End-of-life issues discussed at Saint Rose of Lima event

Friday, Nov. 18, 2016

By Kevin Cummings

Special to the Intermountain Catholic

LAYTON — “Illness and death really clarify the importance of your relationships,” Marcy Thaeler said at a Nov. 10 St. Rose of Lima Catholic Conversations discussion. Marcy Thaeler and her husband, Deacon John Thaeler, were the guest speakers at an evening devoted to end-of-life issues. The event was sponsored by the St. Rose of Lima Council of Catholic Women.

Marcy Thaeler has trained extensively in health care ministry and also is a certified lay ecclesial minister. She serves as the manager of Pastoral Care for Ogden Regional Hospital. John Thaeler was ordained in 2010 as a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Salt Lake City; he works as a hospital chaplain. Both find grace in their ministries.

“As a hospice chaplain you have to give your heart and soul to the person, but you also have to be a source of strength,” Deacon Thaeler said. “You do a lot of listening to people’s life stories.”

End-of-life is a broad topic that touches on both spiritual and practical issues; the Thaelers addressed both aspects. Marcy Thaeler discussed the difference between an “advanced directive” and “physician orders for life sustaining treatment.” The first is a legal document that a person can complete in advance of an illness, specifying their wishes with regards to various kinds of medical treatments in the event that they are unable to speak for themselves. The second is a more specific document that is prepared by a physician and carries the weight of a signed medical order.

The spiritual dimension of end-of-life includes the Sacrament of the Sick, which can only be performed by a priest and, ideally, should be performed while the ill person can fully participate in the sacrament. Marcy Thaeler noted that many older Catholics know this sacrament as “last rites,” but that term is no longer used.

“The sacramentality of dying changed with Vatican II,” said Marcy Thaeler, adding that the Sacrament of the Sick is appropriate for those with mental illnesses as well as before serious surgery.

Deacon Thaeler talked about the important work of hospice, which provides supportive care for families and patients during an advanced illness. Hospice care focuses on comfort and quality of life. He stressed that entering hospice isn’t a death sentence, but rather a way to access care that is appropriate for an illness that is expected to be terminal.

Those attending the presentation included parishioners from St. Rose of Lima and other nearby parishes; they were able to ask questions of the Thaelers and have a discussion about the presentation. 

The evening ended with a potluck orchestrated by the St. Rose Council of Catholic Women.