A Time to Mourn: Customs and Traditions of Death and Mourning

🎙️ Episode Summary

Deacon Anthony Cullen and Rabbi Chaim Edelstein sit down for a thoughtful, reverent conversation about death, dying, and mourning in their respective faiths. They reflect with dignity on how Catholics and Jews navigate grief, burial rituals, and the care for both the dead and the living. This episode honors the sacredness of loss while highlighting shared values of community, remembrance, and hope. It explores:

• Catholic and Jewish funeral practices — how both faiths ritualize death with prayer, presence, and deep respect for the body.
• The importance of speed and simplicity — Jewish law encourages burial as soon as possible, with purity rituals (tahara) and simple linen shrouds, while Catholic funerals include a vigil, Mass, and burial marked by sacramental symbols.