New beginnings. Rediscovering the soul of the ministry

Perhaps the word we hear most frequently about healthcare in the United States, with all its complexities and wrenching questions, is "crisis." In the biblical tradition, the Greek word "crisis" is generally translated as "judgment." But this judgment does not usually refer to God's judgment for our sins, but rather the judgment that people's response to an important event provokes. Crisis in Catholic healthcare refers to a moment of judgment and a moment of decision. This time of crisis is a time for choices and a time for a great new beginning. Among the many signs of hope is the broad-based call for the transformation of the Catholic healthcare ministry through creative motivational programs in leadership development. The dual purpose of leadership development programs is to ground people's work in a clearer understanding of the meaning of the Catholic healthcare ministry and to strengthen their commitment to its survival. Leadership development programs serve to remind us of the gracious and grace-filled reality of which we are a part. They are an exploration into God. They enable us to recognize our own gifts, the needs of our people, the amazing and gracious traditions in which we stand, and the blessing that is always there in the midst of crisis.