CANORA - A Living Hope Workshop presented by the Yorkton-Melville Deanery Pastoral Council took place at St. Joseph’s Parish Centre Saturday, May 4.
The morning session was led by Virginia Battiste of Waldron, Sask. Some 30 deanery members attended. Battiste has a varied background career in social work, family counselling, journalism, hospital chaplaincy, as well as community development and administration.
She spoke on near death experiences / nearing death awareness.
“Today the experience of a family member dying and faith in God have been removed from many family settings. The dying can teach us much as they prepare for their eternal birth. Euthanasia cancels this natural end of life’s journey.
“Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) sends souls into eternity without the benefit of all that dying teaches us. The reconciliation of relationships, the reconciliation of life’s regrets and spiritual reconciliation with God are such an important part of the dying process,” she said.
Battiste added that MAiD has negative effects we have not fully studied – like the harmful effects on medical staff and participants who assist in killing someone.
“Something is missing when life is terminated,” she continued. “Even the methods of termination are not fully developed and failed attempts can create an agonizing situation.”
Palliative care assists in pain control and allows the ill to continue living as well as finding peace with the natural process of dying.
“We learn so much from the dying,” Battiste concluded.
The afternoon workshop, Emmaus Support – Mental Health Ministries was presented by Deacon Eric and his wife Melissa Gurash, who started the first three Emmaus support groups in Saskatchewan.
The Gurash couple work in the office of Communications, Evangelization, and Adult Faith Formation in the Archdiocese of Regina.
The Emmaus group is a parish-based spiritual support ministry developed to provide resources and support for people experiencing mental health challenges and those who support them.
Their mission is “to help create spaces within our Catholic parishes and communities where people experiencing mental health challenges and those who support them can gather to share their experiences and their Catholic faith with each other, offering mutual support and growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Support on-line can be found at [email protected]
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