Jesus devoted much of his early ministry to the healing of the sick. Today at St. Joseph of Cupertino we continue this ministry of Jesus in a variety of ways.
We are fortunate to have a number of dedicated and compassionate volunteers who visit regularly those members of the parish who are too ill to come to church. They chat with the sick persons, pray with them, and, in most cases, give them holy communion. These volunteers are the invaluable link between the parish community and those who might feel cut off from it because of the condition of their health. In addition, our parish is responsible for the pastoral care of Catholic patients at the Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara . One of our priests coordinates this ministry and a number of parishioners assist him by bringing the patients holy communion and words of comfort.
We also continue Jesus’ ministry through the celebration of one of the seven sacraments, the anointing of the sick. Forget the old name for this sacrament: “extreme unction.” This term usually brought to mind a visit from the angel of death, disguised as your friendly parish priest. The sacramental anointing is primarily for the healing and strengthening of those who are sick, not those who are dying. Proper candidates for the sacrament include any Catholic who is seriously ill, who is preparing for surgery because of a serious illness, or who has been “notably weakened” by old age. Like all the sacraments, the anointing will have some effect but it will be up to God to decide exactly what effect that will be.
Simple but moving, the sacrament in its basic form consists of three elements: the laying on of hands by a priest; the offering of the prayer of faith; and the anointing with blessed oil. It can take place anywhere. Quite often, at the request of the sick person or someone close to him or her, a priest will celebrate the sacrament in a hospital or the sick person’s home. Sometimes, a special mass for the sick will include the sacrament.
To request the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, please call the parish office: 408-252-7653.
There is confusion about the preparation of a member of the faithful for eternal life. The “last rites” consist of a number of individual rites, all of which may be celebrated by a priest when a Catholic person’s time on earth is drawing to a close. However, which rites are actually celebrated depends on the wishes of the person and/or the person’s family and especially the person’s medical condition. The various rites may include:
Two of the rites mentioned above are not well known among Catholic people but are of great importance for those who are dying. Holy communion given to the dying is called by a special Latin name, viaticum, which means “food for the journey.” It is intended to strengthen the person as he or she makes the journey to heaven. Unfortunately, many Catholic people are deprived of viaticum because they are unconscious or unable to swallow by the time a priest is called. The apostolic pardon is a marvelous blessing which releases the dying person “from all punishments in this life and in the life to come.” In the simplest of terms, it enables a Catholic to avoid any “time” in purgatory and “go straight to heaven.” The benefit of receiving this pardon before death is obvious.
Please note that while the anointing of the sick is usually administered to dying Catholics, it is not the same as the last rites and is not by itself preparation for death. As stated above, the anointing is primarily for people who are seriously ill, whether they are in danger of death or not. Therefore, Catholics and their family members must be careful to request the last rites specifically at the proper time. Without this specific request, it is possible that the priest will not perform the last rites and the dying person will not receive the benefits derived from them.
When is the right time to call the priest? Many Catholics and/or their family members wait too long before they think about requesting the last rites. These rites can be performed days, weeks, or even months before a person actually dies, even at the time when a person has received the diagnosis of a terminal illness. Even though it is often difficult for sick persons and their families to face the certainty of death, an earlier request for the last rites is preferable, as the sick persons may then be able to understand the rites, participate more fully in them, and take some comfort from their celebration.
Once the last rites have been performed, it is not necessary to call a priest again—unless, of course, the person recovers from his or her illness.
To request for last rites, please call the emergency number: 408-639-5422