What began with giving a doll the sacrament of the sick ended up as a real-life lesson. At the end of each school day, my first-grade students loved to play a...
Death and dying
When a person dies by suicide, those left behind often find themselves asking the same painful question: “What could I have done to prevent this?” In most...
None of us want to think of the world going on without us. But if we plan wisely, we can help to leave it a better place for the next generation. For Charlie...
Years ago my sister found herself explaining death to her young son. She tried to present the startling truths in a reassuring fashion. “Well, honey, everyone...
In 2007 New Jersey became the first state to abolish the death penalty since it was reinstated in 1976, joining 12 other states that never reintroduced the...
In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean began a correspondence with two death row inmates in her home state of Louisiana. She eventually became the spiritual adviser to...
The death penalty is still legal in most states, but little by little, the laws that allow executions are being chipped away. Leroy Wright was forced to endure...
It was Mom’s birthday and I was 12 years old. I made her a card that said “I love you mom!” and when I gave it to her I said, “Thank you for being my mom and...
Many years ago, in a period of my life when I was feeling particularly lonely, dissatisfied with my work, and uncertain about the future, I found myself...
This Jesuit had to confront what he believed about God and suffering when his sister became a quadriplegic. But the letters of comfort were what really threw...
