CHICAGO — The Archdiocese of Chicago has dedicated what it says is the first memorial by a U.S. archdiocese to people lost to suicide and their families, the Associated Press reported.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or chat at 988lifeline.org.
The “At Peace” memorial at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois, features an angel sculpture and bronze doves. It honors the Rev. Charles Rubey, who founded the LOSS support program through Catholic Charities in 1979.
Rubey, 86, recalled families being told their loved ones were in hell. The church once banned funeral rites and burial on consecrated ground for people who died by suicide.
“They’ve made a complete turnaround embracing families who have lost a loved one to suicide,” Rubey said.
Catholic teaching still considers suicide a grave sin, but it acknowledges that mental illness can lead people to it and says salvation is possible, according to the AP. Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV has dedicated prayer intentions to people with mental health struggles.
“It’s not a question of willpower,” said Bishop Lawrence Sullivan, who designed the memorial with Rubey. “This is not something we are ashamed of.”
Sources: KTAR News/AP. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Daderot / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
