested in the progress of the project. On Tuesday morning Fr. John Mosoti arrived to view and discuss the project. For starters, Fr. Apil proposed that the CTF-SOS DRS fund additional CPE training for Charles.
Next on our agenda was a three-day visit to Tabaka Hospital in Kisi. Fr. John Mosoti, who is from Kisi, was kind enough to transport me there. I was anxious to learn more about the work of the Camillians in order to integrate the efforts of CTF-SOS DRS and their existing programs. I was introduced to some benefactors from Trento, Italy and met Fr. Raphael Wanjau, MI, the director of the Tabaka Mission Hospital, who obligingly gave me a tour of the compound. I also met two other Camillians – Fr. Franco Avi, a doctor/surgeon at the hospital and Br. Albano. For a bit of fu, the Italian benefactors and I visited the Masai Mara, a renowned 1510 square kilometer wildlife reserve. It was a fun and memorable experience, which provided me with the opportunity to network and strengthen my friendship with my new comrades. I am hoping that we will be able to work together in the future to serve God by providing aid to His people in Kenya.
Prepared by
Theresia Sinaga
Nairobi, Kenya
August 25, 2009
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