Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
There are some times when a priest is needed right away, and knowing when and how to call the priest can make the difference in bringing Our Lord’s mercy and presence to a soul in great need.
Sacred Scripture even commands it. St. James the Apostle in his epistle says
“Is anyone sick among you? Let them send for the priests of the Church, and they should pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person and if they have committed any sins, their sins will be forgiven them” (James 5:14).
Thus we have the Biblical foundation of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. And All Saints, like all other Catholic parishes, has a process in place to respond to such situations.
For “routine needs,” like preparing for a routine procedure, or simply needing a Sacramental Confession, call the office during business hours and we’ll get you squared away. But when there is “danger of death,” either from serious illness, accident, old age, or invasive surgery, you need to have someone call the Sacramental Emergency Line.
That line is like the red Batphone from the old Batman TV series. It goes to a cell phone that Fr. Anthony and I take turns carrying. You leave a message on that line, and we respond as soon as humanly possible. You can find the number on the front of the bulletin and also in the voicemail of the main parish line. We will call you back and arrange the immediate visit.
It is advisable that, in a true emergency situation, that you or someone in your family let your medical professionals know that you are asking for a priest. They may have access to a Catholic priest chaplain assigned to that hospital who can get there even faster than Fr. Anthony or I can. But you must advocate for yourself! I frequently wear a bracelet that has a band on it saying “In case of emergency, call a Catholic Priest”.
Also, the phone call should come from you the patient, your immediate family, or a medical professional working with you. We sometimes get friends advocating for other parishioners, and when we show up at the hospital, much confusion ensues, or wrong information has been given, or the person does not want to see a priest, so the call must come from the parishioner’s “inner circle”.
These Sacramental moments are powerful and sacred, where the Lord brings graces of peace and inner healing, great comfort and hope, especially to those in danger of dying. May Our Lady, Queen of peace, pray for us now and at the hour of our death, that we would have a happy and peaceful death!
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
All you holy saints of God, pray for us!
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Michael Silloway
Pastor