1499 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

“Is anyone among you sick?  He should summon the [priests] of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.” 

-Letter of James 5: 14-15

What does the Church teach us about who can receive the Sacrament of the Sick? To try to answer that question here is an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1499-1532).

"The Anointing of the Sick " is not a sacrament only for those who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for [them] to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.  If a sick person who received this anointing recovers [their] health, [they] can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced."

Keep these points in mind concerning the Sacrament of the Sick:

• In an emergency you can call at any time of the day or night to have a priest come and anoint. 
• You can also always call the parish office (860-828-0331) and arrange for a priest to come to administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for yourself or a loved one.
• If a loved one has become weaker or advanced in illness or has been newly diagnosed do not wait to call for a priest to come and anoint yourself or a loved one.  Do not wait until they have lost consciousness.  If you are thinking about calling, you should call.
• All parishioners can always approach one of the priests after Mass to ask to be anointed, especially if you know that you have surgery coming up.
• If you have questions about this sacrament never think twice about asking.

Our Friars are always available to administer the Sacrament of the Sick to any parishioner at any time. Human frailty is a part of the reality of life. Our loving God is with us through this sacrament to strengthen us when our minds or bodies grow weak. Through this Sacrament we pray for both our physical and spiritual well-being.

Because of the Patient Privacy Laws, the Friars do not know when someone is in the hospital unless we are informed. So if you or a loved one will be (or have already been) admitted to a nearby hospital and would like one of the Friars visit, please CLICK HERE to complete the Hospital Visit Request Form or simply call the Parish Center at 860-828-0331.

Click here for more information from USCCB about the Anointing of the Sick.