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I told this story here a few years ago but will update you since it correspods to 'Holy Unction' for the sick from an Orthodox viewpoint.

I have a Bulgarian friend who is more like a son to me than a friend. I've kind of been his surragate father since he came here at the age of eighteen to go to college completely alone and showed up at our church. In fact, next year when he becomes an American citizen he has asked if he could take my last name since his real father abandoned them when he was two and I'm the only father he's ever known. I've agreed. But I digress from my story.

After graduation he got a job with a pipline company which required frequent trips to Vlnuis Lithuania where there is a large Orthodox community and Monastery.

In one of my bi-annual cancer checks it was determined that my PSA level was up indicating the cancer I was operated on in 1990 had returned and I was scheduled to undergo 6 1/2 weeks of daily radiation therapy. My son was so upset that on one of his trips to Lituania he went to a monk he had befriended asking for prayers for my health. At the same time the skull of St Panteleimon was taken from Mount Athos to 'Christ The Saviour Cathedral' in Moscow where thousands of people waited for hours to venerate it. The skull of St Panteleimon emits Holy Myrrh. The Monk promised Atanas (my adopted son) that he would bring back some of the Myrrh so I could be anointed. He came back to Vilnius with a vial of the Holy Myrrh which Atanas hand carried back to Philly where I was annointed. I donated the remaining contents to the parish requesting that two other cancer victims that were diagnosed as terminal also be anointed. That was about four or five years ago. Just had my PSA checked and underwent a CAT Scan and Bone Scan. Everyhing is normal! The woman who also annointed with me was given a 35% chance of survival beyond six months is still very active and now after five years has a 95% survival rate! The other who had lung cancer and was so weak he couldn't attend church is at Liturgy every Sunday and has been in 'remission' for those five years.

I've talked about a Roman Catholic nun (Mother Superior) who has been coming to our church for Vespers and Akfists for years in previous posts. She still comes by every Sunday on her way to Mass to go into our Chapel to light a candle and say a prayer before the 'Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God', pick up a church bulletin and go on her way. She was originally annointed when a healing service was open to the public when the Myrrh first arrived.

Since her and I are very close friends, she asked for me a few months ago while I was attending Liturgy. When I saw her I was shocked she was so pale, thin, and weak. She had been diagnosed with Cancer but didn't want anyone to know so she asked if I could talk to Father for her to be annointed privately. This was done privately in the Chapel after the Liturgy that same day when people were either gone or downstairs. I saw her about a month later and the change was fantastic! She looked like her old self! She said she woke up pain free the next day and has no pain. In fact, she is back in work and has gained weight! And her annointing is part of her medial records because the doctors can't understand why there is no pain! The cancer is still there but has not gotten worse. Our priest has told her to contact him whenever she feels the need to be annointed and she will.

The Holy Myrrh is offered to anyone who comes and requests it. Only thing our priest will not do is send it through the mail as he did before. because when he did, he only got one acknowledgement of receipt and deems it too precious to take a chance.

So, Holy Unction the Orthodox Catholic Church is a healing service rather than 'Last Rites' AND IT WORKS!
OrthoMan

Dear Orthoman,

So your adopted son will be "Atanas Orthoman!" How wonderful!

Yes, bless you for sharing the power of God's Healing Grace through His saints, especially St Panteleimon the "All Merciful."

May we constantly feel the anointing of God's Grace on us throughout our lives via prayer and pilgrimage to Holy Places, like your Chapel.

Alex

Dear OrthoMan,
Nice story. Even though we have our diffences you seem to be a nice guy after all.
Lauro

Dear Lauro,

Anyone who can befriend a Catholic Mother Superior must have great resources of inner virtue!

We must remember to be respectful of him and to cut him some slack.

He has strong views - as do we all. But there's no reason we can't all get along together

(He's no Basilian, so there shouldn't be a problem when it comes to us! )

Alex

Hmmm...I guess you're right.
Lauro

Dear Lauro,

And don't forget childish and offensive . . .at times.

Alex

[So your adopted son will be "Atanas Orthoman!" How wonderful!]

No. Atanas CHRISTOPHER Orthoman!

OrthoMan

Who da Man?

You da Man!

You da ORTHOman!

(And Atanas Christopher as well . . .)

Alex

Posted by Archimandrite Gregory:

When I was a young priestmonk, I worked as a hospice chaplain in a large eastcoast metropolitan area. On two occasions during my time as chaplain, I had to call the local Roman priest to come and confess and anoint someone who was actively dying. On these two occasions both priests refused to come (one lived ONE MILE from the dying person's home, but complained that it was snowing...so he told ME to "take care of it."). On both occasions I heard the Confessions and gave Unction of the Sick. I later asked our Metropolitan if I had acted correctly...and he responded, "Oh course Father...it is ALWAYS better to err on the side of charity, especially if it is a matter of life and death." Further, let me say that looking back, I would exactly the same thing today. My conscience is completely clear.

Is this the ordinary way for an Orthodox priest to function? No, probably not...but there are times when one must pray for guidance and then do what it seems that Christ Jesus Our Lord would have us do.

Dear Archimandrite Gregory.

Sometimes the behavior of some of our priests saddens me. I am truly saddened by the refusal of two priests to be with members of our Church as they were readying themselves for their final journey.

It is really so deeply hurting when priests treat their priesthood as a job with an 8 - 5 time frame when emergencies come up. I have not found this to be the case in the greater number of situations I've encountered or heard of. But it happens and it is reprehensible.

If that happened to me I would be most grateful because you chose to act in Christ's place for me at that time. I'm sure that those two children of God and followers of Christ were at the time of their death. I cannot say it better than that.

Thank you.

Steve

[Nice story. Even though we have our diffences you seem to be a nice guy after all.]

Hey I am. But I am also a fiercely devout Orthodox. I will defend it and even die for it if I had to.

You may be surprised to know some of my best friends are Roman Catholics who I would trust my very life with on an individual basis. Do I hate the Roman Catholic Church - NO! Do I trust the Roman Catholic Church - NO! it's a simple as that!

I'll be in California for most of next week so you guys will have a rest and time to get your blood pressure back to normal!

OrthoMan

Sorry about the double posting!

Dear Orthoman,

Give it time, Big Guy!

The more RC's you trust - the more you'll find that you really will be trusting the RC Church!

(My priest-friend has seven children - what does he need a parish for? ).

But I sometimes have my doubts about Rome too, you know . . .

My blood pressure is fine with you around!

By comparison to what some of my uncles have said about Rome, you are a wuss!

Alex

C'mon Alex & Ortho,

Most of us Latins are cuddle bears !

Well, some of us are, especially if we are dazzled by our Eastern brethern.

james

Father Archimandrite Gregory:

May the Lord, Our God, bless you for your truly Christ-like ministry. You must be a true mirror of Our Savior in yur ministry. We all need more priests like you.

When I read your story, it reminded me of three of my very dear relatives who were refused anointing and even a final absolution when they lay in the hospital emergency room dying. The young priest at their parish told my mother that "he didn't touch dead people" even though they had not been so pronounced by a doctor. In addition, the guy turned and left them, refusing even to stay and pray with them for those dying. It's left a very bitter taste in the mouths of a family that has a long history of being faithful Catholics in Alsace-Lorraine.

I told my mother that if she's ever in such a situation, I'd call the nearest Orthodox priest in a heartbeat for her final confession if she were conscious and her own priest refused to come.

In Christ,

BOB

Dear Orthoman, +May HE Who is Risen and goes before us bless you! Funny that you should have shared this with us today. I am presently undergoing 9 1/2 weeks of external radiation therapy, five days a week for cancer of the prostate. I will have done 3 1/2 weeks tomorrow, with 6 more to go. God was His usual generous Self when He blessed me with this cancer...because it was in its very beginning stage and contained in only one lobe of the prostate.

Daily I pray to St. Nektarios of Aegina (did you know he also had prostate cancer and reposed from this in 1920?) and also St. Panteleimon. If I were close to your parish I would race right over and ask to be anointed!

I would be most thankful for ALL prayers for my health and healing from everyone, Latin Rite, Greek Catholic, Orthodox, etc. After I was diagnosed, I sent out prayer requests to over 120+ monasteries and convents where I know that traditional monastic life is lived (both Orthodox and Roman Catholic). I received back about 15-20 replies...but I'm sure that many, if not all who received the request are remembering me in their holy prayers...and it is a GREAT consolation. How we are all blessed to have such a loving God and the gift of faith!!!

In Him Who calls us,
+Father Archimandrite Gregory, who asks for your holy prayers!