When a Catholic is seriously ill, the priest should be called at once, while the sick person is
still conscious and able to make a good confession and to receive Holy Communion with devotion.
The worst kindness a family can show is to delay “so as not to frighten him.” The last
sacraments are not a sentence of death; they very often bring peace and even restored health.
The priest should be called at any hour of the day or night in case of urgent danger.
T H E S I C K- C A L L TA B L E
Before the priest arrives, prepare a small table near the bed where he can see it as he enters,
covered with a clean white cloth. Many Catholic homes kept a “sick-call set” for this purpose, often
hidden inside a wall crucifix. Place on the table:
✠ A crucifix, set in the center.
✠ Two blessed candles, one on either side of the crucifix, lighted before the priest arrives.
✠ Holy water in a small dish, with a sprinkler or a small sprig of blessed palm.
✠ A glass of fresh water and a teaspoon, in case the sick person needs help swallowing the
Sacred Host.
✠ A small plate with six small balls of cotton, which the priest uses to wipe the oil after each
anointing.
✠ A small piece of bread or a slice of lemon, a bowl of water, and a clean towel, for the priest to
cleanse his fingers.
✠ A clean linen napkin to be placed under the chin of the sick person at Communion.
R E C E I V I NG T H E P R I E S T
When the priest brings the Blessed Sacrament, he comes as the bearer of Our Lord Himself.
Someone should meet him at the door holding a lighted candle and, without speaking, lead him
to the sick room. All present should kneel as the Blessed Sacrament passes. The priest does not
stop to greet anyone or converse until he has finished, because he is carrying Christ. The sick person’s
face and hands should be washed and the room made neat beforehand. When the priest is ready to hear the confession, all should leave the room and wait until he calls them back; then
they kneel and pray with the sick person during Communion and the anointing. Afterward the
family may make the priest welcome.
P R E PA R I NG T H E S O U L
The most important preparation is not the table but the soul. Help the sick person, gently and
without alarm, to make acts of faith, hope, love, and contrition, to offer his sufferings in union
with Christ on the Cross, and to place his trust in the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, patron of a
happy death. If the sick person is able, he should be fasting before receiving Communion, although
Communion given as Viaticum (food for the journey) may be received without fasting.
Keep a crucifix where he can see it and holy water near at hand, and pray with him often. If death
approaches, continue to pray aloud, since hearing is often the last sense to fail.