“Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.”

James 5:14-16

Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest of problems confronted in human life. In illness, people experience their powerlessness and their limitations. Every illness can make us perceive more clearly our mortality.
Anointing of the Sick, along with Reconciliation, is one of the Sacraments of Healing. By the grace of this sacrament, the sick person receives a strengthening of faith and the gift of being united more closely to Christ in his Passion. In a certain way, he or she is consecrated to bear fruit by being united to Christ’s redemptive Passion. Restoration of health can be a grace of the sacrament if it will be beneficial to the person’s salvation.

What Does the Sacrament Do?

Unites the person to the passion of Christ, for his/her own good and that of the whole Church Fortifies the person with peace and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or the frailty of old age Forgives sins if the person is unable to receive the sacrament of penance due to disposition of health or availability of the sacrament Returns the person to physical health if it will be beneficial to their salvation Prepares one spiritually and emotionally for passing over to eternal life

Who Can Receive the Sacrament of Anointing?

The Sacrament of Anointing should be received when someone is:

Preparing for surgery and, when during the course of recovery, their condition worsens
Struggling with serious or chronic illness
Coping with emotional illness
Nearing the end of their life

The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is given on the first Saturday of the month during the Holy Mass at 8:30 am. In emergency situations, this sacrament can be obtained after prior arrangement with the priest.