THE SCIENCE OF DYING WELL

In loving tribute to my dear friend, Dr. Joe Bouvier—a beautiful soul who passed from this life
in a truly happy and holy death.

Joe was the first person to welcome me when I moved to Arizona. Approaching me after Sunday
Mass, he said with a warm smile, “Hey, I know you—you’re Jesse Romero from Immaculate
Heart Radio!”

For nearly 11 years, I was privileged to know this remarkable man. Together with his devoted
wife, Andrea, they prepared diligently for what Catholics have long called a “happy death.”
Surrounded by Andrea and their five daughters, Dr. Joe Bouvier departed this world
peacefully—the way every faithful Catholic should aspire to go.
Time waits for no one. Every second, nearly two people die across the globe. On every
tombstone are two dates: our birth and our death, separated by a simple dash. That dash
represents every choice we make—for God or against Him.
As a physician, Joe dedicated his life to healing others. As a husband and father, he led his
family deeply in the practice of the Catholic faith. In our many long conversations, he often
reflected on life’s true meaning: to know, love, and serve God in this world, so as to be happy
with Him forever in the next.
Joe and Andrea lived this truth fully, preparing him for eternity. As Our Lord promises: “My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they
shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28).
Joe spent his career healing bodies, yet in the end, no doctor could heal his own. After carrying
the heavy cross of cancer for several years, he heard the voice of the Good Shepherd clearly. He
followed Him faithfully in his vocation as husband and father—just as Andrea did in hers as wife
and mother.
Their reward? A happy, holy death.
Dr. Joe Bouvier’s life and passing remind us all: the science of dying well begins with living
well—for God. He is now resting in peace, and may his example inspire us to prepare our own
dashes accordingly.
When Catholics pray for the grace of a holy and happy death, the answer will depend largely on
how well they are prepared for the hour every person will face.
For those who embrace the Catholic faith, dying a good death means being spiritually ready and
in the good graces of the Church. Ideally, such preparation occurs daily and spans a lifetime,

involving regular attendance at Mass, receiving the sacraments, and being reconciled with God
and others.
My friend Joe Bouvier, married to Andrea Bouvier died on Saturday (12-27-25) at 12:10am in
his home laying on his bed next to his wife. Several hours the night before (Friday), there were
about 40 to 50 Catholics storming heaven with prayer at the Bouvier’s house. One of the prayers
we prayed was the night before Joe died was the chaplet of divine mercy, Andrea and their 5
daughters were on the bed surrounding their father as we prayed for several hours. Here are the
promises to those who pray the chaplet with faith:

1. “The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and
especially at the hour of their death.” (Diary, 754) 

2. “When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death
will be a happy one.” (Diary, 1541)

3. “When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and
the dying person, not as a just Judge but as a merciful Savior.” (Diary, 1541)

4. “Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death.” (Diary, 687)

On the night before Joe passed away, Fr. Craig Friedley (his Pastor) and Fr John Lankeit
took Holy Communion to him, gave him the anointing of the sick, prayed the apostolic pardon
for him at his bedside. Holy Viaticum is the term used in the Catholic Church for the Eucharist
received by a person who is near death. It is considered food for the journey; to eternal life. The
spiritual effects of Holy Viaticum include:

 Strengthening: It provides spiritual strength and peace to the dying person, helping them
to face death with hope.

 Forgiveness: It offers forgiveness of sins, promoting reconciliation with God.

 Union with Christ: It allows the recipient to have a deep, personal encounter with Jesus,
reinforcing their faith at this crucial moment.
Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament that is intended for the healing of body and spirit. It can be
administered to anyone who is seriously ill, facing surgery, or elderly. The spiritual effects of this
sacrament include:

 Grace and Comfort: The sacrament brings grace and comfort to the sick person, helping
them to endure their illness.

 Forgiveness of Sins: This sacrament also provides the forgiveness of sins, connecting the
person to God's mercy.

 Preparation for Eternal Life: It strengthens the individual for the possibility of death,
fostering hope and peace.

 Physical Healing: While not guaranteed, it can lead to physical healing through divine
intervention.
Apostolic Pardon is a special blessing imparted by a priest, usually at the time of anointing of the
sick or in anticipation of death. It offers complete forgiveness of the temporal punishment due to
sin for a person who is truly repentant. The spiritual effects of receiving the Apostolic Pardon
include:

 Full Remission of Sins: It provides a powerful promise of God’s mercy, often referred to
as a plenary indulgence.

 Assurance of Heaven: It gives the assurance that if the person dies shortly after receiving
it, they may enter heaven immediately.

 Peace and Comfort: The prayer and blessing serve to comfort both the individual and
their loved ones during the final moments.

 These sacraments and rites emphasize the importance of spiritual care, reconciliation, and
the hope of eternal life in Catholic theology.

Joe Bouvier also died with a brown scapular around his neck. The Brown Scapular, associated
with the Carmelite Order, is a popular devotion in the Catholic Church. Those who wear it with
faith and devotion are believed to receive certain promises from the Blessed Virgin Mary. The
most commonly cited promises include:

 Salvation: A promise that those who faithfully wear the scapular and fulfill the associated
conditions will not suffer eternal damnation.

 Protection: It is said to provide spiritual protection and assistance throughout life,
especially at the hour of death.

 Intercession: The Virgin Mary is believed to intercede for the wearer, especially in times
of need. The Sabbatine Privilege is a specific promise attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary regarding
those who wear the Brown Scapular. According to tradition, this privilege allows that:

 Immediate Release from Purgatory: Those who die while faithfully wearing the scapular,
and who have lived according to its conditions (which include chastity according to one's
state in life, daily prayer, and the observance of the five first Saturdays devotion), may be
released from purgatory on the first Saturday after their death.

 This privilege reflects the Church's encouragement for devotion to Mary and the
sacramental nature of the scapular, emphasizing personal responsibility and a desire for
unity with Christ through Mary.

As always, it's important for the faithful to seek a deeper understanding of these devotions so as
to live a life of faith and good works as encouraged by the Church.
Joe was bed bound, he died of cancer, his last few months consisted of prayer throughout the day
and offering his cancer as redemptive suffering. Joe and his wife prayed the rosary daily, the
rosary ends with “Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our
death amen.” Our Lady honored Joe & Andrea’s lifelong prayers and their lifelong faith.
Life is short, death is for sure, sin is the problem and JESUS is the cure. Joe knew JESUS
CHRIST who is the cure. Joe strived to be a virtuous man, he strived to live in a state of grace
and was medicating himself with the Holy Eucharist, the ‘medicine of immortality’ every
Sunday when his health permitted for decades.
Our days are numbered, only God knows the exact day we will die. This is called ‘Divine
Providence.’ 
God has appointed the day we will die: 

 Psalm 90:10, 12, Seventy is the sum of our years, or eighty, if we are
strong; Most of them are toil and sorrow, they pass quickly, and we are gone…Make us
know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart.;

 Psalm 139:16 Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book were written, every
one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

 Lamentations 4:18  Men dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our
streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered; for our end had come.

 Job 14:5-6  “Since his days are determined—you know the number of his months;
you have fixed the limit which he cannot pass—Look away from him and let him be,
while, like a hireling, he completes his day.”

 Job 1:21  He said, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I
go back there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of
the LORD!”

Thomas A Kempis, The Imitation of Christ: “The hour of our death will come soon; see then
how it will be with you in another world; for today a man is, tomorrow he is not. And when he is
out of sight, he is quickly out of mind. How dull and hard is the man’s heart who thinks only of
the present and does not look for what is to come! You should so order all your thoughts and
actions as if you were to die today.”

The Latin adage grasps reality so well, talis vita, finis ita. That means “the way you live is the
way you die.”

If one lives well, a good death is likely with the grace of God.  Whereas those who live a sinful
life are unlikely to make a last minute conversion and die well.  St. Augustine said: If you pray
well, you will live well, if you live well, you will die well; and if you die well, all will be well.;

The Answer to Cancer – this list was given to me from a Cancer Survivor, she refused chemo,
radiation. Here was her cure...
C hrist
A doration
N ovenas
C onfession
E ucharist
R osary

Joe checked off all six boxes. In the final analysis, eternity, there will only be winners and losers
- Heaven or Hell. We choose our own destinies - by how we live our lives and whom we
follow. Joe Bouvier chose well, he chose to follow the Good Shepherd a long time ago. Those
who live in the Lord, never see each other for the last time. This is the hope of Catholics, that we
have been destined for something that transcends death.

Eternal rest grant unto Joe Bouvier O Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon him, may the
soul of Joe Bouvier through the mercy of God rest in peace – amen.

~DEATH~

WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT!!!!!

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side. Very quietly, the doctor said, I dont know. You dont know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side? The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough.