By now, just about everyone has heard of the five stages of grief made famous by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. But according to two licensed professional counselors who teach at the University of Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La., that rigid framework doesn’t perfectly capture the experience of everyone suffering the loss of a loved one.

Corpus Christi-Epiphany Church In New Orleans averages about 70 funerals a year, and each of those has a personal story to tell. The bereavement ministry of Corpus Christi-Epiphany came up with the idea several years ago to set up several tables in the church vestibule during the month of November on which it could display pictures and funeral programs of parishioners who had died during the previous 12 months.

On July 7, 2004, Jeri Melancon, a professional portrait photographer from Gonzales, La., gave birth to twin daughters, but the Kodak moment for the first-time mother was filled with joy and sorrow. While one of her twin girls was perfectly healthy, the other lived only 13 hours.

A standing room crowd of approximately 1,200 students and faculty attended an Oct. 19  Mass to laud the partnership between St. Mary’s Academy, St. Augustine High School and Xavier University Preparatory High School after Hurricane Katrina to educate displaced students.

At face value, the black-and-white yearbook photographs are typical, even unremarkable. Seen one, seen them all. But the senior portraits of 21 graduates of Archbishop Rummel High School tell a remarkable vocation story.

WASHINGTON (CNS) –Although people often feel alone after the death of a loved one, they can find support from parishioners who help coordinate funeral Masses and parish bereavement groups that provide coping skills.

May a non-Catholic proclaim the General Intercessions at a Funeral Mass? I would suggest that the “Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism,” issued by the Pontifical Commission for Promoting Christian Unity on June 8, 1993 can help illuminate this question.

On Aug. 15, Catholics honored the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, body and soul. The Assumption is a doctrine proclaimed officially in relatively recent times, but it has been celebrated and believed since the church’s earliest days.

WASHINGTON (CNS) –Helping others cope with their grief is difficult, even if you have experienced your own tragic loss, but knowing what to say or what not to say can help you comfort the griever without putting him or her in additional pain.

Do you want to live forever? Maybe that’s why our culture likes superheroes so much. Superheroes are immortal. When they get hurt or sick, they heal easily. They’re extremely powerful and heroic. They’re the people we’d want to be if we had their powers – helping the little guy, rescuing the weak, standing up to evil, and achieving their goals and dreams in spades.

" I remember what you said,” our daughter said the other day. Uh-oh. Of all the things we’ve said over so many years, what did she remember? About what topic? “You said it’s like a kid in the middle of summer when back-to-school ads start,” she continued.

"How Much Would You Pay for Three More Months of Life?” was the provocative title of an article in a recent issue of Newsweek. It raised questions at a time when the extraordinary is becoming ordinary, as ethics keep up with technology.

ATLANTA (CNS) – In the Catholic Church cremation has become an accepted practice when “serious reasons” present a need for it and if the practice maintains respect for the sacredness of the body and belief in the resurrection of the dead.

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond will celebrate All Saints Day Mass Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, New Orleans, followed by blessing of the graves at St. Louis Cemetery No. 3. The following is a complete list of scheduled services: ➤ St. Roch Cemeteries: All Saints Day, Mass at 10 a.m. with Father Anthony Anala and Our Lady Star of the Sea Choir followed by the blessing of the graves.

Bienvenidos a una de las series de los blogs sobre el Concilio Vaticano II. Cada nota examina uno de los 16 documentos producidos por los Padres del Concilio durante esa ocasión extraordinaria en la historia de la iglesia.