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Iowa's budget woes
threaten CPE program
CHEROKEE - At a time when social problems such as stress in rural areas is growing, Iowa's budgetary woes is threatening to close the Certified Pastoral Education (CPE) program, one of the most important of its kind for this area. Father Eugene Sitzmann of Maryhill, serving since 1972 as training supervisor of the program, just graduated seven new students who join more than 400 others who have been trained at the institute's accredited program. By far the largest number of these now serve in the Diocese of Sioux City as priests, sisters and lay ministers. Notably, the last decade has seen the largest number of enrollments to be lay ministers who now comprise about 75 percent of those taking the course. Yet, due to multiple factors, the final class is near at hand, Father Sitzmann laments, unless community supporters pick up the program and continue it at the local, parish level. It is a certainty that funding of the program by the state will end with his approaching retirement. A rarity for Midwest training centers, the Ecumenical Institute is accredited by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB). For 35 years the program has been offered at the Mental Health Institute as part of its mission to serve Iowans. It has given would be caregivers of various backgrounds the opportunity to be trained in a small group context a variety of clinical and spiritual caregiving skills. Upon returning to their home communities caregivers use these enhanced skills in their various ministries. Growing social problems in rural Iowa are putting a strain on both government and church-sponsored help. Fully 40 percent of all visits to rural doctors are due to stress, according to national studies and readily recognized by the Ecumenical Institute. For example, farmers in particular are 3 to 4 times at greater risk of suicide than the general population. Other statistics indicate that poverty, chronic illness and alcohol abuse are all higher across rural America as compared to metropolitan areas. What this means is that while church-goers expect their pastors to juggle an average of 16 tasks - with spiritual caregiving topping the list - about 40 percent of pastors say they are suffering from burnout, frantic schedules and unrealistic expectations. "Across the nation a high number of pastors are leaving the ministry," Father Sitzmann said. Those who study these things report that nationwide an astonishing 1,400 pastors leave the ministry each month. His latest graduating class is already springing into action, however. Of the seven graduates, five were Catholics - three lay people and two sisters - and two were Protestant ministers. Sister Carol Hanus from Sioux City has been accepted into a one-year CPE residency at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, Wis. Fellow grad Sister Mary Clare Walling of Anthon will provide spiritual care to hospice patients in Tucson, Ariz. The other graduates will remain in their respective communities and offer caregiving there. They are Tom Hinshaw, a Baptist pastor in Storm Lake; Nancy Michels of Sheldon, a youth and pastoral minister to four parishes in that area; BeFriender caregivers Donna Schmidt of Cherokee and Vicki Baxter of Storm Lake and associate pastor Craig Finnestad of Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer. Finnestad said he has troubled people stop by his office at least two or three times a week. "A young man came by last week," he said, "who was deeply depressed because he had lost his job." Because of the training received in the CPE program, Finnestead was able to recognize that this presenting concern while real was likely only the tip of an iceberg of many other concerns. Finnestad said that his training had helped him to direct this troubled young man to other resources in the community as well as serving his immediate needs by attentive listening. "I was able to offer him proper care in his moment of need and had also offered some direction for hopefulness about the future. To me, that's what ministry is all about," said Finnestead. "Too many times we assume things about people," explained Father Sitzmann. "Training helps us see things more clearly and not be startled or afraid to give care." Father Sitzmann, who has been looking for a community partner for some time, namely the local parish in place of a far away institution, has found at least half of his goal. He said an unnamed benefactor has offered an estate gift of $500,000 for the program if sponsors are found in the counties of northwest Iowa to match this gift in order to re-start the program for a new era. When caring sponsors are found the start up of a new community based program will be realized. It will be directed to serving the multiple needs existing and growing in the local parish settings. "We definitely need to find new and generous sponsors," said Father Sitzmann, "to keep this valuable program alive and growing." |
