“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, and 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.”
(Ja 5:14-15)

The Sacrament of Anointing

 

 
By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them. (CCC 1499)

The sacrament of anointing was for many years thought of solely as “last rites”, reserved for those who were near death. Today the Church reminds us that the sacrament in not merely for the last hour but “as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.”

If you, a Catholic friend or family member is facing life-threatening illness, please do not hesitate to request the sacrament either by asking the priest after mass or by calling the office. In case of emergency, you can press 5 when you call the parish and you will immediately be transferred to a priest’s phone.