Jesuitical

Father Michael Trail had administered the anointing of the sick many times in his first three years as a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Usually, he would sit at the bedside and hold the hand of a person nearing death while family and other loved ones gathered around to pray and say goodbye. In the time of the coronavirus pandemic, the essentials of the sacrament are the same but it looks very different. As part of the archdiocese’s task force of “priest-anointers” ministering to Covid-19 patients, Father Michael must now wear a gown, mask and gloves while administering the sacrament. There is no hand-holding, and no family members are allowed in the room. We ask Father Michael about the spiritual and emotional toll of ministering to patients and families in these difficult circumstances and how he thinks about the growing calls to reopen society given the suffering he has seen up close. In Signs of the Times, we discuss the meeting between President Trump and Catholic bishops and education leaders. P