On June 16, Fr Jan de Jong, SCJ, was honored at St. Camillus as he stepped down from his role as a member of the Professional Advisory Group (PAG) for the Clinical Pastoral Education program. Our thanks to Sue Ott-Holland, a retired spiritual care professional for Aurora Health Care, who provided the following information about the gathering. The photos above are from Br. Duane Lemke, SCJ.
“Present were current students, chaplains and PAG members from St. Camillus along with educators and colleagues who had known and worked with Fr. Jan throughout the years. Beyond balloons, flowers, and cake, Fr. Jan was given a plaque in honor of his service and several rounds of applause.
“Most touching, however, were the many people who stood and shared their memories of his mentoring them, his work to create and lead medical ethics thinking and programs –including the Ethics Committee at Aurora St Luke’s Medical Center – and his friendship. His ability to be with people – listening deeply to what they said versus what he or others wanted them to say, stood out as a theme…
“Throughout our lives we all plant seeds – hopefully seeds of compassion, kindness and wisdom. Fr. Jan was able to see and hear how a few of the seeds he planted spouted deeply in the hearts and lives of those with whom he walked.”
