By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News
Horizons of Hope: A Toolkit about Palliative Care for Catholic Parishes will be introduced in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon with a pilot presentation March 12 and March 19 at St. Paul Co-Cathedral, Saskatoon.
“We are grateful to St. Paul’s for presenting this toolkit for the first time in our diocese,” said Jacqueline Saretsky, coordinator of Hospital Chaplaincy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon. “Horizons of Hope is an inspiring and engaging resource, with theological, ethical, medical, and practical perspectives presented together in an accessible way – on a subject that touches us all.”
The two-day Horizons of Hope program will be held from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 12 and Saturday, March 19, at Bishop Mahoney Hall (basement hall) at St. Paul Co-Cathedral, 720 Spadina Cr. E., Saskatoon (participants are asked to bring a bag lunch). There is no cost, however, registration is required for the two-day program –contact St. Paul Co-Cathedral at (306) 652-0033 (leave a message) or e-mail parish@stpaulcocathedral.ca
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) launched the toolkit prepared for parishes in November 2021 to address questions surrounding palliative care, dying, death, suffering, accompaniment, and bereavement.
“Our faith in Jesus Christ has much to teach us about living and dying well.”
Designed to help participants learn more about how to respond to the Christian call to provide compassionate care for loved ones at the end of life, the program offers reflection and support to anyone seeking to learn more about palliative care and the Catholic Church’s teaching on end-of-life; caregivers; those who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness; and family members who need resources and guidance as they journey with a loved one who is seriously or terminally ill; and parishioners and pastoral care teams.
“I am very excited about this resource for our parishes,” said Saretsky. “It is very well done, and it won’t overwhelm people, but will really encourage and inspire them.”
She added: “Anyone interested in taking this resource in order to facilitate it in their own parish would also be most welcome to attend.”
Four modules of the CCCB Horizons of Hope Toolkit for Catholic Parishes on Palliative Care. (Screen capture image from CCCB promo video)
The resource is presented over four learning modules. Themes include: understanding the human experience of dying and death, discerning and making decisions at the end of life, accompanying those on the journey and supporting and integrating within the wider community.
Each module features two videos. One short film tackles the topic from a medical perspective, while the other explores ethical and theological teachings.