Mission Resources

Mission Leader Examen

The Examen exercise by Saint Ignatius offers mission leaders a means for reflection mid-way or at the end of the day. It is available in hardcopy as a card or downloadable 8.5 x 11 page, as a video reflection to post on intranets and also as an MP3 audio file that can be used on commutes, while working out or at the end of the day.

Visio Divina – A Process Guide

This resource outlines the four-fold process of Visio Divina — Gazing, Reflecting, Responding, Resting. To be used individually or in groups, cardholders are invited to use use the eye of the soul to contemplate art — such as a painting, sculpture, items found in nature. Visio Divina provides a centering moment in today’s hectic environment and can be shared across a health organization, including break rooms, chapels, reflection areas, patient and waiting rooms, as well as with individuals at meetings or for use at their workspaces.

Lectio Divina – A Process Guide

This resource guides the user through Lectio Divina to meet God in reading, mediation, prayer and contemplation in and through scripture.

Member Exclusive

The formal discernment process guide fosters greater clarity and effectiveness in strategic decision-making in service to the common good

Formal Discernment Process Flyer

This discernment guide is a companion to a series of resources from the Catholic Health Association of the United States to guide and support leaders in their critical responsibilities to advance and safeguard the health ministry of the Catholic Church. We hope this guide will help foster greater clarity and effectiveness in strategic decision-making in considering the impact of potential decisions on the Catholic identity and mission of organizations in service to the common good.

Mission Leadership; a woman serves as the face of her organization and its mission

Mission Leader as a Career Brochure

Mission Leadership is marked by a demonstrated grasp of both the complexities of health care as a business and the unique theological, moral and spiritual expectations placed on a health care provider that claims Catholic identity. This is challenging work in an industry where health care is more often understood as a commodity that is sold to those with the resources to pay for it. This work calls for leaders who recognize and respond to a call to service — a call that comes from God and “raises an echo in their hearts” — that is lived out and resounds in the communities in which these leaders work.

Other Resources

Food for the Journey

This essential formation resource is a newly updated edition of the original authored in 1991 by Sister Juliana Casey, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe, Mich. Food for the Journey offers the story of Catholic health care as a sacrament of Christ’s healing mercy in our day. It provides leaders with insights into the relationship of the health care ministry of the Catholic Church, the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ, the social teaching of the Church and health care for those persons who are poor and vulnerable by way of tangible examples and easy to understand theological concepts.While the text of the 2013 edition of Food for the Journey remains the same as the original, the look has been updated. It is now available in several formats (see below) with the audio books being narrated by Sr. Juliana.A set of 5 note cards featuring the chapter cover images in the CHA resource, Food for the Journey: Theological Foundations of Catholic Healthcare Ministry are available here.

Voices from the Journey

Published in 2015, the centennial year of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, Voices from the Journey celebrates the people of Catholic health care. Readers can reflect on their own personal experiences through the perspectives of a housekeeper, a sponsor, a physician, a family member, a patient and others through vivid personal narratives set in clinics, hospitals and continuum of care facilities.Each chapter begins with “The Word,” a Gospel proclamation or story of how Jesus spoke and acted, and continues with the voice of someone in the health care ministry who lives the Scripture day to day. Each chapter concludes with a blessing for all who share that voice’s role, followed by questions for personal or group reflection.The author, Sister Juliana Casey, Ph.D., a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe, Michigan, builds on her highly-regarded book Food for the Journey, which offers insights into the health care ministry of the Catholic Church, the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ, the social teaching of the church and health care for those persons who are poor and vulnerable.Like its predecessor, Voices from the Journey will inspire and encourage the women and men who embody the healing ministry of Jesus and will provide a message of compassion and hope for those they serve.