The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick

Jesus came to heal the whole person, body and soul. In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to offer strength and healing. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising. The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness, infirmities that accompany old age, or surgery or medical procedure. (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.) Requests for the Anointing of the Sick can be made directly to the St. Jude Parish Office at 225.766.2431.