Living & Dying Well | Practical Steps (Teachers)

Forming students to think about the arch of their lives—with their deaths at the center.

Catholic educators are uniquely positioned to help young people develop a moral imagination around death and dying: not by frightening them, but by forming them in a tradition that has always taken faced death with hope and seen it as a foundational source of meaning. Here is practical guidance for bringing these themes into your vocation as a teacher.

Ground everything in the dignity of the human person.

The foundational Catholic principle is simple: every human life has inherent worth because it bears the image of God. This dignity does not diminish with illness, disability, or dependence. Whatever subject you teach, this principle can surface naturally: in literature, history, science, or theology.

Use the stories of saints as accessible entry points.

St. Francis called death “Sister Death” and praised God in her presence. St. Joseph is the patron of a happy death. St. Teresa of Ávila wrote that knowing we have “only one death to die” should clarify everything. These are not abstract figures. They are give us thick and compelling stories of how to live in the face of death, and students of any age can relate to them.

Introduce the memento mori tradition thoughtfully.

The ancient practice of keeping death gently in mind is not morbid. On the contrary, it is what Christ and His Church asks us to do regularly. Ash Wednesday is the most obvious entry point, but the practice can be woven into Advent, All Souls Day, reflections on the lives of the saints, and more. Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble’s work on memento mori is excellent supplementary material for older students.

Help students recognize the “throwaway culture.”

Pope Francis has named the tendency of our society to discard people who are no longer productive or useful. Students encounter this logic constantly. Especially with how various media portray the elderly, the disabled, and the dying—in relation to the young, the autonomous, and the productive. Teaching students to name this and critique it from a Catholic perspective is an essential part of the formation every student should get in our schools.

Be prepared for the personal.

Students whose families are facing end-of-life situations need more than raw ‘content’; they need accompaniment. Know your school's pastoral support resources. Know how to connect families with the parish, with the diocesan office, and with the Living and Dying Well materials from the Diocese of Trenton. Perhaps most importantly, be a mentor to them and be a part of a team helping them through the process.