Denver Catholic

8 MAY 27-JUNE 9, 2017 | DENVER CATHOLIC Around the Archdiocese Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Services of Northern Colorado A Ministry of the Archdiocese of Denver For more information cfcsDenver.org MT. OLIVET CATHOLIC CEMETERY 12801 W. 44th Avenue Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 (303) 424-7785 ST. SIMEON CATHOLIC CEMETERY 22001 E. State Hwy. 30 Aurora, CO 80018 (720) 859-9785 ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER FUNERAL CENTER Serving the greater Denver area (303) 425-9511 Start planning today: Funeral | Cremation | Cemetery | Family Estates TAX FREE DONATE FROM YOUR IRA Help The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul help those in need with an easy Tax Free donation from your IRA. Contact Jean Finegan at The Catholic Foundation to fi nd out how. 303-867-0613 Independent & Assisted Living Nursing • Medicare Rehabilitation In-Home Care • Out-Patient Therapy There is a place that's just waiting for you to experience senior living as it should be — St. Andrew's Village. Acting your age is not a requirement. Acting how you feel is always encouraged! Whether splashing in the pool, enjoying our Happiest Hour with friends and neighbors, or an evening of fine dining where our staff knows your favorite drink, you'll feel years younger and enjoy every minute of it. Ask about a Priority Reservation. Call 303.695.8100 for lunch and a visit! Click StAndrewsVillage.net Feeling Young at Heart? We know just the place. . . EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY T he Catholic Church "encour- ages us to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death," (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1014), and provides ministry to the dying. Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter Father Joseph Hearty, chaplain for Divine Mercy Supportive Care hos- pice and assistant pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Latin Mass Church in Littleton, spoke to the Denver Catholic about ministry to the dying. DENVER CATHOLIC: What sac- raments are given to the dying ? FATHER JOSEPH HEARTY: The primary sacrament is Anointing of the Sick — and the importance of receiving confession is encouraged. The grace they receive through those sacraments and the peace they get — especially from the forgiveness of sins to prepare themselves for eter- nity — and from reception of Com- munion, is a great gift. So, usually, Anointing of the Sick, Confession and holy Communion [called viaticum, "food for the journey," when received for the last time]. These three when received together are called "The Last Rites." DC: How does Anointing of the Sick help a person? FH: There is an increase of grace, as with every sacrament, and supernat- ural help from God. The Letter of St. James (5:14-15) says [paraphrased]: "If there is anyone sick among you, bring them to the elders of the church — the priests of the church — let them be anointed and prayed over; with that comes health of the body and forgiveness of sins." That particular sacrament prepares the soul for judg- ment and for eternity. DC: What prayers are typically said for the dying ? FH: The most familiar ones are the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be and Act of Contrition. We ask God for grace for the person to strive — as we all should — to make an amendment of life. We ask for forgiveness of sin, to cooperate with God's grace and to live the way God wants us to according to his command- ments and our state of life. There are also particular prayers in the Roman Ritual set aside by the Church for the dying: to the Virgin Mary, to St. Joseph, the patron for a happy death, and particular psalms to help the person realize the reality of eternity. All of that is to facilitate, to dispose us, to the infl uences of God's grace and to remind us of the reality of our last days and the judgment we will all face. Whether we live a long or short life, we have to give an account to God for it. DC: How do priests approach the dying ? FH: You often don't know the person or their background. I always try not to make things fearful. Even though the Second Vatican Council changed the name of the sacrament of the sick from Extreme Unction (last anoint- ing) to Anointing of the Sick — people still fear that if the priest approaches ready to anoint you, that means you're going to die. That's never been the Church's understanding of anointing of the sick. The Church changed the name to emphasize the sacrament is Preparing for the hour of death BY ROXANNE KING editor_king@icloud.com @RoxanneIKing Q&A with hospice chaplain Father Joseph Hearty

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