Pastoral Care of the Dying

"I am going to prepare a place for you, I shall come back and take you with me." (John 14:3)

The Sacrament, Anointing of the Sick, should be celebrated at the beginning of a serious illness, either terminal or not. The reception of the Eucharist, within or outside Mass, as viaticum, food for the passage through death to eternal life, is the last sacrament proper to the dying Christian. Depending on the circumstances, every effort should be made to involve the family and friends of the dying.

Our church provides a rich selection of prayers of commendation for when the moment of death seems near and for when death has occurred.

For exceptional circumstances, in sudden and immediate danger of death or when the person is already dead, the priest or deacon can be called for appropriate rites or prayers.