Any advice or opinions, please!

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Monicathree

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Hi friends…

I have a dire situation and I on the opposite side of the country trying to process this. My dear uncle and dad are in the hospital. My uncle suffered a stroke, a massive cerebral hemmorage, and after 2 brain surgery is is a coma…it is looking pretty grim. While my auntie and dad were with the nurse at the hospital, she heard his cough and he ended up being admitted, as well. He has been in the ICU floor beneath my uncle in critical condition. He has COPD and asthma…on top of it he has pnemonia and the flew. He has been on the ventilator and under total sedation for a week now and nothing is changing…
They are both baptized Catholics, but not religious, at all. I called the hospital to see if they have a Catholic priest or EMC there…they said they’d call me back.
My poor auntie, who I absolutely adore, has her husband in a coma and her baby brother on the floor beneath him.
I pray for the healing of their bodies, but even more for that of their souls…I believe they could receive the annointing of the sick, yes? How does this work if they are unconcious. Also, I need to watch my place because like I said they are not religious and I don’t want to overstep my line…but I worry, you know. Does this make sense??
Thank you for any advice, info and prayers. This is been incredibly difficult for us…
Peace
 
sorry for the typos and mispelling, my brain is just not with it…
 
Monica, don’t hesitate - call a priest and arrange for the sacrament of Extreme Unction, or whatever the modern name for it is. It is a very powerful healing sacrament, both for body and for soul. My prayers for your family. You might also say a Chaplet of Divine Mercy at their bedsides. Jesus promised great mercy at the moment of death for those who hear or pray this chaplet.
Jesus said later to Sister Faustina:
Click to expand...
“Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who
says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. Priests
will recommend it to sinners as the last hope. Even the most
hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once, will
receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to
know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to
those who trust in My Mercy…”
Click to expand...
“…When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I
will stand between My Father and the dying person not as the just
judge but as the Merciful Savior”.
Click to expand...
 
Monicathree said:
Hi friends…

I have a dire situation and I on the opposite side of the country trying to process this. My dear uncle and dad are in the hospital. My uncle suffered a stroke, a massive cerebral hemmorage, and after 2 brain surgery is is a coma…it is looking pretty grim. While my auntie and dad were with the nurse at the hospital, she heard his cough and he ended up being admitted, as well. He has been in the ICU floor beneath my uncle in critical condition. He has COPD and asthma…on top of it he has pnemonia and the flew. He has been on the ventilator and under total sedation for a week now and nothing is changing…
They are both baptized Catholics, but not religious, at all. I called the hospital to see if they have a Catholic priest or EMC there…they said they’d call me back.
My poor auntie, who I absolutely adore, has her husband in a coma and her baby brother on the floor beneath him.
I pray for the healing of their bodies, but even more for that of their souls…I believe they could receive the annointing of the sick, yes? How does this work if they are unconcious. Also, I need to watch my place because like I said they are not religious and I don’t want to overstep my line…but I worry, you know. Does this make sense??
Thank you for any advice, info and prayers. This is been incredibly difficult for us…
Peace
Click to expand...
I don’t think that you’d be overstepping to speak to your auntie about this. It is NOT like you’re writing your father and uncle off by speaking about having them Anointed. “Anointing of the Sick” is meant to bring spiritual as well as physical strength back to the recipient. Is you auntie also Catholic? If so, she will probably be grateful for your loving suggestion. God bless and I’ll include both your father and your uncle in my prayers.
 
I agree with the two responses you’ve received thus far and add that you might want to consider calling the Catholic Church’s near that hospital (if they don’t get back to you right away),to inform the Priest about them and to ask him to go. I will keep them both and you and your Aunt in my prayers.
 
Who is making decisions for your dad? Is it your aunt? If so, I think you should call your aunt and tell her that you are worried and would like to help, so you are going to arrange for a priest to come give both of them the anointing of the sick. If she declines for your uncle, you can say that you understand and as the closest kin will send the priest only to your dad’s room, but if she changes her mind that she can let you know and the priest can visit your uncle, too. If your dad is making decisions for himself then you need to get his OK.

The priest can’t do it if the legal decision maker objects. You are out of sorts on the other side of the country so think what your aunt must feel like. You don’t want them finding out when the priest knocks on the door and in their surprise they send him away.

Your uncle can’t receive communion while in a coma, but if your dad is able to consume either species he can confess and then receive. The priest will do all he can for both of them once you get in touch with him. I offer my humble prayers.
 
I can not thank you all enough for your responses and compassion and prayers. Each one had something excellent in it. Yes, she is making the decisions for my dad, he is totally sedated-totally out. Neither of them can receive…She, like most of my family, except one of my cousins are baptized, not practicing Catholics. My one cousin and her family, my auntie has told me are weekly atendees at mass, so I was wondering if they might have thought of this for my uncle. I will read over these again in the morning and then go from there. Right now, even though they are in New York and I am in the west, I will take the wonderful advice and say a Chaplet of Divine Mercy and then the Rosary, Lord knows I can’t sleep might as well do something more productive than just being nervous and worrying, right?!
Again, thank you all. This group at Catholic Answers again has not let me down. It was the same when my second child was born 2 1/2 months early and fighting for his life in the NICU. I truly can’t thank you enough.
Peace
 
I can not thank you all enough for your responses and compassion and prayers. Each one had something excellent in it. Yes, she is making the decisions for my dad, he is totally sedated-totally out. Neither of them can receive…She, like most of my family, except one of my cousins are baptized, not practicing Catholics. My one cousin and her family, my auntie has told me are weekly atendees at mass. I will read over these again in the morning and then go from there. Right now, even though they are in New York and I am in the west, I will take the wonderful advice and say a Chaplet of Divine Mercy and then the Rosary, Lord knows I can’t sleep might as well do something more productive than just being nervous and worrying, right?!
Again, thank you all. This group at Catholic Answers again has not let me down. It was the same when my second child was born 2 1/2 months early and fighting for his life in the NICU. I truly can’t thank you enough.
Peace
 
Monicathree,

I will offer up my Mass today for your Dad and Uncle. It is now 8 a.m. MST so it is probably morning where you are now too - please call and talk to your Aunt about this, she may not object especially if you offer to do the calling for the Priest.

You can use anywho.com to look up Parishes near the hospital - you just need to do the search as “Catholic Churches” and enter a zip code. Let me know if you want some help with that search - you have enough on your mind right now without trying to do such a search unless you have done it before :). Please PM me if you want me to do the search for you with the zip code of where the hospital is or, if you don’t have that, the name of the hospital and the City and State it is in - I can work it from there.

Brenda V.
 
My advise is that you need to convince your aunt of the importance of them seeing a priest to bless both of them.
Since you live in the west coast and don’t really see your relatives
praying at home which is something we don’t know that they may be doing. Just because you know that they are not attending church doesn’t mean they are not praying in private and talking to God.

I recently asked my ill dad if he wanted a priest to see him and he said, “Not right now”. My next thought was when we put him in a nursing home he will be able to attend Mass on Sundays at
the nursing home. He will then be able to confess his sins and receive the priest’s blessings.
My mom gave me a clue that my dad who doesn’t attend church has been praying at home. She noticed him praying one day in his bedroom. That made me really happy because I truly belive he wants to return to the Catholic church.

My Mom is afraid for my dad to see a priest because that means to her that my dad will die after he receives the Priest’s blessings.
My grandmother died as soon as she received the Priest’s blessings. So she is afraid my dad will do the same.

I think you have a right to call a priest for your father only since you are his adult child. But you do need to convince your aunt to aprove it. She is in control right now because she is there with him. You must convince her.
 
Hi Monica,

Seeking a priest to anoint them is good, even if one or both is in a coma. Also consider the efficacy of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. In St. Faustina’s Diary, Jesus told her that if we say the Divine Mercy Chaplet in the presence of a dying person, Jesus will stand with them as their advocate before God at their judgment.

Jim Dobbins
 
My aunt just called me to update me, everything is basically the same. I brought the annointing up very gently and she said that my one of my cousins had brought it up and that she’d get it done today. She said that they see a priest around there all the time. I told her that that brings peace to my heart. I can’t imagine what this woman is going through…
Again, thank you my brothers and sisters for your prayers, suggestions, and kind words. I believe our collective and of course our Blessed Mother’s and the Saints prayers reached the ear of our Lord and this was granted:grouphug: for us.
Thank you!!!❤️
 
IF your aunt isn’t religious, you should be very careful in how you bring this up. She doesn’t need to feel guilty for saying no. If you are an adult, I assume you or your father’s wife or someone other than your aunt is making the medical decisions for him now and there’s no reason you or that person shouldn’t arrange for such a rite if it isn’t against your father’s wishes.
(This is my opinion and has nothing to do with the teaching of the Church)
 
I also want to thank you all for the information you gave to Monica because my 95yr.old dad is in the hospital. I will be able to call his priest to visit him with his permission. My dad is still of sound mind so he himself can give me permission. Plus, I can get my adult son to pray with me together the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy.
The main point I am trying to make is that you all have also helped me with the information you gave Monica.
I was clueless on what I could do for my ill dad since this it the first time in my life I have had to deal with a loved one who is seriously ill. I have been praying to God to help me do the best that I can for my old ill dad and you all have been of great help to me too. Thank you all. Lucia
 
LaLucia said:
I also want to thank you all for the information you gave to Monica because my 95yr.old dad is in the hospital. I will be able to call his priest to visit him with his permission. My dad is still of sound mind so he himself can give me permission. Plus, I can get my adult son to pray with me together the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy.
The main point I am trying to make is that you all have also helped me with the information you gave Monica.
I was clueless on what I could do for my ill dad since this it the first time in my life I have had to deal with a loved one who is seriously ill. I have been praying to God to help me do the best that I can for my old ill dad and you all have been of great help to me too. Thank you all. Lucia
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My prayers for your dad, Lucia.

I think it is very important for all Catholics to let your family know that if you are ill or in danger of death, that they should call a priest immediately so you can have the sacrament of the sick. I have told my family that the first person I want them to call is a priest if I am ever hospitalized. I also carry a card over top of my driver’s license that states I am a Catholic, and in event of an emergency to call a priest.
 
Monicathree said:
Hi friends…

I pray for the healing of their bodies, but even more for that of their souls…I believe they could receive the annointing of the sick, yes? How does this work if they are unconcious. Also, I need to watch my place because like I said they are not religious and I don’t want to overstep my line…but I worry, you know. Does this make sense??
Thank you for any advice, info and prayers. This is been incredibly difficult for us…
Peace
Click to expand...
I am so sorry to hear of your peril. I agree with saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Regardless of whether or not they come out of this, the prayer will be for their benefit. I wish all the best for you and your family, and pray that whatever His will is, all will be ok.

By the way, I stay at home to care for my mother in law who survived a cerebral anurism. She has good days and bad days, but that was 20 years ago. She survived and has lived this long, so do not despair. Say Rosaries, that is what I did at the hospital and she came through it under negative odds. All the doctors were very surprised.
 
Medic girl, thank you for your prayers. My dad is now out of the hospital and doing good at home. Lucia
 
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