Resources
Faithful guidance for families & caregivers.
Catholic Ethical Guidance
Foundational Catholic guidance on human dignity, serious illness, end-of-life care, and ethical healthcare decision-making.
Making Medical Decisions
Resources to help families think through difficult medical decisions in a way that respects the dignity of the person and Catholic moral teaching.
A Catholic Guide to End-of-Life Decisions
This is a second downloadable document offered by NCBC, which provides a brief and clear explanation of Church teaching on advance directives, euthanasia, and physician-assisted suicide, with a glossary of terms, as well as sample advance directive and power of attorney forms.
Catholic Principles for Medical Decision Making
The NCBC teaches that end-of-life care should uphold the dignity of every person by providing compassionate care, effective symptom relief, and appropriate life-sustaining treatment while allowing patients to decline treatments that are excessively burdensome or no longer beneficial. The goal is neither to prolong life at all costs nor to intentionally hasten death, but to accompany patients with compassion and respect until natural death.
Now And At The Hour of Our Death Making Moral Decisions at the End of Life
Planning Ahead
Resources to help you prepare for future medical decisions in a way that honors Catholic teaching and your loved one’s dignity.
Advance Directive example from 18th Annual Divine Mercy Medicine, Bioethics, and Spirituality Conference, 2023.
Article by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, the Director of Education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center on Death and Dying
Of Proxies and POLSTs: The Good and Bad of End of Life Planning
Article by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, the Director of Education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center on Death and Dying
Hospice, Palliative Care & Pain Management
Guidance on comfort care, pain relief, hospice, and palliative care from a Catholic perspective.
This downloadable document offered by NCBC explains the similarities and differences between palliative care and hospice, as well as the challenges each presents.
Killing the Pain, Not the Patient: Palliative Care vs. Assisted Suicide
This PDF explains the difference between assisted suicide and end-of-life care.
Caring for a Loved One Near the End of Life
Support for families accompanying a loved one through serious illness, decline, or the final stages of life.
Practical Caregiving:
A Nonprofit Christian life-affirming organization that strives to protect, support, and advocate for medically vulnerable persons and provide various resources for their caregivers
Published by HALO
Accompaniment:
Kathy Kalina, RN, sheds light on what meaningful support for the terminally ill may look like.
by Michelle Johnson
Explores the meaning of the word compassion and the importance of human contact and accompaniment of a loved one facing their final journey home.
Explores the notion that a “good death” is characterized by a sense of wholeness and well-being provided by being surrounded by loved ones as opposed to a “poor death” often manifested by fear and anxiety of institutionalization.
See EWTN’s interview with the founders regarding their mission. Use this promo code on their website to save 25%: DIVINEMERCY
HALO- A Gentle Approach: Communicating with a Person Who is Semi Conscious or Presumed in a Coma.
Patrick Madrid’s Personal Reflection
Inviting Someone to Choose God on their Deathbed
Books and Longer Formation
by Carolyn Humphreys
An updated version of the original 15th-century text, still applicable today. It explores the five temptations that often accompany the dying and provides five pathways of encouragement toward holiness during this final battle on Earth.
by Pete Huguet
by Emily S Chapman and Dr Scott Hahn
Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, Director of Education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center on Death and Dying, shares insights on the end of life on Earth.
Reflections and Articles
Understanding basic principles of care and preparing for the transition of a loved one into eternal life.
article by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, the Director of Education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center on Death and Dying
article by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, the Director of Education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center on Death and Dying
article by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, the Director of Education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center on Death and Dying
Bringing Christ to the Clinic
article by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, the Director of Education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center on Death and Dying
Resignation to the Will of God in Death
A sure means of salvation From the writings of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: “Many people are tormented at death with the remembrance of their sins, and seeing that they have done no penance, are tempted to despair.” He tells us that there is a perfect remedy – “Namely, to accept death and unite your death with that of Jesus Christ. And I do not at all doubt that he who is grieved for having offended God and accepts death willingly in satisfaction for his sins will immediately obtain pardon.” From the book “Preparation For Death” by St. Alphonsus Maria de Ligouri, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: “To accept death in order that the will of God may be fulfilled, merits for us a reward similar to that of the martyrs, because they accepted death to please God. He who dies in union with the will of God makes a holy death; and the more closely he is united to it, the more holy death he dies. The Venerable Blosius declares that an act of perfect conformity to the will of God at the hour of death not only delivers us from Hell but also from Purgatory.”
Prayer & Spiritual Support
Prayers and spiritual resources for patients, families, caregivers, and those accompanying the dying.
Prayers for the Sick and Dying
a Diocese of St. Petersburg publication
The blessing of the sick by the ministers of the Church is a very ancient custom, having its origins in the practice of Christ himself and his apostles.
Additional copies of this card available from: Our Lady Of The Rosary Library 11721 Hidden Creek Road • Prospect, KY 40059 2d each plus $2.00 S&H in U.S. • Outside U.S. see Order Form Visit our website to review other material we offer: www.olrl.org.
Spiritual Reading:
This first-hand account of Jesus’ revelation of the Father’s Mercy upon mankind has been referred to as the second-greatest book aside from the Holy Bible. St. Faustina captures the direct revelation of Jesus’ words to her in this diary, which has been approved by the Catholic Church. In it, Jesus describes how trust in Him is the bridge between mankind’s misery and God’s loving mercy being poured out to all during this unique time in salvation’s history.
Sacramental Support Guidance
The Apostolic Pardon is a special blessing normally given by a priest to a Catholic who is in danger of death, often together with the sacraments of Confession, Anointing of the Sick, and Viaticum. A priest may use either of these forms:
“Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come. May he open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy. Amen.”
“By the authority which the Apostolic See has given me, I grant you a full pardon and the remission of all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”