“True compassion leads to sharing another’s pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear.”
– Pope St. John Paul II, The Gospel of Life
It is easy to fear suffering and death. When those we love are facing chronic pain, mental illness, physical limitations, or terminal illness, we are called to meet them with compassion and in solidarity.
Although often presented as a “compassionate choice,” efforts to legalize euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide are grave affronts to the dignity of the suffering person. We must remind those who are suffering that their worth and freedom does not come from a pain-free life, but is a gift of God-given dignity that they are called to live out each and every day.
Gospel of Life Week
Gospel of Life Week
Teachers and Parents
– Adoption
– Loving Our Neighbors
– Knowing My Value
– Life is a Gift
– Learning to Forgive
– Respecting Others
– Caring for Those in Need
– The Beginning of Life
– Celebrating Special Needs
– Overcoming Differences
– Receiving Mercy
– Immigration
– Life is Precious
– Dignity at Every Age
– Marriage
– Caring for Creation
DREs and Catechists
– Grades PK-3
– Grades 4-6
– Grades 7-9
– Grades 10-12
Topics
– The Beginning of Life
– Knowing My Value
– Adoption
– Respecting Others
– Receiving Mercy
– Immigration
– Loving Our Neighbors
– Life is a Gift
– Life is Precious
– Dignity at Every Age
– Learning to Forgive
– Caring for Those in Need
– Marriage
– Caring for Creation
– Celebrating Special Needs
– Overcoming Differences
High School Resources
Youth Ministry Resources
Service Opportunities
***Timely Action Alert***
Tragically, the New York State Assembly and Senate both recently passed Bill 136, which would allow physicians to prescribe lethal doses of medication for the express purpose of ending a patient’s life. The only hope for stopping the legalization of this deadly practice is Governor Hochul vetoing the bill.
Assisted suicide is dangerous for patients, caregivers, and vulnerable populations such as the elderly and people with disabilities. Suicide is not medical care.
Contact Governor Hochul today to voice your opposition to this dangerous and deadly practice!
Download the Stop Physician-Assisted Suicide in New York bulletin flyer from the New York State Catholic Conference.
(en español)
Stop Physician-Assisted Suicide in New York Bulletin Flyer from the NYS Catholic Conference (en español)
Assisted Suicide: Unnecessary and Dangerous: a printable flyer about assisted suicide legislation in New York
13 Reasons to Say No to Assisted Suicide in New York: an informational resource from the NYS Catholic Conference
What happens when doctors stop preventing suicide and starting assisting suicide?
- Assisted suicide is most often “chosen” because of fear of loss of independence, being a burden, and depression.… NOT unbearable pain
- Life-saving care and treatment are denied by insurance companies and lethal drugs are offered instead.
- Suicide rates rise in the general population because of “suicide contagion”
- People with disabilities, veterans, the homeless and the poor become vulnerable to coercion and abuse
- It keeps expanding: targeting the mentally ill, dementia patients and even children
Archdiocese of Toronto: Since June 2016, assisted suicide and euthanasia have been legal in Canada. The Archdiocese of Toronto has created many educational and pastoral resources to help people understand the dangers of assisted suicide, and the alternative options for end of life care that are available.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan ‘Shocked’ Over Assisted Suicide Bill. The Good Newsroom, June 11, 2025.
Prevent, Don’t Assist, Suicide. Timothy Cardinal Dolan, The Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2025.
New York Deserves Better than State-Sanctioned Suicide. Timothy Cardinal Dolan, First Things, May 6, 2025.
New York State Catholic Conference’s Statement on Senate Passage of Assisted Suicide Bill, June 9, 2025.
Statement of the NYS Bishops on State-Sanctioned Suicide Bill, April 24, 2025.
Catholic Action Network: Contact your legislators to express your opposition to physician-assisted suicide.
Patients Rights Action Fund: a national organization that protects the rights of patients, people with disabilities, older adults, and other historically underrepresented groups from deadly harm and discrimination inherent in assisted suicide laws.
New York Biomedical Roundtable: a group of New York healthcare professionals working to combat the passage of Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) legislation in New York State
Stories of “Medical Aid in Dying” around the World
- Belgium: 23 yr old Shanti, suffering PTSD after surviving a terrorist attack, was euthanized.
- Canada: Margaret Marsilla learned almost too late that her 23 yr old son who suffers from severe depression was approved for assisted suicide, justified by his diabetes.
- California: 38 yr old Stephanie Packer’s insurance refused to cover lifesaving treatment, instead she was offered assisted suicide drugs for a dollar co-pay.
- Canada: Veteran Affairs recommended euthanasia to a veteran seeking treatment for PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
- Canada: Roger Foley, a disabled man, cannot obtain adequate home-care but has been offered euthanasia.
- Oregon: From 1999-2010, after assisted suicide was legalized, suicide rates for those 35-64 increased 49% compared with a 28% increase nationwide.
- Canada: Tyler Dunlop requested euthanasia because of homelessness. His application is pending Canada’s new expanded law.
- Oregon: Thomas Middleton, suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, was pressured into assisted suicide by his caregiver. After his death, she stole his money.
- Switzerland: Two healthy, middle-aged sisters from Arizona, Lila and Susan, took a trip to Switzerland and never returned. Their distraught family learned they died by assisted suicide.
- Colorado: Two women in their 30’s were given lethal drugs to “treat” anorexia nervosa
Man of Steel: JJ’s Story
An unexpected cancer diagnosis caused local New Yorker, JJ Hanson, to question what life was all about and why it is worth fighting for.
Death with Dignity: Lizz’s Story
Lizz speaks of what “death with dignity” really looks like. She shares how, in her suffering with terminal cancer, she has learned to trust in God’s plan for her life, until the end.
The Alvarez Family Story / Historia de la familia de Salvador Álvarez
The Alvarez family speaks about the importance of advocating for access to healthcare at every stage of life.