Early in my professional career I cared for patients both as a Navy Hospital Corpsman stationed in an ICU and as a Respiratory Therapist in community hospitals. During those years I would often find myself caring for dying patients. The significance of those moments was never lost on me. I know that any relief I could offer a patient was welcomed and I considered it a blessing for myself that I could bring comfort to a dying person. However, more essential than what I provided was that which I witnessed local priests provide to many of these same patients, the Anointing of the Sick.
In recent months I have been inspired by the efforts of Cardinal Seán O’Malley and dozens of priests of the Boston Archdiocese for bringing the Sacrament of the Sick to those patients hospitalized and dying during the Covid-19 crisis. With hospitals being on lockdown during the pandemic it is too easy and fairly universal to relegate non-hospital personnel to the category of “Non-Essential” thus preventing priests from their priestly duties. As comforting as it may be to have a hospital’s Pastoral Ministry team visiting and praying with a patient, unless there is a Catholic priest among them, they cannot provide the same thing that a Catholic priest can provide; the Sacraments.
Approximately 30 young priests have volunteered to be on this team of priests whose singular responsibility during this pandemic is to bring the Sacraments to dying hospitalized patients. During this time of pandemic this was a refreshing story to learn about. To be inspired, read more by going to the link below.
Boston priests form team to administer sacrament to COVID-19 patients
A Layman's Hope 