by Deacon Paul Lim, Father Cyprian Osuegbu, and Sister Mary Ann Rosenbaum, CSJ
WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, Pastoral Care Team

In every parish church you will find the tabernacle, the special place where the Eucharist is reserved during Mass after Holy Communion. But many do not realize for who the Eucharist is reserved. In addition to devotion and adoration, the Church has always reserved the Eucharist for the sick and those who cannot be at Mass (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1379).

At WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, up to 35 Catholic patients a day receive Holy Communion through the ministry of our two priests, two CSJ Sisters, and a generous team volunteer Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. An additional 30 patients receive Holy Communion regularly at the Continuous Care Center.

The Eucharist has a major role in their healing process both spiritually and physically, yet many who are sick are not able to receive the Eucharist regularly at Mass because they are unable to leave their home. This has left many people who are homebound without the Eucharist, some for even years. So, when they have to be in the hospital for a medical need, many Catholic patients are grateful for the opportunity to make a sacramental confession as necessary and receive Jesus in the Eucharist again. They are also encouraged to reconnect with their parish and to invite their own clergy to visit.

When the Eucharist is purposely received prior to death, it is called viaticum. Viaticum in Latin means “provision for a journey.” When we receive Holy Communion during Mass, we are drawn into a closer union to Jesus in His journey back to the Father through His passion, death, and resurrection. When we receive Jesus at the time of our passing, we are reminded in a special way that we too are journeying back to the Father!

Because this is so powerful, it is common for one of our priests in the hospital to be called to see a patient who is close to death. If the patient is able, the priest will invite the patient to make a sacramental Confession before granting the Apostolic Pardon:

“By the authority which the Apostolic See has given me, I grant you a full pardon and the remission of all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come. May He open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy.” (Pastoral Care of the Sick)

And then after receiving Holy Communion as viaticum, the priest prays: “May the Lord Jesus Christ protect you and lead you to eternal life.”

To know that Jesus is with us in a real way during this time is a source of great comfort to the patient and to family members because are reminded that He will guide us on the way that He Himself has already travelled for us. When received as viaticum, the Eucharist, Reconciliation,

and Anointing of the Sick, are the “sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland or the sacraments that complete our earthly pilgrimage” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1525).

Priests, deacons, and lay ministers who bring Holy Communion to the sick and homebound know the sacred responsibility that they have and are edified with what is entrusted to them. They recognize that grace is just as necessary as eating and breathing because they have witnessed the life-changing effects of the sacraments for those who desperately need them. We can also consider them to be vessels of the Holy Spirit since they are often the first to convey our support and concern to those who may feel estranged or isolated from the Church.

When we encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, whether through receiving Holy Communion during Mass or when visiting a church for prayer and adoration, be assured that He is there for you. At the same time, we should also know that Jesus is especially present for those who cannot be with us. Our Lord is reserved in tabernacles throughout the world because it is important for the sick and the dying to receive the “true food” so that they can remain with Jesus on the journey to everlasting life (John 6).