Tag: died

On
Fr. Donald Lange

Widows contribute much to the Church and family

Losing a beloved spouse to death is one of the most painful human experiences. I saw this pain in my mother, two sisters, and other married women when their spouses died. I have also listened to men, whose wives died, pour out their grief.

The word “widow” comes from a Sanskrit word meaning empty. When a woman loses the husband whom she loves, she often experiences pain, emptiness, and even temporary anger. So does a widower. A good marriage joins the couple as two in one flesh, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. To marry is to open oneself to love and joy, but also to pain.

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On
Chris Lee

Sister Elizabeth Cummings, OP (Sylvester), dies

SINSINAWA — Sister Elizabeth Cummings, OP (Sylvester), died Sept. 27, 2011, at St. Dominic Villa, Hazel Green, Wis. The funeral Mass was held in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa Sept. 30, 2011, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.

Sister Elizabeth made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican Aug. 5, 1937, and her final profession Aug. 5, 1940. She taught in the primary grades for 10 years and the middle level grades for 38 years. Sister Elizabeth served as secretary at St. Rose of Lima School, Cuba City, Wis., for eight years and as support staff at the Motherhouse for eight years. She served in the District of Columbia, Illinois, Minnesota, Wyoming, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

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On
Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Does Church have doubts about brain death?

Making Sense out of Bioethics column by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

The Catholic Church has long acknowledged the role of the medical professional in declaring death. It is the proper competency of medicine, not theology, to identify reliable signs that death has occurred.

The hardening of the body known as rigor mortis, for example, is a reliable medical indicator that death has occurred. When the heart permanently stops beating and the lungs permanently stop functioning (cessation of cardio-pulmonary function), medical professionals recognize these signs as another reliable way to assess that death has occurred.

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