Chaplains George Burn and Anne Vandenhoeck on building international bridges

Common and Uncommon Ground — Part I

Editor’s Note: The European Network for Health Care Chaplains (ENHCC) held its 9th consultation in Lisbon, Portugal from May 18-21, 2006. Fifty-one representatives of chaplaincy organizations from 27 European countries gathered in a charming retreat center of the Franciscan sisters in the Lisbon hills.

The central theme was Building Bridges - Growing Hope. APC had two observers in Lisbon: Jo Schrader (APC Executive Director) and George Burn. In this article and in Part II which follows in the next issue, George Burn has a conversation about his experience in Lisbon with Anne Vandenhoeck, committee member of the ENHCC and representative for Belgium (and a member of the PlainViews Advisory Board).

ANNE:
What was an American chaplain doing at the consultation of the European Network for Health Care Chaplains in Lisbon, Portugal?

GEORGE:
After 9/11, when the world was busy building walls, I felt that I needed to do something differently. While the US was becoming isolated and the media becoming more one-sided I decided to do two things. First, I found a website entitled Principal Newspapers of the World so that I could read more international views of what was transpiring. The second thing I did was ask to join the European chaplains email network to begin to expand my knowledge of European affairs. What began as a personal journey has transformed into a bridge building effort between continents.

Two years ago when the 8th consultation was held in Dublin, Father Stavros Kofinas, the Coordinator of the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy, made an appeal to the US chaplains listserve for funds that would help some Eastern European Chaplains attend the meeting. We were able to raise a substantial donation that enabled several people to attend that might not have otherwise. When I indicated interest in someday attending the European chaplain’s meeting, Father Kofinas extended a warm invitation to come to Lisbon. I was most honored to accept his invitation.

Anne, what do you feel it meant to the European Chaplains to have a US representative present?

ANNE:
I think it meant a lot to have both Jo Schrader and you as observers at our consultation. The theme of the gathering in Lisbon was 'Building Bridges' among the 27 represented European countries, among our respective religious traditions and theologies, with the European Community and with other chaplaincies in the world. You both represented the American chaplains and that gave us the opportunity to learn from you, in formal and informal contacts. We were very pleased that Jo Schrader gave a session on the APC and the lively discussion afterwards showed how much we had in common and what we could learn from each other. What did you learn from experiencing the European chaplains, George (except from the fact that Belgian chocolate is great and Portuguese Fado is very dramatic)?

GEORGE:
I learned a lot about the issues that Europeans face in trying to build a common network of chaplaincy across Europe. The language barrier is substantial although I was deeply impressed that the sessions were held in English and that many of the chaplains at the meeting were multilingual. Cultural and political barriers have been an issue for all of Europe, but the ENHCC has worked with high-level leaders of the European Union to establish the groundwork for chaplaincy becoming a standard for healthcare throughout the European Union. I also learned that there is a substantial divide in terms of training for chaplains in Western Europe when compared to those who have been recovering from years of Soviet domination. There are shining examples of countries that are blooming after their recent liberation, places such as Latvia, where chaplaincy training is being brought in from Western Europe and individual chaplains are being sponsored to receive training in the west at a rate of one per year. I learned, and it didn't take very long, that you are a wonderful and fun-loving people, sincere in your efforts, and loving in your hearts. I learned that I have new friends across the continent as a result of being there in person. (And yes, I admit, Belgian chocolate is to die for and I've already purchased a Fado CD).

Their conversation will resume in the next issue.

Anne M. Vandenhoeck, a member of the PlainViews Advisory Board, is a research assistant at the Faculty of Theology, Department of Pastoral Theology, of the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Her academic formation includes a master degree in Religious Studies and a master degree in Theology. A Catholic lay woman, she served as a chaplain for more than 13 years in several hospitals in Belgium and the United States. Currently she divides her time between working on a PhD, teaching Pastoral Theology and supervising theology students. She is a CPE supervisor in training. Anne is a member of the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy.

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