Many Sacred Heart parishioners attend End-of-Life presentation led by Deacon John.

On June 29^th in the Lower Hall 150 parishioners attended a presentation on End-of-Life Issues led by Deacon John.  The discussion focused on the Catholic Church’s teachings and principals with respect to how Catholics make decisions when faced with a terminal or incurable illness or disease.  Aspects of the Arkansas Rights of the Terminally Ill or Permanently Unconscious Act and their impact on an individual’s wishes at end of life were discussed.  Portions of the revised U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s 2009 Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services were presented and explained with respect to end of life decisions.  The distinction between the condition commonly called “Persistent Vegetative State” and a terminal illness was discussed and the implications regarding preparing a Living Will or Medical Advance Directives that conforms to Catholic teaching presented.  Time ran out as discussion concluded with a brief mention of the format of a Catholic Medical Advance Directive.  Because of the large response and the lack of time to focus on the actual preparation of a Health Care Proxy and a Medical Advance Directive it has been decided to offer the program again in September.  This next presentation will focus more on actual end-of-life cases and the decision making involved in them, hospice, and Medical Advance Directives and Health Care Proxies with examples.