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Bishop encourages the sick to offer their suffering for the church

Zoey Maraist | Catholic Herald Staff Writer

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge anoints someone’s hands during the Mass for Anointing of the Sick. ZOEY MARAIST | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Bishop Michael F. Burbidge anoints a woman’s forehead during the Mass for Anointing of the Sick. ZOEY MARAIST | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Fr. Christopher H. Hayes (left), parochial vicar of St. Ambrose Church in Annandale, Deacon Tim Deely of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, and Fr. Andrew J. Fisher, pastor, pray at the start of the Anointing of the Sick March 23. ZOEY MARAIST | CATHOLIC HERALD

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The sick and their caretakers gather at St. Ambrose Church in Annandale for the Mass for Anointing of the Sick March 23. ZOEY MARAIST | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Fr. Christopher H. Hayes, parochial vicar of St. Ambrose Church, lays hands on a woman during the Mass for Anointing of the Sick. ZOEY MARAIST | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Fr. Andrew J. Fisher, pastor of St. Ambrose Church in Annandale, lays hand on a woman during the Mass for Anointing of the Sick March 23. ZOEY MARAIST | CATHOLIC HERALD

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Susan McCready felt as if she was
brought back in time to the hills of Galilee 2,000 years ago during the Mass
for Anointing of the Sick at St. Ambrose Church in Annandale March 23. “I was
sitting in the pages of the Gospel where the sick came to (Christ) in droves
and sat around his chair,” said McCready, a parishioner of St. Raymond of
Peñafort Church in Springfield. “I just felt so blessed and graced. I couldn’t
stop crying through the whole Mass. This is some of the best medicine I’ve had
in seven months”

McCready was one of the many Catholics
who received the anointing of the sick at the annual Mass sponsored by the Northern
Virginia Region of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta, a
fraternal group dedicated to caring for the sick and needy. The Mass,
celebrated by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge; Father Andrew J. Fisher, pastor of
St. Ambrose; Father Christopher H. Hayes, parochial vicar; and Father Eric
Culler of the Diocese of Toledo, was followed by lunch. Before leaving, each
participant received a small bottle of holy water from Lourdes. “For one day, the
church is giving (the sick) a big hug,” said Father Fisher. 

In his homily, Bishop Burbidge spoke of God’s
miracles. “(The Lord) comes to us today as he speaks to us in his word, blesses
us with his healing love in the sacrament of anointing and gives us himself in
the holy Eucharist.  We will leave here
today enlightened, consoled and nourished as new persons in Christ Jesus, the
Good Shepherd who knows, loves and protects his flock,” he said. “That is the
miracle.”

Bishop Burbidge asked the suffering and sick gathered to offer their pain for the sake of the church. “I thank the sick in our midst today for your faithful witness as you unite yourselves to the Lord and his cross. You are so very close to him at this very moment in your life,” he said. “That is why you are encouraged to offer your sufferings for the needs of the church, especially at this time in which she is in need of healing and transformation.”

Marion Scaffidi, a parishioner of St. Michael Church in Annandale who attended the Mass, was born in 1925 and contracted polio in 1932. Throughout her life she has had cervical cancer, breast cancer and cancer on her face. Today, she said she’s doing pretty well, besides having back problems. “I was just overtaken by (the Mass),” she said. “So many people showed up, it really shows that we do have faith in the diocese.”

 

Pete Recinto and his wife, Marilen,
began coming to the Mass for the Anointing of the Sick after traveling to
Lourdes through the Order of Malta. “We were new to this parish, we didn’t know
anybody and then Laura Mead, the director of religious education, just
approached my wife (and said), ‘Would you like to join us at Lourdes?’ And she
just said, ‘Why not?’ ” said Pete. “It’s amazing, nobody has offered to take us
to Lourdes, and (my wife has) been in a wheelchair for 20 years.”

The trip was a wonderful experience in a
peaceful place, said Pete. “You know what I noticed? The place is all full of
sick people so I was expecting people to be complaining,” he said. “But they
were so happy and smiley.” The Mass of the Anointing of the Sick was another
powerful experience. “I like to see the faith of the people,” he said. “You can
feel their longings and hope for healing.”

The annual Mass is one of many events
the order hosts throughout the year, said Mead, who serves as the regional
hospitaller, or local leader. She loves seeing the witness of the sick and
their caretakers, who also carry a heavy cross. “This Mass just shows me that
in this time of crisis in the church, Jesus and his church are so strong and
alive,” she said. “It’s important in these times to run to the sacraments and
to continue to trust that Our Lord will always care for us — our physical
needs, our spiritual needs and any other needs that we have.”

This story has been updated.

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