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Bishop Loverde anoints the sick

Dave Borowski | Catholic Herald

Members of the Order of Malta, Philip Hughes (left) and George Egge, wait for Mass to begin at St. Ambrose Church.

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Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde anoints the head of a man in a wheelchair at the Mass for the Anointing of the Sick at St. Ambrose Church in Annandale March 21.

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The annual Mass for the Anointing of the Sick was celebrated
at St. Ambrose Church in Annandale March 21. Scores of people
in wheelchairs, with crutches and canes and others whose
ailments were not visible were greeted by men and women of
the Knights and Dames from the Northern Virginia Region of
the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta, Federal.
Each person to be anointed was given a Miraculous Medal on a
ribbon to hang around their neck.

Seating in the sanctuary was set in alternate rows, allowing
the bishop and priests to easily walk through and bless and
anoint the sick.

The Mass was celebrated by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde,
Conventual Chaplain “Ad Honorem” of the Order of Malta,
assisted by Fathers Andrew J. Fisher, pastor; Charles C.
Smith, parochial vicar; Alexander R. Drummond, pastor of St.
Catherine of Siena Church in Great Falls; Robert J. Wagner,
bishop’s secretary; and Deacon Kevin J. Dansereau.

Bishop Loverde greeted the congregation saying that it is an
honor to serve at this anointing Mass. His duties as a
bishop, he said, were administrative now and he doesn’t get
to visit the sick as he would like.

In his sermon, the bishop’s theme was suffering, saying that
our suffering becomes a means of salvation for ourselves and
others. He said that we pray for those who are suffering here
and around the world.

“I rejoice that I can provide the gift of Christ’s healing
power,” said the bishop.

After the homily, the bishop and priests prepared for the
blessing and anointing. It was a three-part ceremony. Bishop
Loverde and the priests went through the church walking
through the empty aisles and placed his hands on the heads of
those with medals around their necks and blessed them.

Next, the oil was blessed and then again, the bishop and
priests walked through the sanctuary to anoint those
standing.

When it came time for holy Communion, there was a break from
the usual tradition. Instead of the faithful coming to the
altar to receive the host, the bishop, priests and deacon
walked through the empty aisles bringing the consecrated
hosts to the people.

When Mass ended, Fra’ James-Michael von Stroebel ,
vice-regent of the Order of Malta, thanked everyone who
supported the Order and gave the prayer of the Order.

The congregation was asked to write their prayer petitions to
Our Lady of Lourdes and give them to the Knights to take to
the grotto in Lourdes during their annual pilgrimage in May.

Tom Ziolkowski brought his son, Ben, 4, to the ceremony and
held him in his arms for the blessing and anointing.
Ziolkowski is a member of the Fort Belvoir Catholic
Community. He came last year too and found the ceremony
comforting.

The Order of Malta hosted a lunch after Mass at the parish
center. As people walked in, small bottles of Lourdes holy
water were distributed.

Zoila Chavez was there to be blessed and anointed and found
the ceremony beautiful and meaningful.

“It was hard to describe,” she said. “It was wonderful.”

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