ABSTRACT
The community of disciples who followed Jesus early on took his name. It was at Antioch that the followers first became known as “Christians”. The earliest, simplest, and most profound of all Catholic faith practices is the embodiment of God’s deepest love in the sign of the Cross. God’s love in Christ in the Church is “the animating principle of health care”. For the Catholic patient this love of God embodied in Christ continues in the Church, and especially in the Sacraments. In order to understand the spiritual needs of the sick or dying Roman Catholic patient and their families, one needs to appreciate the belief system that underlies the faith practice. The Catholic patient’s faith and prayer life have been drawn toward the life of grace received in the sacraments. For the Catholic patient, the intimate connection of God-Christ-Church-Sacraments lies at the heart of his or her belief system.
