Facing Death Together

Publisher Description

An invaluable resource for anyone with the responsibility for ministering to the dying, the dead and those who mourn and for those who recognize the whole parish community shares in this awesome experience of the paschal mystery. What work needs to be done in the wake of death? Where do we begin, how to we proceed to face death? Here Margaret Smith helps to answer these questions by exploring the riches of the Order of Christian Funerals. In this book you will find: -- an engaging discussion of the anthropology of death-- an accessible summary of the Order of Christian Funerals' theology-- practical advice for enacting the rites with dignity-- true stories of pastoral situations, good and bad-- a vision for organizing funerals in a context of pastoral care-- notes toward rites to use when disconnecting life support, when organs are donated or when bodies are given to science after death.