Archdiocese of Chicago opens first US Catholic suicide memorial
The Archdiocese of Chicago dedicated a memorial titled “At Peace” at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois, honoring lives lost to suicide and surviving families. The archdiocese confirmed the installation is the first of its kind created by any U.S. archdiocese, signaling a marked evolution in how the Catholic Church pastoralally addresses suicide and mental health.
Rev. Charles Rubey and the Founding of LOSS
The memorial recognizes the decades-long advocacy of the Rev. Charles Rubey, who founded the Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide (LOSS) program in 1979 under Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Rubey initiated the counseling and support service after encountering grieving family members who had been told by parish priests that their deceased loved ones were condemned to hell. Rubey pushed back against that theology, reassuring families that victims were with God and beginning a ministry that blessed spaces where individuals took their lives.
The Chicago archdiocese designed the “At Peace” memorial during the COVID-19 pandemic alongside Bishop Lawrence Sullivan, vicar general of the archdiocese. Sullivan noted that the church previously urged individuals to push through emotional struggles using pure willpower, whereas the church now recognizes serious mental health conditions.
Historical Shifts in Church Teaching and Burial Rules
Historically, Catholic law strictly forbade funeral rites and burial on consecrated grounds for individuals who died by suicide. A 1917 church law enforced this ban until it was formally revised in 1983. Boston College theology professor James Keenan explained that while the church never condoned suicide, leaders previously believed an adamant punitive stance would deter others. Shifts began with the reforms of Vatican II in the 1960s and were reinforced by the 1992 Catechism of the Catholic Church, which acknowledges that grave psychological disturbances and anguish can diminish moral responsibility.
Current Catholic teaching continues to view suicide as contrary to God’s love, but it explicitly recognizes that mental health issues can lead individuals to take their lives and affirms that salvation remains possible. Pope Leo XIV has amplified this pastoral outreach by dedicating monthly prayer intentions to those suffering from mental health struggles, urging parishes to act as safe, non-judgmental communities.
Global Advocacy and Future Integration of Mental Health Ministries
Families impacted by suicide continue pushing for wider institutional change within the global church. Ed Shoener, whose daughter Katie died by suicide in 2016, co-founded the Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers to break down parish stigmas. Shoener met with Pope Leo to advocate for an encyclical or apostolic letter dedicated to mental health, hoping to see mental health support integrated into every parish just like youth ministry.
The dedication ceremony in June featured attendees such as Rabbi Marianne Novak, whose 18-year-old daughter Batsheva Chaya died by suicide in 2017. Novak emphasized that the memorial gives families a dedicated space to remember loved ones lovingly rather than focusing on the manner of their death.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be reached on freephone 116 123. In Australia, Lifeline is available at 13 11 14. International resources can be found at befrienders.org. Professional counseling services and pastoral support networks remain available through local health authorities and religious organizations.