In our fallen world, death is inevitable. Yet, the Catholic Church shows us that although death is an enemy, we need not fear it.

Our culture views death as something to fear, hide away, ignore, or try to conquer. Scripture also sees death as an enemy but in a very different way. Instead of mask...

At death, the moment of the separation of body and soul, God judges us based on how we lived our life and send us to our eternal destination.

As part of its mission to help Catholics understand, live, and share their faith, the Augustine Institute encourages individuals and families to think abo...

God did not abandon us to death but in his unfathomable mercy sent his Son to save us.

God did not will the disorder, suffering, illness, and pain that sin introduced to the world. He desired to come in solidarity with his creation, live a truly human life, and give our story a remarkable, hopef...

We must avoid falling into two tendencies: that there is nothing after death or that everyone immediately enters heaven.

The first pitfall to avoid is a worldly skepticism that after death, that’s it. This materialist viewpoint says we do not have immortal souls and, after death, are no differen...

When we die in God’s friendship but with a heart not yet perfected, we need further purification before entering the holiness of God’s presence. This final purification is called purgatory.

Purgatory is purification—purgation—after death before we can see God face-to-face. If we cooperate with h...

Cremation is permissible, but the Church does not recommend it because it does not bear full witness to the resurrection of the body as traditional earth burial does.

Whereas Platonists and other ideologies believe that only the soul can join God in Heaven, Catholics believe in the resurrection ...

By bringing our children to funerals, we invite them into the reality and mystery of death. This experience helps them develop empathy and compassion for others.

In our culture today, we often push death aside and pretend it doesn’t exist. We may think it would be better to hide children from pa...

The end of life is a privileged time: we can experience healing in our relationships as we make amends with God, family, and friends and prepare for the last step of our journey to eternity.

For many individuals and families, the end of life can be a challenging time filled with the unknown. How...

Palliative care is comfort care that can be implemented with or without an end goal of being cured. Hospice is concerned with keeping patients comfortable after they decide to cease aggressive, curative treatment.

Although many people—even medical professionals—may use the terms interchangeably,...

This approach to medicine allows patients the freedom to contemplate and assess their emotional and spiritual needs as they near the end of life.

The main goal of palliative care is to help with symptom management, but it goes beyond just physical pain. With proper treatment, patients are better...

Palliative care is a branch of medicine that cares for patients’ well-being in three key categories: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

Palliative care seeks to alleviate physical pain while also recognizing emotional and spiritual needs during a patient’s serious or terminal illness. These doc...

As part of its mission to help Catholics understand, live, and share their faith, the Augustine Institute encourages individuals and families to think about and prepare for death.

As part of its mission to help Catholics understand, live, and share their faith, the Augustine Institute encourages individuals and families to think about and prepare for death.

Palliative care treats patients holistically to both alleviate physical ailments and improve mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

The symptoms, side effects, and stresses related to a chronic or terminal illness take a considerable toll on patients and their families. Palliative medicine...

Heaven is perfect communion with perfect love. It is the entrance into the divine life of the Triune God, who is all truth, love, and beauty.

Heaven is above and beyond the capacity of human words to describe. Our imagination cannot fathom heaven's glories and the joys God promises us if only we...

Sin brought suffering and death into the world, but God uses even our trials to draw us to himself.

Suffering first entered the world when the devil rebelled against God. He then tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God. Because of the Fall, humans experience sin and its effects.

“God never allows a...

We pray that in their last moments, individuals who committed suicide knew they were loved, turned to God to seek forgiveness, and received his mercy.

The death of a loved one through suicide is unimaginably tragic. Some people believe that the souls of individuals who commit suicide are automat...

Oftentimes, our loved ones who are at the end of their life can sense their own mortality and understand they are nearing death. By contemplating the mortality of our own life, we can better prepare ourselves to enter into meaningful conversations with our loved ones before they pass.

God allows miscarriages in his permissive will, but these tragic losses are incredibly difficult for us to understand.

The word “miscarriage” has a poor connotation: losing a child in the womb is not the fault of the mother. Although we may never understand on this side of heaven why these painf...

The journey through grief happens in stages: accepting the loss, processing it, adapting to a new normal, and moving forward.

Coping with death requires us to accept the loss of our loved one and let ourselves experience emotions. Grief groups can be a powerful way to process alongside other peo...

Many Catholic cemeteries offer free burial services for families who experience a miscarriage or the death of a newborn.

Catholics believe that human life is sacred from conception to natural death. As such, many Catholic cemeteries participate in a pregnancy or infant loss program.

At no cost ...

Cremation does not mean God cannot or will not raise that person’s body on the last day.

Traditional burial gives a fuller witness to our hope in the resurrection, and the Church recommends it over cremation. However, God does not exclude someone from the future resurrection of the body simply b...

Cemeteries can be a place of healing where we remember and pray for our deceased loved ones.

What should we say or do when we visit a grave or niche? Many people find it peaceful to walk through cemetery grounds or simply sit by the tombstone. Whether we say a decade of the rosary, offer specifi...

No part of the funeral liturgy is accidental—even the smallest components have significance.

Through the Church, God meets us in our most fundamental need. Christ, who is fully present in the liturgy, walks with us every step of the way through pain, sorrow, and grief.

“There is no more wonderf...