Sacraments

Sacrament of the Sick

In the words of the Letter of James “if there is anyone sick among you let him call for the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (Jas 5:14-15). Through Anointing, the sick are reminded that Christ and the Church are in communion with their suffering. The Holy Spirit shares the blessings of health, trust in God, and strength against temptation.

In the sacrament, through the prayers of a priest and the anointing with oil, a person who is ill is given spiritual support and healing of mind and body through the presence of the healing Christ. The oil used is olive oil that is blessed by the bishop in the Cathedral at the Mass of Chrism during Holy Week. The holy oils are then taken to each parish and hospital for use throughout the year in the Sacrament of the Sick.

The priest confers this sacrament by making a small sign of the cross with his thumb, dipped in the oil, on the forehead and the palms of the hands while saying: “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you by the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”

Who should receive the Anointing of the Sick?

• Anyone preparing for major surgery
• Anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness
• The frail at any age, or the elderly
• Anyone at the end of their life
• Acute patients in the care of a hospital, especially those in the Emergency Room or Intensive Care Unit

First Friday Calls

If you or someone you know would like to be added to the First Friday Calls list, please contact the Parish Office.

In the Sacrament of the Sick “It is Jesus himself who comes to relieve the sick person, to give strength, to give hope, to help; and also to forgive sins…(it is) the Lord Jesus who takes us by the hand, who caresses us, and who reminds us that we already belong to him and that nothing — not even evil and death — can ever separate us from him.

— General Audience | 26 February 2014