Tag: end of life

On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

It’s important to affirm life at the time of death

As we approach the end of October observed as Respect Life Month and All Souls’ Day on November 2, our thoughts turn towards the end of life.

I think our society today avoids issues of suffering and death. Some say we live in a “death-defying and death-denying” society.

Denying death

As Jeffery A. Johnson says in an article called “Denial: The American Way of Death” (www.OrthodoxyToday.org), modern Americans seems to be “preoccupied with the preservation of youth and beauty.” He says that “society seems content to cling to the illusion that youth — and life — can last forever.”

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John Bohn, MD, For the Catholic Herald

Patient befriending and advocacy

Third in a series on the recent conference on “Dignity at the End of Life, from Suffering to Hope,” held in Fitchburg.

“Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” St. Teresa of Calcutta

An opportunity presents itself

We are frequently given opportunities to do “small things with great love” for others. Unfortunately, we often pass many of these up due to simple lack of awareness.

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John Bohn, MD, For the Catholic Herald

From grief and disability emerge hope and meaning

Second  in a series on the recent conference on “Dignity at the End of Life, from Suffering to Hope,” held in Fitchburg.

Did God vanish?

Imagine this: You are a healthy, 30-year-old husband, father, and accomplished musician — active, repeatedly successful, and comfortably employed.

Suddenly, you wake up one day to find you are numb to all sensation below your waist. More symptoms follow, resulting in weeks of tests and still more tests.

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On
John Bohn, MD, For the Catholic Herald

Conference held on Dignity at the End of Life

First in a series on the recent conference on “Dignity at the End of Life, from Suffering to Hope,” held in Fitchburg.

FITCHBURG — There’s no escaping it — we are all going to die.

Although it may result from a sudden event, census trends predict that most of us will experience the end of life after an extensive period of “old age”. This period often brings us new challenges in the form of physical or cognitive disabilities.

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On
Mary C. Uhler

To live each day with dignity: Dealing with illness and death with faith, hope, and love

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

We all know that we will eventually face illness, disabilities, and death of our family members, friends, and ourselves. Despite the inevitability, it is difficult to think about and even more difficult to talk about issues involving sickness and dying.

Yet, these are issues we must confront and deal with — and our faith can provide a great deal of guidance and support. As we conclude Respect Life Month, we should remember that respect for life must encompass respect for the disabled, the elderly, the sick, and the dying.

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