“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. And indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1499)
Please do not wait until the point of death to ask for this Sacrament; anybody who is severely ill, with the potential for death, may receive this Sacrament and it may be repeated should the illness worsen. For those near death, the Church offers the Last Rites, the Sacraments of Confession, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist as Viaticum, or Food for the Journey. Contact the Parish Office to make arrangements to receive the Sacrament of Anointing and, in the case of an emergency, call the Parish Office and press 3 to contact the Parish Priest directly.
