A Mass of the Anointing of the Sick was celebrated by Bishop Alfred Schlert on March 16 at St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton. It was the first in a series of Anointing Masses taking place in the Diocese of Allentown during this Jubilee Year of Hope, one in each of the five deaneries.
Noting that “something we all hope for is good health,” the Bishop called the Anointing Mass “one of the many ways in which Our Lord offers us hope in this Jubilee Year of Hope.”
Bishop Schlert made his remarks before a standing-room-only crowd of 1,200, comprised both of St. Jane parishioners and visitors from other parishes.
“One thing we all share as human beings is a fear of illness,” he told the congregation. “Sometimes we fear illness more than death. The Church offers us today the opportunity, whether we're receiving the Sacrament or not, to try to embrace our fears in hope and in trust.”
The Bishop asserted that, although “some people still have the idea that you must be dying in order to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick,” the Sacrament is, in fact, “for anyone who is undergoing a health challenge, a psychological challenge, or a spiritual challenge.”
About 800 people, young and old, came forward to receive the Anointing of the Sick, which was administered by Bishop Schlert; Monsignor Edward Domin, Pastor of St. Jane; Father Keaton Eidle, Assistant Pastor of St. Jane; and Father Keith Mathur, Diocesan Chancellor and Master of Ceremonies for the Mass.
Each person was first anointed on the forehead, as the presbyter prayed, “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in His love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.” Anointing of the palms of the hands followed, accompanied by the prayer, “May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”
The oil used in the administration of the Sacrament is called the Oil of the Sick. It is one of three holy oils that were blessed by the Bishop at last year’s Chrism Mass, celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown during Holy Week 2024.
The other two blessed oils are the Oil of Catechumens, used for prebaptismal anointings, and Holy Chrism, used in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders.
Bishop Schlert emphasized that the confluence of the Anointing Mass with that day’s Gospel reading of the Transfiguration (Lk 9:28b-36) was providential.
In Luke’s account, “Our Lord had just told His apostles that He had to go to Jerusalem and die, and they did not want to hear that message.
“So, a few verses later, we see this scene on the mountain. We read about the transfiguration of Our Lord. Peter, James, John, Moses, and Elijah see His glory. And that's to strengthen [them], but it's also to strengthen Jesus for the suffering that He is about to undergo.
“It was because of what He experienced on the holy mountain, and knowing that He was doing God's will, that gave Him strength for suffering.
“To those of us who are suffering in any way, I would say it's just the opposite: that the suffering is a preparation for us who are promised eternal glory.”
The remaining Anointing of the Sick Masses to be celebrated by Bishop Schlert this year are:
St. Ambrose, Schuylkill Haven – Sunday, May 4 at 10:30 a.m. Mass.
St. Thomas More, Allentown – Sunday, Aug. 24 at noon Mass.
St. Catharine of Siena, Reading – Sunday, Sept. 7 at 11:30 a.m. Mass.
St. Joseph, Summit Hill – Sunday, Nov. 23 at 11 a.m. Mass.
For more information on Jubilee Year of Hope events, go to
www.allentowndiocese.org/jubileeyear.
Photos by Norm Steinruck.
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