Anointing of the Sick

"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" (CCC 1499).

Ministering to the sick is of immense importance in the Catholic Church. We are more than happy to arrange an Anointing of the Sick and Confession and Holy Communion to the sick and homebound. For more information, please see below.

Please also note that each Catholic parish is responsible for serving the people in its locale, including providing Holy Communion, the Anointing of the Sick and Confession to the sick and homebound. All are encouraged to call the parish closest in proximity to the sick and homebound to request these sacraments. If you or your loved one are in a hospital or convalescent home, contact the nurse’s station, chaplain’s office or activities director for information about the local parish that serves that particular facility.

  • Anointing of the Sick and Confession

    “The Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1514). Thus, “there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament” (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults 253). 


    “If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1515).


    If the sick person requests the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession), this will be provided at the same time.


    We want everyone in our OLG parish community to have the graces and benefits of the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick and Confession. To request the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for yourself or a loved one, please call the Parish Office at (562) 691-0533. If death is imminent (expected within a matter of days), please call the Parish Office even after office hours, since an answering service takes calls when the Parish Office is closed and can contact the priest on call to respond to emergency calls.


    Please note that although priests can respond to emergency calls for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick within hours, they often cannot do so within minutes. Therefore, please do not wait until someone seems to be taking his or her last breaths before calling the Parish Office to request the Anointing of the Sick for him or her (lest he or she die before a priest can arrive to administer the Anointing of the Sick). It is best to call the Parish Office to request the Anointing of the Sick for someone who is dying even before he or she enters the final trajectory toward death. But one certainly should call the Parish Office to request the Anointing of the Sick for someone as soon as he or she enters the final trajectory toward death - usually some days or even weeks before he or she dies. 

  • Holy Communion for the Homebound

    When the sick and homebound in our parish community are not able to attend Mass on a regular basis, we bring the Body of Christ to them. Our parish Ministers of Care bring Holy Communion weekly to the sick and homebound. If you or a loved one would like a Minister of Care to bring Holy Communion, please call the Parish Office at (562) 691-0533 to make arrangements.


    Please note that for someone to be able to receive Holy Communion before he or she dies (as "food for the journey" - known as "Viaticum"), he or she must be able to swallow. Since most people cease to be able to swallow some days before they die, please do not wait until a loved one seems to be taking his or her last breaths before calling the Parish Office to ask for Holy Communion to be brought to him or her. It is best to call the Parish Office as soon as someone becomes homebound to ask for a Minister of Care to bring Holy Communion to him or her on a weekly basis.

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