First US memorial in Catholic cemetery for suicide loss

Auxiliary Bishop Larry Sullivan, vicar general for the Archdiocese of Chicago and former director of Catholic Cemeteries for the archdiocese, spearheaded the effort to create the memorial as a visible sign of the Church’s commitment to accompanying those who grieve the loss of a loved one to suicide as well as to affirm God’s enduring mercy and love for those who died by suicide.

Historically, the Catholic Church denied Catholic funerals in churches and burials in consecrated ground for individuals who died by suicide. The Church has undergone a significant transformation in its understanding of suicide and mental illness and now recognises that many who die by suicide suffer from mental illness and unbearable pain.

Paragraph 2282 of The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Grave psychological disturbances, anguish or grave fear of hardship, suffering or torture can diminish the responsibility of the one committing suicide”.

The Church teaches that suicide is a grave offence against the Fifth Commandment, but states in paragraph 2283 of the Catechism that “we should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives”.

The Chicago memorial shrine is dedicated in honour of Fr Charles Rubey, founder of Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide, or LOSS, who has spent 50 of his 60 years in priestly ministry fighting the stigma surrounding suicide and working with surviving family members.

The memorial’s final design included two original sculptures. The first piece, “Embracing Angel”, is a sculpture featuring an angel whose wings cradle a granite bench. The sculpture is intended to offer a sense of comfort and support to anyone who sits within the angel’s embrace. The second piece, “Ascending Doves”, features nine bronze doves rising upward, symbolising hope and transcendence.

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FULL STORY

Archdiocese dedicates first-ever memorial to those lost to suicide (By Joyce Duriga/Chicago Catholic)

Catholic memorial for those lost to suicide is a place to pray, feel ‘God’s love, peace’ (National Catholic Reporter/OSV News)

Catechism of the Catholic Church (Holy See)