When someone in your family or a friend is seriously sick or confined to home for a period of time, contact your parish immediately. Let your parish know of the person’s illness. Depending on the circumstances, a priest or lay minister may be available to visit, pray with the sick person and perhaps bring Communion. A priest may also celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick (Anointing) with the sick person. In every case, the parish community can support the sick person with prayer. When someone is seriously sick, it is important to contact the parish immediately; don’t wait until the person is unconscious or nearing death.
Communion
The reception of Communion unites the sick person with Christ and the members of Christ’s body, the Church. The Eucharist may be brought to the sick by a priest, deacon or lay minister. Sometimes a family member may be delegated by the pastor to do this. In some parishes a minister may bring the Eucharist on a weekly basis.
Anointing of the Sick
When a person is seriously ill, it is appropriate to celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick (Anointing of the Sick). Formerly, this sacrament was called “extreme unction” and was most often celebrated when a person was near death. However, today this sacrament is celebrated with those who are seriously sick,
people who are diagnosed with life-threatening illness, patients before surgery, elderly people
who are very weak, and sick children old enough to be comforted by the sacrament. The Anointing of the Sick is no longer regarded as the “last rites”. It is celebrated only with the living and may be celebrated several times, especially if the person’s health gets worse. This wonderful sacrament is ideally celebrated when the sick person is conscious; where possible, family members ought to be present to participate in this celebration of the Church.
Reconciliation
When a person has been away from the practice of the faith, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) should be celebrated prior to the reception of Communion. When a sick person desires to be reconciled to the Church and to experience God’s mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation a priest should be notified. Arrangements can then be made for the sick person to celebrate this sacrament in
conjunction with a pastoral visit or with the reception of the Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick