A very powerful experience

[ZxM]

my uncle had been in a nursing home for a long time and it just so happened that i was in town for a week to help out a family member do some work at their house. i arrived in town on a sunday and on monday morning the nursing home called his sister, my aunt and let her know that they didnt think he was going to last through the day as his condition was quickly deteriorating. we went out the the home to say our goodbyes and be with him. while there they spoke of him recently haveing been “saved” and “giving his life to christ” as the home’s chaplain and my family are of the OSAS variety. they mentioned he hadnt been baptized and i immediately asked if it would be ok if i baptized him, they said that it was ok and i said a prayer a performed a baptism on him. it was a very powerful experience and afterwards i went outside and wept, out of sadness for his eventual death but also out of the joy of being able to offer this sacrament to him. i went back and stayed a few more minutes and then left. about a half hour later he took his final breaths and passed away.

ive been deeply pondering this for a week now and wonder if god had a plan for me to be there and kept him with us just long enough, knowing that i would perform this act of love for him as i dont think my relatives had any idea as to the importance of baptism of a person.

i hope and pray that the feeling i had of gods power through the sacraments is also the feeling that priests always have when they are able to offer the sacraments through god for all of us.

 

[Barbkw]

Thank you for sharing your beautiful story.

A Catholic lady I know, told a similar story, of how she baptised her long time agnostic friend who was dying.

She keeps blessed water in her purse.

 

[corsair]

I, too, have experienced the same thing as you. My mother had never been Baptised. As she lay dying in the nursing home and I was trying to be with her until the end, I had this very strong urge to have her Baptised. So I called our local parish office and asked for the priest. “Sorry, he is out all day in meetings but the deacon is here”. Deacon says I shouldn’t worry about it. So I decided to Baptise her myself. Mom had always wanted to become Catholic but she was a very timid soul and never pursued it. She was afraid of everything.

So I went out to the car, got my 1962 Missal came back in and proceeded to Baptise her. I then read the prayers for the dying and prayed the Rosary.

After she passed, I went to confession with the priest and told him what I had done. He told me that what I did was “OK” but that I should really learn to trust God more.

That has been 5 years ago now and I’m still a little upset when I see this priest and the deacon.

BTW, I am now attending a more traditional parish.

 

[beth40n2]

These are very touching stories. I have thought many times about what I would do in that situation. Barbkw, it is great you carry Holy water with you, but from what my priest tells me the water does not have to be blessed. So if anyone hesitates because they don’t have Holy Water at hand, any water will do. What a blessing to be baptised right before death and have all you sins washed away

I have a Catholic friend who was pregnant and was rushed to the hospital for an emergency C section. Her uterus had ruptured and the doctors were rushing to save both mom and baby. It was not to be, mom was kept alive, while the baby only lived a couple minutes. There was a Cathlic nurse in the delivery room and baptised the baby the moment he was pulled out of the uterus. The sorry of the family was great, but the story of their son’s baptism is told over and over and gives them great comfort.