The short answer
Last rites is not one sacrament but a sequence: confession where possible, anointing, and then Holy Communion given as Viaticum, which the Church describes as the last sacrament of the earthly journey. Families often call too late because they are waiting for certainty. Calling early is not premature, and a priest would far rather come twice than once too late.
Last rites usually means three things: confession, anointing, and Viaticum.
Viaticum, not anointing, is the final sacrament of the Christian life.
Viaticum should be received while the person can still receive Communion.
Waiting for certainty is the most common reason families call too late.
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The full explanation.
What the phrase actually covers
Almost nobody says "the sacraments for the dying." People say last rites, and they usually mean a priest arriving and doing something at the end. The Church's own arrangement has three parts, in order: the sacrament of Penance, where the person is able to make a confession; Anointing of the Sick; and then the Eucharist, received as Viaticum.
The word Viaticum comes from Latin for provision for a journey. At paragraph 1524 the Catechism calls Communion received now "the seed of eternal life and the power of resurrection." Paragraph 1517 sets the order. It says "the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey."
That ordering has a practical consequence that catches families out. Because anointing normally comes before Viaticum, and because Viaticum requires the person to be able to receive Communion, waiting until someone is clearly, unmistakably dying often means waiting until Viaticum is no longer possible.
Why families call late
Every hospital chaplain has the same story. The family did not want to frighten the patient. They did not want to admit where things were going. They were waiting for someone to tell them it was time, and nobody did. Then the breathing changed at two in the morning and everything happened at once.
Calling early costs nothing. A priest who comes and finds the person stable will not be annoyed; anointing can be repeated, and a visit that turns out to be premature is a visit that reassured a frightened person. The United States bishops set this out in their Ethical and Religious Directives. Directive 55 asks Catholic facilities to give dying people "appropriate opportunities to prepare for death." Directive 16 says Catholics who can receive Communion should receive Viaticum in danger of death, "while still in full possession of their faculties."
Who can do what
- Only a priest can hear a confession and give absolution.
- Only a priest or bishop can anoint.
- A deacon, or a properly appointed lay minister of Holy Communion, can bring Viaticum.
This distinction matters when you are trying to get someone at short notice. If the hospital tells you a chaplain is on the way, it is worth asking whether that chaplain is a priest. If not, and if confession or anointing is what is wanted, say so, and ask who the on-call priest is.
Getting the number before you need it
The single most useful thing a family can do is ask, on a calm afternoon, how to reach a Catholic priest at this hospital outside normal hours. Write it down. Put it in more than one phone. If the person moves to a hospice or goes home, ask the same question again on arrival, because the answer changes with the building.
Parishes are used to being called at night for this. If you cannot get anyone through the hospital, calling the nearest parish directly is entirely normal and expected.
If death has already happened
Anointing is a sacrament for the living and is not administered after death. That does not mean there is nothing to call about. A priest will come to pray with the family, lead prayers for the dead, and help you begin thinking about the funeral. Many families find that visit matters more than they expected.
You do not need to have got everything right beforehand for any of this to be available to you. Chaplains and parish priests are not keeping score, and the Church's own texts are noticeably gentle on this point.
A word about the room
Ask for privacy, and ask for it specifically. In a busy ward this often means the difference between a rushed few minutes at the bedside and something the family can actually be present for. Nurses generally want to help with this and are simply waiting to be asked. If there are people who should be there, say who. If there are people the patient would not want there, say that too, quietly, to the chaplain.
Sources
- NCI — Spirituality in Cancer Care (PDQ), Patient Version
- NCI — Last Days of Life (PDQ), Patient Version
- NCI — End-of-Life Care for People Who Have Cancer
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1524–1525
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1517
- Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, sixth edition — United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
Common questions
What exactly are last rites?
In ordinary speech it means everything a priest does for a dying person. In the Church's own arrangement it is the sacrament of Penance where the person can make a confession, then Anointing of the Sick, then the Eucharist received as Viaticum.
Why is Viaticum the last one and not anointing?
The Catechism, at paragraph 1517, says that as the sacrament of Christ's Passover the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the viaticum for passing over to eternal life. Anointing normally comes before it.
When should we call?
Earlier than feels natural. Viaticum is meant to be received while the person is still able to receive Communion and, ideally, while still in full possession of their faculties. Waiting until breathing changes often means waiting too long.
What if the person has already died?
Anointing is for the living and is not given after death, but a priest can and will come to pray with the family and lead prayers for the dead. Call anyway.
Can a deacon do this?
A deacon or a properly appointed lay minister can bring Holy Communion, including Viaticum. Only a priest can hear a confession and give absolution, or anoint.
Does the person have to be conscious?
For Viaticum they need to be able to receive Communion. Anointing may be given to someone who has lost consciousness if there is reason to believe they would have asked for it. Say what the situation actually is when you call.
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Sources last checked: 2026-08-13 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-17Next planned review: 2028-07-30
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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