Anointing of the Sick

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick gives strength and support and can be administered to anyone struggling with a serious illness that could lead to danger of death. 

The special grace of the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has as its effects:

• the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and the good of the whole Church;
• the strength, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age;
• the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of penance;
• the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;
• the preparation for passing over to eternal life"

      --  CCC 1532

Who else can receive it? Those with long-term illnesses, physical or mental, and people age 65 or older (if they have become noticeably weakened) can receive anointing of the sick multiple times a year if there is a noticeable decline in their condition.

A person can only receive anointing of the sick once in regard to a particular illness or procedure, so if there are no noticeable changes, anointing cannot be given again.

In the case of major surgery, a person can receive anointing prior to the surgery, and if a new health crisis develops or if there are complications, anointing of the sick can be received again in a short time span. There are many gray areas when it comes to determining the severity of a person's ongoing illness and surgery, and there are inherent risks with the use of anesthetics.

What about Last Rites?
Last Rites is often confused with Anointing of the Sick. While the two are not the same, Last Rites does include the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Last Rites refers to the Catholic ritual that occurs as a man or woman nears the end of his or her life, and includes the Sacraments of Confession, Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick, and some special prayers and blessings.

If you still have questions or want to schedule an anointing, please call 651-437-4254.

If you have an emergency after office hours, please call 651-437-4254 and press 4.