Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Church’s service to the sick and those who care for them must continue with renewed vigour, in fidelity to the Lord’s command (cf. Lk 9:2-6; Mt 10:1-8; Mk 6:7-13) and following the eloquent example of her Founder and Master. The theme for this year’s Day of the Sick is provided by the words that Jesus spoke from the Cross to Mary, his Mother, and to John: “Woman, behold your son ... Behold your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (Jn 19:26-27

Next weekend, our parish is celebrating a communal Anointing of the Sick. What is the Anointing of the Sick? It is one of the seven sacraments, which are visible channels of grace flowing from Jesus Christ. The Anointing of the Sick is one of two healing sacraments (the other being confession), and it is administered to members of the parish community who have fallen ill or are suffering from physical, emotional or other types of distress. Please plan ahead and bring a relative, neighbor or friend who might join us for this special celebration.