The U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults calls Jesus’ healings of the sick “signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells of us his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.”
Today, the Savior’s healing ministry continues in the Church’s Sacraments, including the Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of priests.
The sacrament “is a special blessing, calling upon the Lord to send the Holy Spirit to help the anointed in mind, body and soul,” says Father Robert Matysik, Priest Chaplain for three healthcare centers in the Diocese of Camden: AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center (Mainland Division), and the Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation, both in Pomona; and AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center (City Division) in Atlantic City.
Those who receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick are filled with God’s grace, giving much needed comfort and hope, so as to persevere in their time of illness. The Sacrament also allows those who suffer to encounter the suffering Christ and unite their sufferings with his, allowing them to be redemptive.
Further, the Anointing of the Sick “not only takes away sin, but brings physical, psychological and emotional healing” to the ailing and their loved ones, says Father Glenn Hartman, Priest Chaplain at Virtua Voorhees Hospital; Samaritan Center at Voorhees; Virtua Health and Wellness Center in Berlin; and Elmwood Hills Health Care Center in Blackwood.
Pre-COVID, priest and associate chaplains for the hospitals made their rounds, visiting patients in person. Today, virus precautions have necessitated visits only by request, and in some cases, are given through a bedroom window or video calls.
The pandemic has been “a real hard thing,” in terms of the physical healing touch with oil, admits Father Thomas Barcellona, Priest Chaplain at Cape Regional Medical Center in Cape May Court House.
Lest one think that the Anointing of the Sick is only for the dying, Pope Francis in 2014 decried the notion that the sacrament brought “bad luck,” and had individuals thinking that “when there is a sick person and the priest comes, after [his visit] comes the funeral.”
“That is not true!” the Pope emphasized, adding that Jesus lifts up the sick, “to give … strength, to give hope … and to forgive … sins. And this is beautiful.”
Father Barcellona agrees, noting that the Anointing of the Sick is a powerful sacrament that can be utilized for the physically ill and for those suffering with mental illness or addiction. It can be a powerful tool for evangelization, he say, explaining that lapsed Catholics who are friends or family of an ill person can find healing, too. “It’s the power of the Holy Spirit [that] brings families together.”
For those interested in Anointing of the Sick for themselves or loved one, Father Barcellona recommends contacting a local parish.
For those who are terminally ill, the priest’s role as a bridge from this world to the next can be powerful for the dying and those they leave behind, Father Matysik says.
“We pray for the souls to enter into heaven, and for they, in turn, to help us on our earthly pilgrimage so we join them in heaven,” he says.
Still, these difficult moments can be tempered by times of levity, as Father Hartman witnessed recently.
“I was asked … to anoint an elderly gentleman who was most likely dying. He appeared to be in a deep sleep or a non-responsive type of phase as I was anointing him, seemingly not hearing me,” the priest explains.
“When I was saying the final prayer, he suddenly – and very gently – coughed, and opening his eyes exclaimed, ‘Don’t worry, Father, I’ve been vaccinated.’ The experience was both shocking and humorous.”
Managing Editor Jennifer Mauro contributed to this report.
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