Cover

Surviving suicide

By Scott Alessi
When a loved one’s death is self-inflicted, those left behind face a seemingly insurmountable grief. Breaking the deadly silence that surrounds suicide may be the first step toward healing.

Sidebar:

What every church should know about preventing suicide

Web-only sidebar:

Is suicide a sin?

Feature

Mind, body, and soul

By Wendy Donahue
Alzheimer’s disease can destroy a lifetime of cherished memories, but a person’s faith is one thing that is often unforgettable.

Web-only sidebar:

Tips for connecting with someone who has Alzheimer’s

Expert Witness

Marriage counseling

An interview with Cardinal Walter Kasper
Church teaching can’t be divorced from pastoral concern when working with remarried Catholics, says this theologian and longtime Vatican insider.

Reader Survey

Reporting from the trenches

By Kira Dault
The often messy challenges of modern family life don’t fit neatly into the church’s current teaching, say U.S. Catholic readers. In Feedback, readers give the bishops some advice on handling family affairs.

Essays

(Essays, short stories, and poems may not be available online.)

Essay: Rite of passage

By Janet Shook
What began with giving a doll the sacrament of the sick ended up as a real-life lesson.

Essay: Father Jim

By Brian Doyle
Life always leaves us atop a mountain of memories.

Essay: Act naturally

By Patrick McCormick
Natural law calls us to dialogue—not just to follow a set of man-made rules.

Practicing Catholic: Animal house of worship

By Angelo Stagnaro
Once a year the church goes to the dogs—not to mention the cats, hamsters, and snakes—in celebration of St. Francis’ feast.

Departments

Editors’ Note

You May Be Right (Letters to the Editor)

Signs of the Times (News)

Catholic Tastes (Humor)

Culture in Context: Music, film, and book reviews

At Home with Our Faith (Family spirituality)

Eye of the Beholder (Art meditation)

Glad You Asked: What is liberation theology?

Columns

The Examined Life: Patron of the poor
By Meghan J. Clark

Margin Notes: Starving for attention
By Kevin Clarke

Culture in Context: Dare not to share
By Meghan Murphy-Gill

Testaments: Live for the moment
By Alice Camille