Grateful to be Anointed during Sacrament of the Sick

Thank you! On November 13, Monsignor Mathieu, Father Rice and Father Uhde administered this Sacrament. 

Monsignor Mathieu

The son of Edouard and Eva (Béland) Mathieu, Monsignor René Thomas Mathieu was born in Sanford, Maine on August 24, 1950, the eighth of nine children. He attended Saint Ignatius Grammar School in Sanford, Our Lady of Lourdes Seminary in Cassadaga, New York, and graduated from Assumption Preparatory School & Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts (B.A.). He prepared for the priesthood at the North American College and the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy (S.T.B.).

He was ordained deacon in Rome by Archbishop Paul Marcinkus on April 29, 1976, and served his internship at Saint Francis Parish in Liverpool, England. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Amedée W. Proulx on July 23, 1977, at Saint Ignatius Church in Sanford.

Bishop Robert Deeley has announced that Monsignor René Mathieu has been appointed temporary administrator of All Saints Parish (St. Charles Borromeo Church, Brunswick; St. John the Baptist Church, Brunswick; St. Mary Church, Bath; Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Boothbay Harbor; St. Ambrose Church, Richmond; St. Patrick Church, Newcastle; St. Katharine Drexel Church, Harpswell), effective Wednesday, Sept. 29.

Monsignor Mathieu succeeds Father Tom Murphy, who passed away on Monday, Sept. 20.

On November 13, my husband and I received the Sacrament of the Sick with a group of faithful who registered to receive this anointment. As Monsignor Mathieu anointed me, my face mask thankfully covered enough of my face so that he was unable to see the tears I was experiencing during the blessing. My husband has received the Sacrament three times and yesterday, during the Month of All Souls, at a liturgy celebrated at Saint Charles Borromeo Church, was the first time for me to be anointed.

"Any member of the faithful can receive this sacrament as soon as he or she begins to be in danger of death because of sickness or old age.

The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is for all who face a serious illness or surgery or who are impaired by old age. It is distinct from the “Last Rites,” or Viaticum, in which the Church offers Holy Communion as food for the journey to life eternal.

A message from Msgr. Mathieu "Do This in Memory of Me," a pastoral letter on the Eucharist by Bishop Deeley, is now available in the new edition of the Harvest magazine and atwww.portlanddiocese.org/in memory of me.

The letter beautifully describes why participation in the Mass is central for Roman Catholic Christians, and I heartily recommend it to parishioners. 

Over the years, the Church has developed substantial practices associated with death and dying: the Sacrament of the Sick, the deathbed Communion (viacum), prayers for the dead, the wake service, the funeral Mass, prayer at the graveside, and pious visits to the tomb. November is the month of the Holy Souls when we are urged to remember and pray for the dead. While the saints in heaven pray on behalf of those who live on earth, the intercessory prayer of the “Church militant” on earth aids the pilgrim soul in arriving at the beatific vision. This Communion of Saints is part of the Church’s doctrine and enjoys special emphasis this month. As I grow older, I am mindful of the many people who have died to whom I owe the gifts of life, faith, and good example. These deceased are relatives, friends, benefactors, and others who I recall in my daily prayer. As a spiritual exercise, I have composed a list of these people and listed them according to their date of death so that I can more easily remember them on the anniversary of their passage from this life to the next. I include the names of people who hurt me in the past; I trust that praying for them may be a step toward forgiveness. 

You too may find drawing up such a list to be a fruitful spiritual exercise. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.