Anointing the Sick
The “Anointing of the Sick” has been one of the Church’s sacraments from the beginning. (cf. Acts 9:34; 14:3) It was administered to those who were seriously ill. Its effects are spiritual healing and, if it is conducive to the person’s salvation, physical healing as well.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a serious illness and would like to request Anointing, please call 425-655-3220 to be connected to the Eastside Deanery Pastoral Care Team. It is not necessary to wait until the person's illness has progressed to the point where death is imminent.
If you would like to be anointed before surgery or other serious medical treatment, anointings take place on the first Saturday of the month after the 8:40 AM Mass. Arrangements for anointing can also be made by contacting the parish office.
Urgent requests will receive the fastest response by contacting the Eastside Deanery Pastoral Care Team.
Over the centuries, the sacrament’s use became limited to those near death. The sacrament was then referred to as “Extreme Unction” or “Last Rites.” After Vatican II, the Church reemphasized the original meaning and intent of the sacrament. (Apostolic Constitution – Sacram unctionem infirmorum)
This means that when you or a loved one is experiencing a serious illness, you are encouraged to request the Anointing of the Sick. You should not wait until the person’s illness has progressed to the point where death is immanent. If the illness continues to progress, the sacrament can be conferred again.
It is also fitting to request the sacrament before a serious operation, and also later in life when one begins to experience the effects of aging.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that when the sick are anointed they should be “assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention” (1516). “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” (1517).
The healing that occurs in this sacrament of anointing is not necessarily physical healing. While we believe that physical healing can occur through the great power of God, the grace that is infused through this special sacrament is the reminder of the eternal presence of God in our human suffering.
When the priest blessing the oil of anointing, he asks God to “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, in soul and in spirit, and deliver them from every affliction” (Pastoral Care of the Sick, #123).
“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 of 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).
Viaticum is the last sacrament of the Christian life, and is celebrated when death is near. In this case, the sacrament of the sick encompasses a broader ceremony which includes Viaticum (last Communion—food for the homeward journey) and a blessing.