Death and dying Archives

Life and death with a Jesuit: Father James Schall on the important things

Interviews
Jan 29, 2019

Jesuit Father James V. Schall had a close call at the age of 91 earlier this month. He spoke to Crux about life and death, and what he thinks is most important to be happy.

New survey documents how people deal with grief at Christmas

Church in UK and Ireland
Dec 11, 2018

For most people, Christmas is a joyous time for family and friends; but this joy can turn to grief when those family and friends have died.

Volunteers keep vigil so the dying won’t be alone in their last moments

Catholic News Service, Church in the US
Oct 8, 2018

Ignatian volunteers spend time with patients in their last moments as part of the No One Dies Alone program at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington.

Priest’s hospital room mix-up allows dying woman to receive sacraments

Catholic News Agency, Faith
Jan 6, 2018

A priest in Los Angeles went into the wrong hospital room, and the mistake ended up being “spectacular” as the person he mistakenly visited was dying and was able to take Communion.

Realizing today may be one’s last day changes how one lives, pope says

Catholic News Service, Vatican
Nov 17, 2017

During his morning Mass on Friday, Pope Francis said it does people good to recognize they will not be on this earth forever. “To think about death is not a terrible reverie, it’s reality. If it’s terrible or not depends on me, what I think about it, but whether it will be, it will be,” he said.

Parish cemeteries: A labor, but also a labor of love

Catholic News Service, Church in the US
Nov 2, 2017

Parish cemeteries are “not all that uncommon” in the Midwest, said Grant Emmel, who is charged with keeping tabs on the 125 cemeteries in the Madison Diocese. “It’s the perfect ministry, because it’s right there, it’s right in the middle of your parish … our parents are there, our grandparents are there, our kids are there.”