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Introduction
When you have given your consent to
be seen by a member of the Chaplaincy team we will be
made aware of your presence by way of the Hospital records
and you will be offered every spiritual assistance.
Our Chaplaincy Team is ecumenical and Catholic members
include a priest, a deacon, two religious sisters and
a lay assistant. Priests from the local parishes supply
when the main Catholic chaplain, who is also a parish
priest, is unable to attend.
Mass is offered each Monday (apart from bank holidays)
in the Chapel off the main Concourse. We visit the wards
regularly, usually two to three times a week and we
also provide a team of Eucharistic Ministers from the
local parishes to come on Sundays in order that Catholic
patients can receive Holy Communion.
It is our general practice that when a baptised Catholic
who has made their first Communion is seen by the priest/chaplain,
he/she will be offered the Sacrament of the Sick.
Sacrament of the Sick
What is this Sacrament? It is a sacrament of healing.
It reaches out to those who are sick and draws them
into the heart of the Church. It is also given to those
who are about to die, which is why it is sometimes known
as Extreme Unction or The Last Rites 'the sacrament
of those departing' and it is often accompanied by Holy
Communion as Viaticum.
Sickness, pain and death were not written into God's
original plan for mankind. Part of Jesus' ministry was
to heal the sick, and he went about curing those who
were ill or disabled. Jesus came to announce that the
kingdom of God was now a reality here on earth. One
of the signs of this reality was that the sick were
healed and the dead raised up, because suffering and
death can have no place in the kingdom of God. This
Sacrament by its very nature also forgives any sins
that may have been committed.
The anointing of the sick is the ultimate healing sacrament,
available whenever our health is seriously impaired
by sickness or old age. God is always with us in our
illness, loving us into health of mind, body and soul.
Through our faith we know that we will have life forever.
Throughout his life Jesus loved people so deeply and
so completely that they were healed of whatever was
destroying them, whether that was physical or mental
illness, or emotional or spiritual suffering. That is
what he continues to do when we receive the sacrament
of the sick.
Old Age
The frailty of old age is recognised too. An old person
may not be ill but the years do impose burdens upon
the elderly which can be difficult to adjust to and
which can make the older person feel isolated and at
times very lonely. Again, this sacrament helps and strengthens
the Christian in this stage of life so that they can
continue to be part of the family of God as actively
as possible, for older people have so much to offer
younger Christians.
A Sign of Life
Some people have the idea that this sacrament is rather
like the sign of death or approaching death —
that it is only offered when all hope is lost. In fact
the reverse is true; it is a sign of life, the eternal
life promised by Jesus Christ, here and now as well
as in the future. Christ came to show us how we can
have life to the full in whatever situation we find
ourselves. His Spirit, active and dynamic in our sickness
and frailty as well as in our health and strength, is
a real presence. The sacrament of the sick confirms
this in a tangible way.
God is with the sick person now, nothing is more certain
than that. Throughout his life Jesus loved people so
deeply and completely that they were healed of whatever
was destroying them, whether that was physical or mental
illness, or emotional or spiritual suffering. That is
what he continues to do when we receive the sacrament
of the sick.
Once this sacrament is administered it will be recorded
in the Chaplaincy files. It is not normal to repeat
this sacrament during the same period of illness.
Pastoral care which is not sacramental in nature will
be provided by any member of our ecumenical chaplaincy
team. This may be prayers by the bedside, consolation
for bereaved family members or words of counsel and
direction. We minister to patents, their families and
members of staff.
We are most grateful for the ecumenical cooperation
we enjoy at Addenbrooke’s especially in the light
of the diminishing number of Catholic priests available
in our parishes.
July 2005 Monsignor Eugene Harkness & Revd Dr Derek
Fraser
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