The coronavirus has changed the way chaplains have to anoint the sick and administer last rites – and forced them to confront death daily
In his five years as a hospital chaplain, the Rev Steven Chewning has anointed the sick more times than he can remember.
The ritual of applying oil to the forehead of someone ill or dying is considered one of the most intimate of Christian sacraments. But when Covid-19 restricted Chewning’s access and left him working from home, a family’s request to anoint a young father who was intubated and critical forced him to get creative. While performing the rite over speakerphone with the help of a nurse (who is an atheist), Chewning found himself not only reimagining his own duties, but the very conception of holy space.
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