The Sacrament of Holy Unction (Anointing) at the Holy Trinity Church

During Great Lent, the tradition of performing the Sacrament of Holy Unction, also known as Anointing, takes place in many churches.

In our Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, the celebration of Holy Unction is always led by a bishop. To make the sacrament accessible to a wide geographical area, our archbishop, Andronik of New York and North America, travels during Great Lent to perform it in multiple locations.

Within our diocese, the Mystery of the Holy Unction traditionally begins at the Holy Trinity Church in Astoria, New York. The bishop led the service with the following priests participating:  the rector of the church, Protopriest Dmitry, Hegumen Ignatiy, and Protopriest Stefan. The choir sang touching hymns, and the faithful, with joy and consolation, participated in the service, standing devoutly with candles in their hands and attentively listening to the prayers.

During the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Unction, seven passages from the Apostolic Epistles and the Gospel are read. After the reading of the final passage from the Holy Scriptures, the bishop places the open Gospel upon the heads of those receiving the sacrament and prays for the forgiveness of their sins.

Following the prayer, the priests anointed the gathered parishioners with holy oil. In the form of a cross, they anointed their foreheads, nostrils, cheeks, ears, lips, chest, and palms—both on the inner and outer sides—seven times. This symbolizes the purification of a person—his thoughts, words, feelings, and actions—from sin.

The clergy and ministers also anointed each other.

After the long service, all the gathered parishioners were invited to enjoy hot soup, lovingly prepared by the sisterhood.

Translated from the Russian Original rocana.org