The General Introduction of the Rite of the Pastoral Care of the Sick #5 says that the Lord himself showed great concern for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the sick and commanded his followers to do likewise. This is clear from the Gospels, and above all from the existence of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, which the Lord instituted and which is made known in the Letter of James. Since then the Church has never ceased to celebrate this sacrament for its members by the anointing and the prayer of its priests, commending those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that He may raise them up and save them (James 5:14-16). Moreover, the Church exhorts them to associate themselves willingly with the passion and death of Christ (Romans 8:17), and thus contribute to the welfare of the People of God.

Those who are seriously ill need the special help of God’s grace in this time of anxiety, lest they be broken in spirit and, under the pressure of temptation, perhaps weakened in their Faith. This is why, through the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick , Christ strengthens the faithful who are afflicted by illness, providing them with the strongest means of support.

The celebration of the Sacrament consists especially in the laying on of hands by the priests of the Church, the offering of the prayer of faith, and the anointing of the sick with oil made holy by God’s blessings. The rite signifies the grace of the sacrament and confers it.

Contacting a Saint Thomas the Apostle Priest or Deacon

Saint Thomas the Apostle Pastoral Care visits from Father Jim Chelich or Deacon Dean Vernon can be made through our Parish Office Manager, Margo Dean.