Articles about Sacraments

Ah, the good old days, where we could gather with family and friends, go to concerts or sports events, eat out at restaurants or bars, attend Mass in a crowded church, or have a priest drop by your hospital room for a visit and/or to administer the Sacraments.  Then...

I recently got a call from a more-than-persistent lady to visit her Vietnamese father, who was unbaptized.   I explained to the daughter that with the current hospital regulations, I could only go if he wants me there. I had met him a while ago when he was at Fairfax...

A “Rite” is defined as a formal and/or religious ceremony which involves specific words and actions.   The term “Last Rites” then refers to several different ceremonies – or sacraments – that are administered towards the end of a person’s life.   The three sacraments...

During Anointing of the Sick (found in the Rite of Pastoral Care of the Sick), a priest first blesses the olive oil (if it is not already blessed) and then uses the blessed oil to anoint the person.  The priest first anoints the forehead, saying: “Through this holy...

Unfortunately, there are still some misconceptions among the faithful about the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.  Some still call it “Extreme Unction” and assume it is only intended for those who are dying.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us a clearer...

In the early Church, the three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Communion) were celebrated together regardless of the person’s age – from infancy to old age.  However, by the fifth century, these sacraments were separated in the Latin Rite, where...