Anointing of the Sick

“Is anyone among you sick? …they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord.” ~James 5:14

In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.

The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.

When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament 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.

At St. Joseph’s Parish we encourage our Parishioners to contact us prior to surgeries, or when notified of major illnesses, so that one of our Priests can come and give you an anointing.  You can also try to ask them after Mass to give you this anointing. This is the same sacrament that is provided for people who are close to dying.  It is such a blessing and powerful gift.

If you need to make an appointment, please call the Parish office to schedule at 913-638-5983.  If it is an emergency, and the office is closed, leave a message on the “After hour emergency” line.