Recently a story about a Detroit priest’s homily at the funeral of a young man who died by suicide created a media storm. The parents were upset, the priest was attacked, and everyone had an opinion. I read the homily and, as
There is rarely anything uplifting about young death. Young death is a tragedy, a heartbreaking result of our fallen world, and God our Father only knows the reasons behind it. Over this year’s Christmas holiday, young death most unfortunately visited a family
Two items in the news at the start of Advent seemed to be the world’s nod of appreciation for our need for this reflective, penitential season. The first was the passing of President George Herbert Walker Bush. Although at times it seemed
Question: In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says that we should not despair for those who have taken their lives because, “By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance” (No. 2283). Can we assume
Question: We hear in the Gospel where Jesus says, “Let the dead bury their dead” (Mt 8:22). Yet, burying the dead is one of the corporal works of mercy. How do you resolve these things? — Paul VanHoudt, Erie, Colorado Answer: “Let
Many people who attend a Catholic funeral for the first time will often remark how beautiful it is. Steeped in centuries-old custom and ritual as Catholic funeral rites are, that’s understandable. But the most important aspect about Catholic funerals is that they
It’s inevitable. We will all face the death of a loved one in our lives — most of us many times. As a physician, I thought I knew what to expect, but nothing prepared me for the devastating pain I experienced when
It is one of the most important events a Catholic community celebrates in a person’s life, but one so often misunderstood and increasingly ignored. The funeral Mass. The funeral liturgy in a church setting is a final opportunity to commend the deceased
That’s a stark question, one that sounds especially harsh to ears accustomed instead to our society’s message of relentless pursuit of immortality and eternal youth. And yet, as the old saying goes, death is one of the few certain things about this