The Chicago archdiocese has dedicated At Peace, a memorial honoring people who died by suicide and the families who survived them. The memorial is at Queen of Heaven Catholic cemetery in Hillside, Illinois, a site that is also home to the world’s largest Catholic mausoleum.
Its dedication marks a significant change in how the Catholic Church publicly responds to suicide. It also recognizes the long-running work of the Rev Charles Rubey, who in 1979 founded Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide, a counseling and support program operated by Catholic Charities of the archdiocese of Chicago.
A memorial for those who died and those left behind
At Peace is intended to honor both people who died by suicide and their surviving families. The Chicago archdiocese says it is the first memorial of its kind created by a US archdiocese, although that distinction is based on the archdiocese’s own description.
Rubey has described the memorial as evidence of a more compassionate understanding of suicide within the church. That change matters not only in religious settings, but also for families who may have experienced grief alongside stigma, uncertainty or a sense of exclusion.
From exclusion to a more compassionate approach
The Catholic Church historically prohibited funeral rites and burial on consecrated grounds for people who died by suicide. A church law issued in 1917 was revised in 1983, ending the denial of Catholic burials on consecrated ground.
Catholic teaching continues to regard killing oneself as a sin. At the same time, it acknowledges that mental-health problems can contribute to suicide and teaches that salvation remains possible for people who take their own lives. That combination reflects an effort to hold religious belief alongside a greater recognition of mental-health suffering.
The Rev James Martin has said the church’s changing approach mirrors broader society’s growing sympathy for people affected by suicide.
Building mental-health support in parishes
The discussion extends beyond memorials. Ed Shoener co-founded the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers after his daughter, Katie, died by suicide. The association works to educate parish communities, reduce stigma around mental illness and support people experiencing mental-health struggles. It also advocates for stronger mental-health care within the Catholic Church.
Shoener met Pope Leo XIV in January to thank him for his interest in mental health. He said he hoped the church would produce a detailed statement on the subject. Pope Leo has dedicated some monthly prayer intentions to people facing mental-health problems and suicidal thoughts, and has called on the church to be a safe space that listens without judgment and does not exclude people.
Religious leaders and health professionals are scheduled to examine how parishes respond to mental-health concerns and how mental-health ministries can address stigma and discrimination. Shoener hopes that this work will become part of ordinary church life and that mental-health ministries will eventually be common in every parish around the world.
The memorial at Queen of Heaven places that goal in a visible setting: a place of remembrance that also points toward greater understanding, inclusion and support for families affected by suicide.
AI tools were used to assist with the preparation of this article.
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