The Diocese of Charlottetown is pleased to promote the inaugural Archdiocesan Day for Palliative Care, an initiative first introduced by the Archdiocese of Toronto under the leadership of His Eminence Cardinal Frank Leo. This day, to be observed annually on the last Sunday of October, reflects a deep pastoral commitment to those facing end-of-life challenges and those who accompany them.
We join in encouraging all parish communities to pause, reflect, and recommit to compassionate care for the dying. Rooted in the Christian belief that every human life is a sacred gift from God, this observance seeks to raise awareness about authentic palliative care and to foster prayerful dialogue around the moral, medical, and spiritual dimensions of end-of-life decisions.
In a time when suffering is often seen as something to be avoided at all costs, the Church offers a counter-witness: that dignity, love, and hope remain even in illness and decline. This day also highlights the importance of rejecting euthanasia and assisted suicide, and instead embracing care that alleviates suffering through community, faith, and support.
Resources such as the brochure Palliative Care and a Catholic Response to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide* and the Horizons of Hope program are available to assist families and parish ministers in this vital area of pastoral care.
Let us come together as one diocesan family to be Good Samaritans to those in their most vulnerable moments, offering the compassion of Christ and the hope of eternal life.
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*Note – the brochure Palliative Care and a Catholic Response to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide is available in multiple languages.