Saying farewell with dignity
CHARLOTTE — CHARLOTTE — “It was a tragic day, a very tragic day. I lost someone who I cared dearly for, who I loved with all my heart.”
That is how Joe, a Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte client, remembers the day in 2014 when his wife Lisa suddenly died. That morning, Lisa got dressed as usual, told Joe that she loved him, and headed off to work. Fifteen minutes later, she was hit and killed by a car.
The shock of her death was followed by the nearly overwhelming details of what came next: burial.
For many families, the cost of burying a loved one is a substantial financial challenge. The average cost of a funeral ranges from $7,000 to $10,000 – a major obstacle for many people struggling just to make ends meet. The unexpected expense compounds the burden they already face in grieving for their loved one.
Our Catholic faith teaches us that it is an important corporal work of mercy to bury the dead.
Catholic Charities’ Burial Assistance Program is a tangible way in which Catholics across the Diocese of Charlotte are helping families without the means to bury their dead with dignity.
The program’s roots date back to 1994, when Mecklenburg County stopped paying to bury the poor. Catholic Charities teamed up with concerned citizens, social workers, funeral home directors and the City of Charlotte’s cemetery director to set up a burial plan for needy county residents. They agreed to work together to provide funeral and burial or cremation services to indigent families.
The program has since grown to encompass all of western North Carolina and is now providing this service throughout the entire diocese.
The program serves families who have no insurance, are unable to negotiate financial arrangements with a funeral home, or cannot pay the costs associated with traditional death expenses.
In the last year, Catholic Charities assisted with 199 dignified burials for families in need across the diocese.
Sylvia Sekle, direct assistance coordinator for Catholic Charities in the Charlotte Regional Office, shares, “While it can be very hard emotionally to help families navigate this time of grief in their life, it does give me peace knowing we are making it just a little bit easier.”
Catholic Charities is seeing a greater need, Sekle says, “and we believe that is due to COVID-19. Not just as a cause of their loved one passing, but also the financial impact of COVID on their finances and their ability to be able to provide a burial for their loved one.”
She notes that, “While no one is ever prepared for death, I am grateful that we are able to offer them some sort of peace and ease their financial burden.”
Recalls Joe, “I didn’t know where to turn. I didn’t know what to do. I went to Grier’s Funeral Home, and he told me about Catholic Charities.
“The young lady at Catholic Charities was outstanding. She was nice, kind, considerate – like people should be. She didn’t treat me like I was a nobody. She treated me like I was a man.”
Catholic Charities provides the social service support and eligibility verification for the program at no cost.
Financial assistance is provided through charitable contributions from individuals, churches and other civic organizations when families are unable to cover the cost. In addition, local funeral homes play a key role in partnering with Catholic Charities in providing dignified burials.
Catholic Charities’ CEO Dr. Gerard A. Carter is grateful for the generous support. “Donors provide us with the funds needed to provide this ministry to those who mourn the loss of a loved one and the funeral homes are key partners. In the name of the Church – and because of the support of people of goodwill – together we can carry out this important work of compassion to families who are grieving the loss of their loved one.”
Joe still gets emotional when he talks about his love for Lisa and the help he received. He says Catholic Charities helped him through his grief and reassured him that Lisa would be laid to rest with dignity.
“They gave me the feeling of hope that everything was going to be OK, and it was.”
— Catholic News Herald