Horizons of Hope: A Toolkit about Palliative Care for Catholic Parishes is available in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon – the goal is to have all parishes use the four-module program.
Jacqueline Saretsky, coordinator of Hospital Chaplaincy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon says: “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.”
For more information, contact Jacqueline Saretsky at jsaretsky@rcdos.ca or (306) 659-5839.
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, noting: “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.”
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.
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