FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM CST ON CAMPUS
As Catholics, we live all our lives with an eye on our ultimate goal, “To be happy with God in heaven forever.” Like other major transitions through life—graduation into the work world, marriage, parenting, retirement—the movement into Eternity with God works best when it is planned for and embraced.
During this interactive 5-hour workshop, participants will explore an outline of what the Church teaches about care of our bodies and our souls as the end of life as we know it nears. Topics include:
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What are the foundations of Church teaching about end-of-life decisions? How does understanding those foundations guide us as we work with our complex medical care systems?
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How do we care for our bodies respectfully in sickness? How do we decide if a suggested medical procedure is “ordinary” or “extraordinary” or “burdensome”?
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What conversations should we have with our families and doctors about end-of-life matters long before they are needed? What legal precautions should we take to make sure our preferences are followed?
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What spiritual tasks do we face as life-as-we-know-it moves toward a close?
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What is Church teaching about this Eternal Life we are entering?
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What is appropriate care of the body after death? How do we prepare our families to respect our lives as Catholic Christians through our funeral and after?
While each person will need to work out the particulars of answers to these deep questions over time, this workshop will provide a blueprint for the task, including sample copies of needed documents, summaries of Church teaching, and a summary outline of tasks and resources.
Registration fee: $100 for on campus (lunch and refreshments included).
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Presenter: Mary Ortwein
Mary Ortwein, MA, LMFT, is a graduate of St. Meinrad School of Theology and an Oblate of St. Meinrad Archabbey. She is an active member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Frankfort, Kentucky. Her previous work as an elementary teacher, pro-life/pro-family activist, marriage and family therapist, and writer of psycho-social skills training programs now informs her volunteer work as a Eucharistic minister to the Carebound. Precious Lord, Take My Hand has been created from her experiences as she has walked with her communicants and their families through illness and death.