The history of dying reflects changes in how we live. The isolation of the dying, the marginalisation of mourning in public life and the denial of death in medical culture have been widely documented in the twentieth century. The reluctance to discuss death in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen as an extension of an already existing reality. However, benefits are to be found in facing death, and Christians have been given the community and spiritual resources required to do it successfully.