Anointing of the Sick

Anointing the Sick

He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two…They anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. (Mark 6:7, 13)

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The Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament of healing. This sacrament affirms that we are all members of the one Body of Christ -- when one of us suffers, all of us suffer, and all of God's creation suffers as well.

Click this helpful video to understand more as to the significance of the Anointing of the Sick...                  ANOINTING - Theology 101

“Is there anyone sick among you?” This question - found in the New Testament Letter of James - gives the response that the sick should call for the priests of the Church who are to pray over and anoint the sick with oil in the name of the Lord. Never hesitate to call our parish's priests to ask for prayer and the Sacrament of the Sick prior to surgery or when diagnosed with serious illness. This Sacrament should not be simply looked upon as the "Last Rites," but as a powerful instrument of God's healing for the soul, spirit, and body. Please avail yourself of this gift! Also, if someone is dying or near death, please call the Parish Office for St. Malachy's Church Rectory 781-272-5111 or for St Margaret's Church Rectory 781-272-3111.

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick gives strength and support and can be administered to anyone struggling with an illness.

Who may Receive?

In the Catholic Church, Extreme Unction or the Last Rites is the anointing at the time of death. Since the Second Vatican Council, this sacrament is now called the Anointing of the Sick and has been broadened to offer healing and comfort in times of illness that may not lead to immediate death. Speaking about a wider implementation of this sacrament, Pope Paul VI advocated for “a wider availability of the sacrament and to extend it—within reasonable limits—even beyond cases of mortal illness."


Unlike the traditional understanding of the Last Rites, the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is, ideally, to be administered in a communal celebration.


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).

Spiritual Healing

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).
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