What happens after we die? How do different faiths and cultures guide their communities through loss, burial and grief? These are questions the Sea to Sky Hospice Society and the Squamish Multifaith Association are inviting the public to explore together this Sunday afternoon.
“The End of the Tunnel: An Afternoon Forum on Ritual and Religion in Death, Dying, Burial and Grief” takes place Sunday, June 7th from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room at Westwinds Senior Living. The event is free and open to everyone.
The forum grew out of conversations Jody Kramer of the Sea to Sky Hospice Society was having with people of faith about end-of-life care.
“When people are in palliative care, when people face a life-limiting diagnosis or a serious illness, that’s when a lot of these questions come up, and that’s when they actually start talking with family members about what their real wishes are,” Kramer said.
Family members discover a loved one wants a specific religious burial tradition, or learn for the first time that someone they assumed was religious has entirely different wishes. She began to see an opportunity to bring that kind of open, curious conversation into the broader community.
The afternoon will open with dedicated time for Squamish Nation to share their practices around death and dying, something Kramer says came up again and again as she spread the word.
“It was often the first question people had, ‘will we get a chance to hear about Squamish Nation’s practices?’ It seems to be one thing everyone has in common,” Kramer said.
A panel discussion will follow, with leaders and representatives from a range of faith and culture groups sharing what they feel is most important for others to understand. Everything from the role of prayer in end-of-life care, to burial preparation, funeral traditions, and how communities support families in the year following a death will be discussed. The second half of the afternoon will open the floor to audience questions, submitted anonymously on paper. Coffee, tea and snacks will be provided.
Kramer hopes attendees leave with a richer understanding of their neighbours and a little less hesitation around conversations that can feel uncomfortable.
“Part of our mandate at the Hospice Society is to encourage the destigmatization of conversations around death, dying and grief,” Kramer said. “I love how the Multifaith Society frames their work as promoting peace between groups and expanding knowledge of each other. That’s exactly what this is.”
Drop-ins are welcome, though registration online is encouraged to help organizers plan.
