The death of a member of the Church provides the entire Christian community the opportunity to express care and concern toward those who mourn. Outreach at the time of death brings comfort to those in mourning, evangelizes those who have been away from the Church, and renews and revitalizes parish life for those involved in the ministry. In A Ministry of Consolation, the Christian community is called to a new understanding of its role when one of its own dies. It explains why and how members of a parish ministry of consolation program should be involved before, during, and after each of the...