Enriching. Informative. Explore the depth and breadth of the Catholic faith at St. Mary’s One Topic One Night evenings.
Saint Mary of Gostyn
Saint Mary of Gostyn
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The One Topic One Night speaker series aims to provide our parish a platform to foster dialogue, cultivate enriching ideas, and continue an appreciation of learning as an active and lifelong process. The name says it all: in one night, usually under an hour, we dig deep into one specific topic, for example Celibacy and the Priesthood, Relativism or Same Sex Attraction. These evenings explore issues and topics of our faith in a more in-depth manner than can be covered in a homily, and provides time for follow-up questions and answers.
one holy catholic apostolic church
Recent One Topic One Night
Our recent One Topic One Night covered End-of-Life Issues and what the Catholic Church teaches.
End-Of-Life issues were the subject of a recent ONE topic ONE night discussion. Debra Kelsey Davis, RN and Kelly Johnson, Adult Faith Formation here at Saint Mary of Gostyn and co-founders of Nourish for Caregiver walked through the guiding Catholic Principles and Directives from the USCCB, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops.
Here are some highlights.
While recent advancements in medicine bring means of living longer and healthier lives, they also bring new and complex questions, in regards to medical treatments and decision-making. We are called to continually form our consciences to make morally good judgements, even as we or a loved-one nears the end of our days.
Some of our most challenging moral decisions come in the final months and even hours of life, as we navigate the complex issues of nurturing life and respecting the dignity of the human person.” USCCB Life Matters: to the End of Our Days.
Undergirding these decisions are basic truths of our Catholic faith: the sanctity of life, the redemptive nature of suffering and our hope in the resurrection. The USCCB further aides in these end-of-life decisions with Directives, or guide post to support and direct end-of-life decisions. As an overview:
- Directive 55 describes the comfort and care that should be given to dying patients.
- Directives 56-59 discuss the ethical norms for either using or forgoing procedures designed to prolong life, including an understanding of the terms ordinary or extraordinary means, and excessively burdensome.
- Directive 61 speaks to pain management, especially as a loved-one nears death.
Deb and Kelly unpacked several key Catholic documents, including the USCCB Ethical and Religious Directives for Health Care Services. Links to the resources’ web sites are available below. These resources, which include Catholic Advanced Health Care Directives, can be used to open dialogue with family members to express the morals and values we as Catholics hold true and let loved-ones know our wishes.
End-Of-Life Resources
- USCCB - United States Council of Catholic Bishops - Ethical and Religious Directive for Catholic Health Care Services - www.usccb.org/about/doctrine/ethical-and-religious-directives/
- Catholic Conference of Illinois - Encouraging End of Life Conversations - www.ilcatholic.org
- National Catholic Bioethics Center - End of Life Guide - www.ncbcenter.org
- CHA - Catholic Health Association of the United States - Caring for People at the End of Life and Expressing Your Health Care Wishes - www.chausa.org