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Supportive Care Resources for Parishes

End-of-Life Care: Prayer Services

The following list contains recommended resources identified for End-of-Life prayer services.

If you need assistance with accessing these resources, please contact Iowa Catholic Conference (515-243-6256; [email protected])

 


 

Let Them Go Free by Thomas Shannon & Charles Faso

Includes several prayer services which may be used when life-support is discontinued.

Available from:

 


 

May the Angels Lead You A Prayer Service for Those Near Death by Paul Coury, C.Ss.R,

This special prayer service is designed for letting go when a loved one is dying.

Available in both English and Spanish from:

Pamphlet Rack Resources

The following list contains recommended pamphlet resources identified for End-of-Life Care topics.

If you need assistance with accessing these resources, please contact Iowa Catholic Conference (515-243-6256; [email protected])

 


 

Gone from My Sight: The Dying Experience by Barbara Karnes, RN

A concise description of changes which take place as a person is dying.

Booklet is available from:

 


 

Catholic Health Association End of Life Guides

www.chausa.org > Publications > Books & Printed Resources in the CHA Store

Available as a printed brochure, in both English and Spanish.


 

Care Notes

An extensive library of resources from Abbey Press that provide a Catholic perspective of hope, help and healing. Go to https://carenotes.com.

We are also pleased to share with you an e-book on the topic of dying and hospice care.

Contemporary society attempts to ignore the reality of death. Unfortunately, this leaves many people unprepared and/or unwilling to handle the challenges faced when they, or their loved ones, receive a terminal diagnosis.

Written by Mark Schmidt, the Respect Life/Social Justice Director of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, “Into Your Hands Lord: A Catholic Companion to Dying and Hospice Care” is a simple guide to assist in the journey towards death and into new life. Grounded in the Passion of the Christ and Catholic teaching, this companion will assist families in discussing issues such as: artificial nutrition and hydration, pain medications, coping with the absence of a loved one, and various other aspects of the dying process.

A version of the book for a Christian (not specifically Catholic) audience is also available. If you’re interested contact [email protected].

The book is available in this link: into_your_hands_lord_a-catholic-companion-to-dying-and-hosp


 

Catholic Update – Newsletter

End of Life Moral Issues by Thomas Shannon (2014)

Why the Church Opposes Assisted Suicide by Most Rev. Wilton Gregory (1999)

Article republishing is available from:

Website Resources

The following websites contain resources identified for the following End-of-Life Care topics:

  1. Summary of Church Teaching on End-of-Life Issues
  2. Church Teaching on using/forgoing life-sustaining treatments
  3. Church Teaching on medically assisted nutrition and hydration
  4. Church Teaching on pain management
  5. Medical Directives
  6. Assisted Suicide

If you need assistance with accessing these resources, please contact Iowa Catholic Conference (515-243-6256; [email protected])


1.  Summary of Church Teaching on End-of-Life Issues

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

usccb.org > About USCCB > USCCB Offices > Doctrine > Ethical and Religious Directives

Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, 6th ed. PDF

  • Part Three, nos. 24-28, 32-33
  • Part Five


2.  Church Teaching on Using/Forgoing Life-Sustaining Treatments

Archdiocese of Dubuque

www.dbqarch.org > Offices > Health Care Ethics and Life Issues Consultant > Life-Sustaining Treatments

 

Catholic Health Association

www.chausa.org > Publications > Books & Printed Resources in the CHA Store

End of Life Guides: Teachings of the Catholic Church Caring for People at the End of Life

Available through the store as a free PDF download, in both English and Spanish.

 


3.  Church Teaching on Medically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration

Archdiocese of Dubuque

www.dbqarch.org > Offices > Health Care Ethics and Life Issues Consultant > Assisted Nutrition and Hydration

 


4.  Church Teaching on Pain Management

Archdiocese of Dubuque

Health Care Ethics

Pain and Symptom Management in End-of-Life Care – Word file

 


5.  Medical Directives

Archdiocese of Dubuque

Advance Directives

IPOST Booklet  PDF

 

Catholic Health Association

www.chausa.org > Publications > Books & Printed Resources in the CHA Store

End of Life Guides: Advanced Directives: Expressing Your Health Care Wishes

Available through the store as a free PDF download, in both English and Spanish.

 

www.chausa.org > Publications > Health Care Ethics USA > Archives > 2012 > Fall 2012

Iowa Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (IPOST): Q & A from a Catholic Perspective prepared by Janine Marie Idziak

 


6.  Assisted Suicide

Archdiocese of Dubuque

www.dbqarch.org > Offices > Health Care Ethics and Life Issues Consultant

 

Iowa Catholic Conference

Iowa Catholic Conference >Human Life and Dignity > End of Life

 

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

usccb.org > Issues and Action > Human Life and Dignity > End of Life > To Live Each Day with Dignity

To Life Each Day with Dignity PDF

usccb.org > Issues and Action > Human Life and Dignity > End of Life > To Live Each Day with Dignity > Assisted Suicide Videos

Information on IPOST

Following the 2020 publication of the document Samaritanus bonus [The Good Samaritan] on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, there have been concerns expressed about the POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) project. Since IPOST (Iowa Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) is Iowa’s version of POLST, some may be left wondering if Catholic patients and Catholic health care professionals and facilities should use IPOST.

The Archdiocese of Dubuque has provided two resources related to IPOST. The Advisory Statement on IPOST indicates that IPOST, properly understood and used, successfully addresses the concerns expressed in Samaritanus bonus.  The second document provides Instructions for Executing and Using IPOST in Accord With Catholic Moral Teaching.  These documents have been reviewed by Archbishop Michael Jackels.

 

Advisory Statement on IPOST

Instructions for Executing and Using IPOST in Accord With Catholic Moral Teaching