Continuing the healing ministry of Jesus Christ
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven (James 5: 14-15)
By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them.
Any parishioner who is struggling with disease or illness is scheduled to stay in the hospital, or has other causes needing healing, should contact the parish rectory for the sacrament: 314-962-2311
Please call the rectory for the parish priests to make hospital and in-home visits for sick parishioners. Due to privacy laws, you must contact us if you or your loved one has been admitted to the hospital. Even Catholic hospitals do not notify us.
The hoped for effect is that, if it be God’s will, the person will be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age. One special grace is the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that of the whole Church.
The proper time for receiving this holy anointing has certainly arrived when the believer begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age or if they have a chronic illness that seriously affects their life. A person should be anointed before surgery for a serious illness.
The rite includes the anointing of the forehead and hands of the sick or other parts of the body accompanied by the liturgical prayer that asks for the grace of the Sacrament.
Only priests or bishops may administer the Sacrament. This is because one effect of this Sacrament can be the forgiveness of sin. They use the Oil of the Sick blessed by the bishop.