In the middle of an end-of-life season, families often discover a strange kind of time distortion. Hours can feel like minutes, and minutes can feel like hours. Decisions you never expected to make—especially spiritual ones—suddenly become urgent. Someone may say, “We should call a priest,” and another person may hesitate, worried it sounds like giving up, or worried they waited too long, or unsure what to ask for. If you are in that moment, it may help to know this: in Catholic life, asking for sacramental care is not a last-minute emergency button. It is one of the Church’s gentlest ways of staying close to someone you love.
When people say “last rites,” they are often referring to a handful of related rites that may happen close together: confession (if possible), the Anointing of the Sick, prayers for the dying, and—at the center of it all for someone who is actively nearing death—Viaticum. The word is ancient, and the meaning is simple: Holy Communion given to a person who is in danger of death, spiritual food for the journey.
And yet, even families who have been Catholic for decades can feel unsure about the basics: Is communion for the dying the same as Anointing? Is it only for the final hour? What if we’re in a hospital, or hospice, or at home? Who can administer it? What if the person hasn’t been to Mass in years—or can’t speak?
This guide is meant to answer those questions in a clear, compassionate way, so you can ask for what your loved one needs without panic—and without waiting until it becomes impossible.
What Viaticum is—and why the Church treats it differently
Viaticum is the Eucharist received by a person who is in danger of death. It’s not “regular communion at the bedside” in the casual sense; it’s communion offered specifically at the threshold of death, when a person is making what the Catechism calls a “passing over” to the Father. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church offers the Eucharist as viaticum to those about to leave this life, emphasizing its unique significance at this moment.
Families sometimes assume “last rites” means the Anointing of the Sick, full stop. But the Church’s own language places Viaticum at the heart of this end-of-life care. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes the Church’s sacramental care for the sick and dying as flowing from the liturgy, whose heart is the Eucharist—brought to the sick as Communion and to the dying as Viaticum.
That’s why timing matters. Viaticum is meant to be received while the person can actually receive: while they can swallow a small host, respond in some way, and participate as they are able. In practice, it is often most peaceful when it is not rushed—when there is time for quiet, for a short Scripture reading, for the familiar cadence of prayer, and for the sense that the Church is present not as a hospital formality, but as family.
Catholic last rites explained: what families usually mean, and what the Church actually provides
If you’ve ever searched Catholic last rites explained, you may have seen the phrase used as a catch-all. But it helps to separate the pieces. “Last rites” is not a single sacrament; it’s a cluster of sacramental and pastoral care that can include:
- Confession (Reconciliation), if the person is conscious and desires it
- Anointing of the Sick, for serious illness or frailty, not only the final moments
- Viaticum, Holy Communion given in danger of death
- Prayers for the dying (often called the Commendation of the Dying), which may be prayed by a priest, deacon, chaplain, or family
This is where the common question anointing of the sick vs last rites comes from. Anointing is a sacrament of healing and strengthening. It can be received more than once in life—whenever there is a serious illness, major surgery, or a significant decline due to age. Viaticum, by contrast, is communion specifically oriented to the final journey, and it is meant for the time when death is near enough that the Church names the situation plainly: danger of death.
One gentle way to think of it is this: Anointing is for the season of serious illness; Viaticum is for the threshold.
Who can receive Viaticum—and what to do if your loved one is not “perfectly ready”
The Church’s concern is not to create hoops for families; it is to offer grace as close to the moment of need as possible. The Code of Canon Law states that the faithful who are in danger of death “are to be strengthened by holy communion as Viaticum,” and it even notes that someone may receive it again even if they already received Communion that day. See Canon 921 in the Code of Canon Law for the text and the emphasis on not delaying this care.
In ordinary circumstances, Viaticum is for a baptized Catholic who is able to receive Communion. If your loved one is conscious, even minimally, and can swallow safely, that is often enough to make a request worth making. Many diocesan guides also note a practical point families often wonder about: because this is Communion, the person ideally has enough awareness to participate, and if they cannot swallow or are fully unconscious, Viaticum may not be possible in the usual way. A diocesan overview from the Diocese of Rochester describes Viaticum as the last Eucharist and notes that the person receiving it should be in possession of their faculties.
But here is what families need to hear: if Viaticum is not possible because swallowing is no longer safe, you have not “missed everything.” You can still ask for a priest for the Anointing of the Sick (if it has not been received and there is still doubt about consciousness), prayers for the dying, and the presence of the Church through blessing and commendation. Those moments matter deeply, even when the exact form of Communion is not possible.
And if your loved one has been away from the Church, hasn’t gone to confession in years, or feels nervous about “doing it wrong,” you do not need to solve that alone. This is exactly what priests are trained for: to meet people where they are, to listen without shaming, and to help someone receive what the Church calls the “last sacraments” with peace.
Who can administer Viaticum—and why you may still want a priest involved
Families often ask for a priest for last rites because, practically speaking, a priest can provide the fullest sacramental care: confession, Anointing, and Viaticum, along with the apostolic pardon or other prayers that a family may find deeply comforting. In many places, however, Communion to the sick is also brought by deacons and trained lay ministers, especially in hospitals and long-term care settings where priests may not be on site every day.
In Catholic practice, bishops, priests, and deacons are the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and trained lay people may be deputed in certain circumstances to bring Communion to the sick and homebound. The USCCB provides guidance on extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion in the liturgical life of the Church, reflecting the broader norms that support this ministry.
So what should you request? If death may be near—especially if the person has not been anointed or has not been to confession—asking specifically for a priest is often the wisest, simplest path. Even when a hospital has a Catholic chaplain or a system for Communion rounds, families frequently find relief in saying plainly: “We would like a priest to come for Anointing and Viaticum.” Clear language helps staff triage, and it helps your parish respond with urgency.
When to request Viaticum: the timing families most often regret
Most families do not regret asking too early. They regret asking too late.
Part of the misunderstanding is emotional: if you request “last rites,” it can feel like you’re admitting the end is near. But spiritually, it is often the opposite. It is a way of bringing calm into the room, a way of anchoring the person who is dying in a familiar faith, a way of saying, “You are not doing this alone.”
There is also a practical reason timing matters: close to the end of life, swallowing becomes difficult, alertness comes and goes, and medications that help with comfort can also make wakefulness unpredictable. Viaticum is meant to be celebrated before it becomes impossible. Canon law explicitly warns against undue delay (see the emphasis in Canons 921–922 in the Code of Canon Law), and pastoral resources often echo the same idea in plain language: don’t wait for the last hour.
If you are in hospice—whether at home or in a facility—consider asking early in the hospice journey, not just at the final turn. Hospice teams are used to supporting spiritual care and can help you coordinate. If you’re preparing for home care and want a clearer sense of what support looks like, Funeral.com’s guide to home hospice can help you anticipate the rhythm of visits and the practical steps that reduce stress. And if you’re still trying to understand how hospice differs from palliative care while you plan spiritually and practically, this overview explains how both support families near the end of life, including spiritual needs.
How to ask in hospitals, hospice, and at home—without getting bounced around
In a hospital, the simplest starting point is often the nurse’s station: “My loved one is Catholic. We need a priest for Anointing and Viaticum.” Hospitals that have chaplaincy departments can page a Catholic chaplain or contact the local parish. If your hospital has a Catholic identity, there may be priests on rotation; if it is a secular hospital, it may still have a list of on-call clergy.
In hospice, you can ask the hospice social worker or chaplain to help coordinate, but you can also contact your parish directly. If your loved one is registered at a parish, call that parish first. If they are not, call the nearest parish and explain the situation. Most parishes have an emergency number precisely for this moment.
At home, it helps to be specific about the situation and the location: “My father is on home hospice. He is still awake, can swallow, and would like Communion as Viaticum.” That one sentence tells the parish what to prioritize and why it is time-sensitive.
And if the end is very near, it can help to prepare the space. You don’t need perfection, but small gestures can make the moment feel less clinical: a cleared bedside table, a candle if it is safe, a small crucifix or rosary if your loved one would want it, and a little quiet. The sacraments are not theater, but families often find that a calm, respectful setting lets everyone breathe.
What your parish may offer—and what you can request without feeling awkward
When you call, you are not demanding a service. You are asking the Church to do what she exists to do: accompany the faithful through suffering and death with prayer and sacrament.
Depending on the person’s condition, a priest may offer a continuous rite that includes confession (if possible), Anointing, and then Communion as Viaticum. If confession is not possible because the person cannot speak, the priest will still guide the moment with pastoral wisdom. If Viaticum is not possible because swallowing is unsafe, the priest may still pray the Commendation of the Dying and offer blessing.
Many families also ask, “Is there anything we should pray?” If you want something simple that feels Catholic and steady, you can pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Rosary, or short prayers of entrustment. Catholic resources like Catholic News Agency’s prayers at the time of death can offer language when your own words are thin.
If your loved one would find comfort in familiar Catholic funeral customs later, it can also help to understand what happens after death. Funeral.com’s guide to a Catholic funeral Mass explains the vigil, the funeral liturgy, and the rite of committal in plain language, including how cremation and burial are typically approached in Catholic settings. Planning ahead for those steps is not morbid; it’s merciful. If you want a broader roadmap for end of life Catholic sacraments alongside practical planning, Funeral.com’s end-of-life planning checklist can reduce the scramble that often follows a crisis.
When your loved one is dying but not conscious: what still matters
Families sometimes feel panic when a loved one becomes unresponsive. They wonder if it is “too late,” or whether the person can still hear, or whether prayer is still meaningful. In Catholic tradition, the answer is gentle: stay close, speak with love, and pray anyway. Even when a person cannot respond outwardly, the Church continues to pray with and for them.
If your loved one is no longer conscious but is still alive, you can still call and ask for a priest. If the person had previously expressed a desire for the sacraments, that matters. A priest can guide what is appropriate in the moment, including Anointing (when there is reason to believe the person would have wanted it) and prayers for the dying. If your family is in the stressful hours when death feels close, you may also want a practical guide for what comes next; Funeral.com’s step-by-step checklist for the first 48 hours after a death can help you move through the earliest tasks without feeling lost.
It may also help to remember what Viaticum is pointing toward: not a perfect performance, not a test you pass, but a final gift of presence. Even when the Eucharist cannot be received physically, the Church’s prayer still holds the person in that same hope.
A quiet kind of funeral planning: letting spiritual care and practical care walk together
Families sometimes separate spiritual care from practical care, as if one belongs to “church” and the other belongs to “real life.” But at the end of life, the two are intertwined. Calling a priest is practical. It is part of care. It is part of love.
And it often changes the atmosphere in a room. When a priest arrives and prays, when a person receives Communion as Viaticum, when a family hears familiar words and feels steadier, something subtle happens: fear loosens its grip. People still grieve, but they grieve with a sense of accompaniment.
If you are reading this while you still have time—while your loved one is still speaking, still swallowing, still able to participate—consider this your permission to ask now. You do not need to wait until the final hour to request when to request Viaticum. You can request it because you love them, because you want peace, because you want the Church’s prayer to be part of the journey.
And if you are reading this after a difficult death, wishing you had known earlier, please be gentle with yourself. Most families are doing their best in a season that offers very little training. Catholic last rites are not about getting everything exactly right. They are about presence, mercy, and the kind of hope that is strong enough to sit beside a hospital bed and still call it love.
