One of my parishioners died earlier today, and I feel that I can now safely write to you: there is no longer any risk that she might read this, and be sad. Jo (not her real name) was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, and, since then, had been living with the disease, loving her family and unfailingly kind and generous to her friends. Throughout her illness, she has enjoyed the love and support of her husband – a thoroughly good man, whose care for Jo and their family has been a model of selfless commitment.In the years up to the appearance of the cancer, Jo never sought Communion at Mass. I understood that her long, happy and stable relationship was “irregular”: her partner is a divorcee.As soon as I heard how ill Jo was, however, I encouraged her to start re