The Sacrament of the Sick, one of the Seven Sacraments which Christ entrusted to His Church, is the continuation of his
ministry of healing in our world today.

Grave illness or advanced age

The first purpose of the Sacrament of the Sick is to heal one who approaches God with faith of whatever ailment is affecting him or her. It is also for the strengthening of the person in peace and confidence in God and in uniting the patience of the suffering member of Christ with the patient obedience of Christ himself. And finally, especially in cases in which the recipient of the Sacrament is not able to make a confession of sin because the person is not conscious or is not able to voice his or her sins, the Sacrament functions as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The person who has become truly repentant of his or her sins will receive full pardon and forgiveness of God.

It is a mistake to wait until a person is on his or her death bed to summon a priest for this Sacrament. Rather, the ailing person and the person’s family and friends would benefit from celebrating this Sacrament as a community time of prayer. It is helpful if the sick person is able to also receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. It is especially useful to have a celebration of the Sacrament of the Sick with family and friends when one is facing imminent surgery for a serious condition, even though not necessarily life-threatening.

To arrange for the anointing of a sick person, please call the parish office: (562) 698-0107.