The loss of a loves one (suicide or any cause of death) is perhaps the most difficult of all topics to talk about. Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, shares, based on personal and pastoral experience, a fact we know to be true: Even in the midst of such darkness, God’s mercy is present. There is hope for the soul of the departed and there is hope for those left behind.

St. Ignatius of Antioch stands as one of the most important figures in the early Church. A disciple of St. John the Apostle and the third bishop of Antioch—appointed by St. Peter himself—Ignatius lived and died for the truth of the Catholic faith. As he was led to martyrdom in Rome, he urged fellow Christians not to rescue him, declaring that salvation comes through freedom from the fear of death.

Discover what Advent really is with Fr. Chris Alar as he explains how to properly observe it and what graces God wants to give us.