Pastoral Care of the Sick Bibliography: Notre Dame Center for Liturgy

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Pastoral Care of the Sick Bibliography

In this and other NDCL bibliographies, materials have been selected primarily with parish ministers (rather than professional scholars) in mind. Most of the resources are in English and were published in North America.

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Print Resources | Video Resources

Ahlstrom, Michael. A Companion to the Pastoral Care of the Sick. (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1990). A guide especially for those who are not accustomed to using the ritual books of the church and for those ministers of care who want to uncover the great wealth of material contained in them.
Apostolos-Cappadona, Diane. The Sacred Play of Children (New York: Seabury Press, 1983). Articles encouraging preparation and celebration of worship with children. See "The Rite of Anointing and the Pastoral Care of Sick Children," on establishing a relationship with the child in preparation for the anointing. AMAZON
Collins, Mary and Power, David, eds. The Pastoral Care of the Sick. (London: SCM Press; Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1991). Articles in this volume of the series Concilium include a study of the Ordo for pastoral care of the sick and its implications for parish life. Also to be found is an historical survey of the variety of Christian anointing traditions.
Cuschieri, Andrew J. Anointing of the Sick: A Theological and Canonical Study. (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1993). An analysis of the canons on the anointing of the sick contained in both Latin and Eastern codes of canon law. Major emphasis is placed on the tradition of the church. AMAZON
Dudley, Martin and Rowell, Geoffrey, eds. The Oil of Gladness: Anointing in the Christian Tradition. (London: SPCK; Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1993). A comprehensive survey of the use of oils in the Christian tradition and ancient cultures. Includes articles on anointing ministry in hospital and hospice settings. AMAZON
Empereur, James L. Prophetic Anointing: God's Call to the Sick, the Elderly, and the Dying. (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press / Michael Glazier, 1982). Includes a history of the theology of the sacrament of anointing; exegesis of James 5:13-16; special vocation of the sick and aged in the church; and pastoral perspectives. AMAZON
Fink, Peter, E., ed. Alternative Futures for Worship: Anointing of the Sick. (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1987). Contributions from human sciences complement the historical and pastoral theology of the care of the sick. Suggests alternative rituals of anointing for long-term, seriously ill persons; healing for families of terminally ill. AMAZON
Glen, Jennifer. "Sickness and Symbol: The Promise of the Future." Worship 54 (1980), 397-411. Argues that anointing and illness represent not an "end," but a passage; not a halting-place, but a potentially hope-filled journey.
Gusmer, Charles W. And You Visited Me: Sacramental Ministry to the Sick and the Dying. (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press / A Pueblo Book, 1989). For understanding the development of the rite and a guide in the ritual praxis. Liturgical scholarship and modern scientific research on sickness and death complement suggestions for ministerial implementation. AMAZON
Imber-Black, Evan. Rituals for Our Times: Celebrating, Healing, and Changing Our Lives and Our Relationships. (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992). Discusses the psychological role and need of ritual in family and for the individual in contemporary culture. AMAZON~~POWELLS
Mayeroff, Milton. On Caring. (New York: Harper and Row, 1971). "This small book deals with two related themes: a generalized description of caring and an account of how caring can give comprehensive meaning and order to one's life." AMAZON~~POWELLS
O'Connell, Matthew J., tr. Temple of the Holy Spirit: Sickness and Death of the Christian in the Liturgy. (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press / A Pueblo Book, 1983). A major collection of essays based on addresses given at the twenty-first Liturgical Conference, Saint-Serge, France. AMAZON
United States Catholic Conference. Pastoral Care of the Sick and Dying: Study Text 2. (Washington, DC: USCC, 1984). A brief history of the church's ministry to the sick and dying; Vatican II's approach to the care of the sick; and a commentary on the rites of anointing and viaticum.
Ziegler, John J. Let Them Anoint the Sick. (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1987). Traces the development of the Church's understanding and practice of anointing. Argues for extending this ministry to deacons and officially commissioned lay ministers. AMAZON

Video Resources | Print Resources

Archdiocese of Detroit, Office of Christian Worship. Communion of the Sick in Ordinary Circumstances. 1994. 18-minute video models a parishioner bringing communion to one confined to home. Discussion on the significance of the rite and appropriate practice.

Bibliographies