Presentation by doctor on end-of-life care will offer a Catholic perspective on the issue

Friday, Jan. 31, 2025
By Laura Vallejo
Intermountain Catholic

PARK CITY — A presentation on end-of-life issues will be given at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish on Feb. 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, patroness of the sick.

“Navigating Serious Illness and the End of Life for Catholics” will be presented by Dr. Natalie King, MD, a palliative medicine physician who specializes in caring for patients with serious illness or are nearing the end of life.

Anthony Jewett, the parish’s director of evangelization, recommended that King be one of the speakers for the parish’s Summit series after hearing her speak at the 2024 Utah Catholic Conference.

“Dr. King is an impressive part of our Catholic community here in Utah – in addition to being a successful doctor in her own right, she has spoken at churches and conferences across the country on her work in palliative care,” Jewett said.

Dr. King is the founder of the Catholic Medical Association Student Section. She received her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine, holds a master’s degree in bioethics from Ohio State University, and has been a partner with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to improve education around palliative care for Catholic laity. She is the author of Intensive Caring: A Practical Handbook for Catholics about Serious Illness and End-of-Life Care.

“To have someone in our own backyard with this résumé is really special, and she has been a joy to work with as we prepare for this event,” Jewett said.”I am really excited to hear her speak. End-of-life care is a crucial topic for two reasons: one, it informs us how we can be prepared to navigate the experience if and when we find ourselves experiencing it; and two, it promotes the consistent life ethic of the Catholic Church, that life is beautiful and valuable from conception to natural death. Dr. King is a master at articulating the different facets of this difficult topic.”

For those who may not know what the Catholic Church teaches about end-of-life care, or how to navigate the experience “this talk will be informative and edifying,” he added. “As a doctor, Dr. King will give us the professional and medical point of view, which some may overlook as this can be such a personal topic. Dr. King’s perspective, empathy and faithfulness make her the ideal person to share this information with us, and I think everyone will be able to walk away from the summit having learned more about end-of-life care and having gained a further appreciation for the sanctity of life.”

The Summit Series is a monthly event that takes place at St. Mary’s that is meant “to bring people together for an evening through something that can help deepen our expression and experience of our faith, whether that is a talk, a performance or a liturgical practice,” Jewett said.

The event is open to everyone, and the main goal with the summits “is to foster community through faith formation,” he added, and they are “wonderful opportunities to get to know others in the community through an enjoyable and meaningful experience. As a result, we invite anyone throughout the diocese to join us, and as always, the event is free.”

WHAT: “Navigating Serious Illness and the End of Life for Catholics”

WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: St. Mary of the Assumption Parish social hall, 1505 White Pine Canyon Road in Park City

RSVP at stmarysparkcity.com/summit.

For information about the Summit series, visit https://www.stmarysparkcity.com/summit  

For questions, comments or to report inaccuracies on the website, please CLICK HERE.
© Copyright 2025 The Diocese of Salt Lake City. All rights reserved.