Anointing of the Sick

Strength and Comfort for the Afflicted

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Through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the sick, the afflicted receives spiritual healing and the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age. While we pray for their recovery and hope for the person to be physically healed of their illness, the primary purpose is one of spiritual comfort.

There is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Rite of Anointing. An informed judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.