St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church

14908 Main Street

Upper Marlboro, Maryland  20772

email:  rectory@stmarysum.org

Business Hours for the Rectory 10am - 5pm Monday through Friday  (301) 627-3255

Anointing of the Sick

The Sacrament of Anointing is the proper sacrament for those Catholics who have attained the use of reason and whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age. Through this sacrament, the Church comforts and supports the person who is suffering and continues the healing ministry of Christ. This sacrament is described in the New Testament:

Is there anyone sick among you? Let him send for the presbyters of
the Church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick man and the
Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, they will be
forgiven him (James 5:14-15).

In preparation for anointing a sick person, the priest always provides an opportunity for sacramental confession and absolution. Following are the proper subjects for this sacrament:

• in ordinary circumstances, the anointing is licitly administered only
  to Catholics who are in a state of grace;

• other Christians may be anointed in danger of death or in some
  other grave necessity, when, in the judgment of the Archbishop,
  they cannot approach a minister of their own denomination and
  provided they ask for the sacrament on their own, manifest a
  Catholic faith in it and are properly disposed. Canon 844 also
  allows the priest to administer the Sacrament of Anointing to
  members of the Oriental Churches who do not enjoy full com-
  munion with the Catholic Church if they request this sacrament
  and are properly disposed;

• the Sacrament of Anointing is to be conferred only on those
  who are still alive. However, canon 1005 directs that the
  sacrament be administered when there is any doubt about
  whether the person has in fact died. In such a case, the priest
  should always give absolution and administer the Sacrament of
  Anointing.

• those who are seriously ill, especially those who begin to be in
  danger of death due to sickness or old age;

• those about to undergo surgery when a serious illness is the reason
  for the surgery;

• seriously ill people if they fall into a more serious crisis during
  the same illness or, if after recovery, they develop a serious
  illness again;

• elderly people may be anointed if they have become notably
  weakened even though no serious illness is present;

• if there is doubt whether the person is seriously ill, the priest
  may anoint.

Children with serious illness can be anointed if they have sufficient use of reason.

Anointing can be administered in a home or hospital or in a communal celebration for several people. The latter we do here at St. Mary’s once a year. The oil for anointing is that which was blessed by the bishop during Holy Week at the Chrism Mass. It is a symbol of blessing, of strength, of healing, and of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Related Ministries:

1. Communion is taken to the Sick and Homebound.
2. Confession made regularly available to the Sick and Homebound.
3. Vigil or Wake Service for the Dead.
4. The Funeral Liturgy.

Send mail to webmaster@stmarysum.org with questions or comments about this web site.