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Working in healthcare is often challenging. We work hard, and for those of us serving as direct patient caregivers, the deep commitment that requires can often take its toll.
 
It is important to create opportunities that both allow us to reenergize and care for ourselves as well as to reconnect with the very reason we entered healthcare.
 
As the program coordinator of the School of Spiritual Development for Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, I am fortunate to be engaged with fellow Associates as we work to nurture the sacred self. Through our School of Spiritual Development, we encourage our Associates to connect with their spirituality through a variety of programs and experiences.
 
This summer we launched “Midweek Center-gy” sessions, 30-minute programs held on Wednesday and led by different members of the Holy Cross community. The session might include someone reading a poem, playing music or leading various forms of stillness and meditation.
 
There is no registration and no directed result. Instead, we offer participants the opportunity for self-reflection and to find within themselves a sense of renewal. The sessions can be held in any type of meeting space and we have been testing it at various times of the day.
 
One of the leaders of the sessions has been Syndee Schwartz, PT, Senior Physical Therapist, who is a Legacy Leader serving in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. The Legacy Leadership Program at Holy Cross was created to provide Associates with the learnings and experiences to become leaders in maintaining the Catholic Identity and Mercy heritage which is so vibrant at Holy Cross, and equips us to be a transforming, healing presence in our community.
 
The Sisters of Mercy were founded by Catherine McAuley, who after unexpectedly inheriting a fortune at age 50, built a home in Dublin for homeless and abused women. It was a radical action in 1827 and was a result of her desire to live as a compassionate follower of Jesus.
 
Soon, other women joined her small community and often visited the sick in their homes and in hospitals. Local Roman Catholic bishops encouraged Catherine to establish a religious order in the Church that would ensure that the Mercy mission would continue after her death. She took vows as the first Sister of Mercy on December 12, 1831.
 
Through programs such Midweek Center-gy and the Legacy Leadership Program, our Associates strive to become good stewards of our Catholic healthcare ministry—which includes caring for ourselves so that we can stay true to our ministry of caring for the sick.
 
Any Associate who has served Holy Cross for at least one year is eligible to apply to the Legacy Leadership Program. The first year is composed of meetings one day a month off-site followed by weekly gatherings of participants in smaller groups reflecting on select topics.
 
In the second year, participants meet monthly, gathering for prayer, sharing and reflecting on their experience of being a Legacy Leader, and work to help connect us personally to that greater good which is our healthcare ministry.
           
People enjoy unearthing their purpose—even if it takes some of us longer to reach that point of discovery. We strive to help Associates discover and embrace their gifts and talents to be shared with others and connect them to their important role in our larger community.