“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.”

 

— James 5:14–15

 

“The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has as its purpose the conferral of a special grace on the Christian experiencing the difficulties inherent in the condition of grave illness or old age” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1527).

 

The Anointing of the Sick is not to be received only at the point of death; it should be received as soon as a person becomes seriously ill. By means of this sacrament, the sick person joins his or her sufferings to those of Christ, and so contributes to the salvation of the world.

 

Please contact Ida B. O’Leary, the Administrative Manager (ioleary@saintbenedictparish.org), if you or someone you know is ill. Arrangements can also be made for a sick person to receive Holy Communion at home.