Anointing of the Sick

The sacrament of healing and strength for those facing serious illness, suffering, or death.

What it is. In the Anointing of the Sick, a priest anoints the seriously ill or aging with blessed oil and prays over them, uniting their suffering to Christ's. It carries on the ministry of Jesus, who healed the sick and drew near to the suffering, and of the apostles who "anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them."

Why celebrate it. This sacrament meets a person at their most vulnerable with grace rather than abandonment. It gives strength, peace, and courage to bear illness or the approach of death; it unites the sufferer to the passion of Christ, giving redemptive meaning to what would otherwise be only loss; it forgives sins if the person cannot confess; and at times it restores bodily health. It is a profound comfort to know that even here — especially here — Christ does not leave His own alone.