In the Church’s Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.

The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.

When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God’s will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.

If you or a family member would like to receive Anointing of the Sick, or find out more about this sacrament, please contact us. We can also make arrangements for those who are homebound to receive visits by a minister of the sick for Eucharist and prayer. We do not receive word from any local hospitals or nursing homes due to privacy concerns, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us. All of these facilities have chaplains assigned to care for the needs of their patients, and you can request a visit from them as well.