A Catholic couple in Ohio in the United States who were married for 73 years have died within 28 hours of each other. When Helen Auer, 94, died last week, she was sitting in a chair, and her husband Joe came into the room and knew what had happened. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Joe Read more
Father Philip King Turner, the parish priest of Reefton, a small township on New Zealand’s West Coast, passed away recently. In the months before his death Phil made his own coffin out plain pine timber. He also organised most aspects of his funeral including arranging to have his coffin taken to the graveside on the back of Read more
There will come a day, perhaps sooner, perhaps later, when the man in the coffin will be me. They say the dead don’t care, but I’m not dead yet, so as long as I’m still alive, I’d like to have some say in what goes on at my funeral. And, truth be told, I think Read more
It has been estimated that more than 30,000 people came to Suva in the course of last week to pay their respects to the late Archbishop Petero Mataca. A large number of people attended the requiem mass on Friday. The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Suva was packed out and the congregation spilled out onto the Read more
This week the people of Fiji have been bidding farewell to Archbishop Emeritus Petero Mataca. The reguregu (cultural expression of condolences) and veiqaravi (presentations) for Archbishop Petero began at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Lami on Tuesday afternoon. The Church was well prepared to host the hundreds of people, numerous delegations and dignitaries that came Read more
The Cathedral Church in Suva is draped in purple fabric a colour used during the holiest period in the Catholic calendar – a period of fasting as well. “It is a christian colour representing mourning the other time we use this purple colour is during lent but it is a solemn not so much jovial Read more
There are an increasing number of bylaws limiting the options people have for scattering their dear departed’s ashes. But now they can really go out with a bang. Craig Hull runs Ashes to Ashes in Sydney Australia and, for a fee he will for a fee, will send your loved one’s or pet’s ashes up in an Read more
Many former PNG missionaries, especially those from Aitape, were present at the funeral of Bishop Tony Burgess which took place in Sydney on 30 October. In the absence of Cardinal Pell, Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne was principal celebrant. There were also a good number of Australian Bishops present for the Requiem Mass. Priests from Read more
The first week of April 2005 was dominated by images of Pope John Paul II’s dead body vested in red, mitred and laid out among his people with bells and books and candles, blessed with water and incense, borne from one station to the next in what began to take shape as a final journey. Read more
A Polish firm that makes coffins has angered the Catholic church by trying to drum up business with a calendar depicting topless models posing next to its caskets. One image from the 2013 edition of the calendar has a blonde model, wearing only a skimpy thong and with a snake draped around her neck, reclining Read more