When the body and soul separate, we call it death.

There is a tremendous and tragic difference between a living person and a corpse: the absence of the soul, that which makes a body a living body. After death, we recognize that the person of our loved one is somehow no longer present, even if his or her body is right in front of us.

“Death is the separation of the two naturally coexistent parts of the human being: body and soul.”

Our Catholic faith gives us a framework to understand death. In all things, Jesus invites us to rely on his strength. Holding fast to his presence even in the depth of suffering and death, we believe in Christ's promise of resurrection. Through the wisdom of the faith and power of the Cross, we can even face life's greatest trials with trust.