The Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres HealthCare Ministry (SPCHCM), relentlessly pursuing excellence in the Healthcare industry, celebrated its 28th Annual Assembly with the theme: “Pauline Spirituality and Interculturality towards Transformative Leadership and Mission.” It was held in Perpetual Succour Hospital, Cebu City last March 8-10, 2018.
The three - day assembly was bundled with exceptional wisdom, extraordinary insights, and empowering revelations from the different resource speakers. The talks edify the soul, help build a genuine relationship from within, transform and strengthen one’s character and connect diverse cultures and synergize differences. Above all, the assembly gives clarity, unity, focus, and sense of ownership on the Mission and Values of the Ministry.
It was a great privilege to be one of the participants of the assembly. I can’t deny the fact that I was moved to continue the race and level up the excellence in the Healthcare Ministry. Yes, challenges are inevitable in the industry, especially in the area of competition and in the delivery of optimum patient care. But God’s grace abounds all the more for those who believe in the purity of the Mission, setting aside the mindset of competition.
“The child who has never had a meal outside his own home thinks that only his mother prepares a good meal” from an African proverb as quoted by Sr. Lilia Therese, opened the grounds of the theme on Interculturality. She spoke about interculturality as a multi-directional exchange and enrichment. It is all about claiming one`s culture, origin, experience and encounters, moving towards the emphatic relationship with the other to understand his/her culture and interact amidst differences. Challenging us to develop this intercultural competence, we, as health care givers need to bear in mind that we promote holistic healing.
I was so ignited by the words of wisdom shared by Fr. Ramon Bautista,SJ,
“It is our spirituality that sets us apart in the healthcare market. What will distinguish us as an institution is not really our medical competence, state-of-the-art technologies but it’s our spirituality. Mission and Spirituality go hand in hand. Spirituality without a mission is like embarking on a journey without a clear destination.”
Everything we do should be anchored in the Gospel of Christ and intensified in our Christ-centered Spirituality – the living out of the Gospel and creating a terrain and a climate of Pauline Spirituality.
The theme of the assembly reminds us of the existence of cultural diversity which is a great factor to be addressed in the fulfillment of our mission in the Healing Ministry.
“Individual differences may affect our relationships and even in the delivery of healthcare, but we should treat interculturality as an asset rather than a liability”, Fr. Ramon Bautista, SJ.
Sometimes it may appear as a liability, but it will strengthen a diverse culture. There’s a need for all of us to embrace one’s differences to create synergy in the ministry, and in the community.
“There are many things that I (in my giftedness) can do which you cannot do. And there are many things that you (in your uniqueness) can do which I cannot do. But united we can do great things together.”- Mother Teresa
Our Pauline Spirituality is our means to sustain the organization while Interculturality is our context and setting as to where the organization will go further. But transformative Leadership should be established to develop agents of change who will fulfill the overall purpose and aim of the Healthcare Ministry.
“The Leaders should be the guardian and model of living the Mission, Vision and Values of the organization. Espouse to live the spirit by which it was founded” – Atty Pilar Almira
Comprehending what the speaker says, it takes integrity and transparency in settling conflicts that may occur. She added that “Leadership is about winning hearts and engaging everyone.” True enough, everything will start with “engaging” as what apostle Paul did, that even in the midst of his imprisonment, he never failed to engage the people for the sake of the Gospel. He did not stop connecting with the community. Same is true with our journey in the Healing Ministry. Let us not be downhearted if we do not hit the target but rather be transformed and be renewed by the “love of Christ that impels us”.
In additional, I learned from Dr. Baua and Mr. Fave that self-awareness has a vital role to play in every individual within the organization. It synergizes differences, connects culture diversity thereby producing intercultural competence and develops cultural knowledge.
“If the organization can provide a culturally congruent healthcare, this will yield a positive health culture. Love and Compassion transcends differences” – Dr. Ma. Elizabeth Baua
However, multigenerational or varied generation workforce in the healthcare setting is also contributory to the execution of the mission. We should not allow that state of multigenerational workforce change the mission or even the organization, instead fill up the generation gap within to catalyze a positive working environment and increase the level of acceptance, understanding and respect of individualism.
It takes a leap of Faith to make a grand slam in the race of Healthcare Services. If you wish to go fast, run alone, but if you aim to go farther beyond what you can see or imagine, run together!
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”- Hebrews 12:1-2
By:
Roland Kharl A. Castaños,RPh.,MPH
St. Paul Hospital, Tuguegarao