The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
Offering Christ’s strength, peace, and healing support to anyone struggling with a serious illness, preparing for major surgery, or facing the trials of old age.
📞 How to Request an Anointing
Sudden Danger of Death
In a sudden emergency where someone is in immediate danger of death, please call the number listed in the bulletin and follow the specific prompts for a “sacramental emergency” to reach Father immediately.
Contact
Please look at our parish bulletin for the sacramental emergency number.
End-of-Life Preparation
If a family member is elderly and approaching the end of life, please reach out early using the bulletin contact details. Father will gladly visit to prepare your loved one for a good Confession, provide comfort, and help the family navigate end-of-life decisions and arrangements for the Mass of Christian Burial.
📍 Parish Boundaries & Territorial Care
In the Catholic Church, parishes are assigned specific geographic boundaries to ensure that every community is properly looked after by a local pastor.
Our Service Area
Father administers this sacrament to individuals who live within our parish boundaries, which include Newton, Conover, and Maiden.
Outside Our Territory
If you or your loved one reside outside of Newton, Conover, or Maiden, please contact the Catholic parish responsible for your specific town or neighborhood. This standard practice respects the territorial boundaries and pastoral authority of neighboring parishes, ensuring that the closest local priest can care for you as quickly as possible.
Understanding the Sacrament
Who May Receive This Sacrament?
Historically known as Extreme Unction or the Last Rites, this sacrament was traditionally associated only with the immediate approach of death. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has restored its broader purpose: to offer healing and comfort during any serious illness.
Pope Paul VI advocated for a "wider availability of the sacrament," extending it beyond cases of mortal illness. You do not need to be at the point of death to receive God's grace through this anointing.
A Note for Our Non-Catholic Neighbors
Because the sacraments are visible signs of our shared Catholic faith, the Anointing of the Sick is properly administered to baptized Catholics. However, if you or a loved one are not Catholic but are facing serious illness or the approach of death, please do not hesitate to call. Father is always glad to visit, pray with you, and offer a pastoral blessing.
A Communal Celebration of Faith
Unlike the private nature of the traditional Last Rites, the Anointing of the Sick is ideally celebrated within the faith community. It reminds us that the sick person is never alone in their suffering.
"Like all the sacraments, the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration... It is very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist." (CCC 1517)
When the sick are anointed, they should be "assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround the sick, especially through their prayers and fraternal attention."
The Grace of Spiritual Healing
The primary grace of this sacrament is spiritual strength and peace. While physical healing can and does occur through the power of God, the sacrament fundamentally infuses the soul with the reminder of Christ’s eternal presence in our human suffering.
"Send the power of your Holy Spirit, the Consoler, into this precious oil. Make this oil a remedy for all who are anointed with it; heal them in body, soul, and spirit, and deliver them from every affliction." (Pastoral Care of the Sick, #123)
How it is Administered
"The celebration of the Anointing of the Sick consists essentially in the anointing of the forehead and hands of the sick person (in the Roman Rite) or other parts of the body (in the Eastern rite), the anointing being accompanied by the liturgical prayer of the celebrant asking for the special grace of this sacrament." (CCC 1531)