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Persons who are seriously ill need the special help of God's grace. This is why, through the Sacrament of the Sick, Christ strengthens the faithful who are afflicted by illness, providing them with the strongest means of support " (PCS #5)

All sacraments flow from and lead to the Eucharist. In the Eucharist is found the central memorial of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. In the Eucharist is found the chief healing and reconciling expression of the Church. The Church provides for celebrating the Anointing of the Sick within the context of the Mass. Likewise the Church provides for frequent communion to the sick, linking them with the Christian community and with Christ.

The Anointing of the Sick can be administered to a member of the faithful who, after having reached the use of reason, begins to be in danger due to sickness or old age. The sacrament can be repeated whenever the sick person again falls into a serious sickness after convalescence or whenever a more serious crisis develops during the same sickness.

COMMON QUESTIONS

1. Can a mentally ill person be anointed? The sacrament of anointing can be administered to those who have a serious mental illness and who can be comforted by the sacrament (pCS #53). Cases area lways handled on an individual basis in consultation with the person's physician.

2. Can a person who is developmentally disabled be anointed? Developmentally disabled persons who lack the full use of reason, such as the mentally retarded, can be anointed if they can be comforted by the sacrament. They do not need to have an intellectual understanding of the sacrament or the ability to express their faith rationally; they only need the capacity to be strengthened by the celebration. Mental retardation and other developmental disabilities, however are not illnesses but rather permanent conditions of persons. Persons with sick conditions must have a serious illness to be anointed.

3. Can a person who is elderly and/or handicapped be anointed?
The elderly, those suffering from the maladies of old age, usually those 65 years of age and older, may periodically receive the sacrament of anointing. Likewise, those who are chronically ill and those who are permanently disabled are appropriate candidates for the sacrament of anointing.

4. What do I do if my loved one becomes very ill during the night and needs the Sacrament of the Sick?

We always have a priest on-duty, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the case of emergency, please call the parish office (714-522-2193). All after hour phone calls are picked up by our answering service who know the procedure for urgent calls.