Catholic Sick Call Set | Crucifix with Candles & Holy Water – Rosarycard.net
Every Catholic home should have a sick call set — not because someone is sick today, but because when the moment comes, you will be ready. A sick call set is a special crucifix that opens to reveal two candles and a small bottle for holy water or blessed oil, designed to be used when a priest comes to your home to administer the Anointing of the Sick. It is one of the oldest and most practical sacramentals in Catholic tradition, and having one means your family is always prepared to receive this powerful sacrament.
Our sick call sets are crafted from solid wood — oak, walnut, and cherry — and stained with care in the USA. Each set includes the crucifix with a detachable base, two candles, and a glass container for holy water or oil. The crucifix is designed to hang on the wall as a beautiful devotional piece during everyday life, then be taken down and opened when the priest arrives. The face of the crucifix lifts away to stand upright in a slot in the base, with candle holders on each side — creating a small, dignified altar for the sacrament. St. Benedict sick call sets are also available, adding the spiritual protection of the Benedictine medal to this essential Catholic item.
Whether you're preparing your own home, shopping for a wedding or housewarming gift, or outfitting a new Catholic household after RCIA, a sick call set is one of the most thoughtful and meaningful gifts you can give. Browse our Wall Crucifixes for everyday hanging crucifixes, our Standing Crucifixes for tabletop prayer designs, or our St. Benedict Crucifixes for the full Benedictine protection collection. Free shipping on U.S. orders over $40.
A sick call set is a special wall crucifix that opens to reveal two candles and a small glass bottle for holy water or blessed oil. It is used when a priest visits a Catholic home to administer the Anointing of the Sick — one of the seven sacraments. The crucifix hangs on the wall during everyday life, then is taken down and opened when the priest arrives, creating a small altar for the sacrament. Each set includes the crucifix, a detachable base with candle holders, two candles, and a glass container. The name comes from the tradition of 'calling' a priest to visit the sick at home.
Why should I buy a sick call set if nobody in my family is sick?
The whole purpose of a sick call set is readiness. Serious illness, accidents, strokes, and health emergencies happen without warning. When the moment comes and you need a priest at the house, the last thing you want is to scramble for candles and a crucifix. A sick call set that has been hanging on your wall — already blessed, already prepared — means your family can receive the Anointing of the Sick with dignity and peace whenever it is needed. It is also a beautiful devotional crucifix for everyday display.
How does a sick call crucifix work?
During normal times, the sick call crucifix hangs on the wall like any wall crucifix. When a priest is called to the home, you take the crucifix down and separate the front panel from the back (by sliding, lifting, or releasing a magnetic clasp depending on the design). The front panel — bearing the corpus of Christ — stands upright in a slot in the base, becoming a freestanding crucifix. The base has two candle holders, one on each side. You light the candles, fill the glass bottle with holy water, and place the set on a table beside the sick person's bed. This creates a small altar for the sacrament.
What is the Anointing of the Sick?
The Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. A priest anoints the sick person's forehead and hands with the Oil of the Sick (blessed by the bishop), prays over them, and may hear their confession and give Holy Communion. The sacrament confers the grace of the Holy Spirit, unites the person's suffering with Christ's suffering, and provides strength, peace, and courage. It can be received by any Catholic who is seriously ill, facing major surgery, or weakened by advanced age — it is not reserved only for the dying.
Is the Anointing of the Sick the same as Last Rites?
They are related but not identical. 'Last Rites' is an older term that referred to the sacraments given to a person at the point of death — including Confession, Anointing (then called Extreme Unction), and Holy Communion as Viaticum (food for the journey). Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church broadened the understanding of Anointing of the Sick so that it can be received by anyone facing serious illness, not only the dying. The full Last Rites — Confession, Anointing, and Viaticum together — are still given when a person is in danger of death.
What is included in your sick call sets?
Each of our sick call sets includes a wall crucifix with a hinged or detachable front panel, a base with two candle holders, two candles, and a glass bottle for holy water or blessed oil. The sets are crafted from solid wood — oak, walnut, or cherry — and stained in the USA. They arrive in a gift box. St. Benedict models include the Medal of St. Benedict integrated into the crucifix for added spiritual protection. The crucifix can hang on the wall as a beautiful devotional piece during everyday use.
What is a St. Benedict sick call set?
A St. Benedict sick call set is a sick call crucifix that incorporates the Medal of St. Benedict into the cross design. St. Benedict is one of the most powerful intercessors against evil in Catholic tradition, and his medal bears the Latin initials of an exorcism prayer including 'Vade Retro Satana' (Get behind me, Satan). Given that the Anointing of the Sick is often administered during the most spiritually vulnerable moments of a person's life, the added protection of St. Benedict's intercession is a meaningful and deliberate choice.
Where should I hang a sick call crucifix?
The most practical locations are a bedroom wall (close to where a sick person would be in bed), a hallway near the bedrooms, or near the front door (so it is quickly accessible when the priest arrives). Some families keep it in the master bedroom. The key is that you can reach it easily and quickly when needed. Between sick calls, it serves as a beautiful wall crucifix that blesses your home just like any other crucifix.
Is a sick call set a good Catholic gift?
Yes — a sick call set is one of the most practical and meaningful Catholic gifts because it serves a real sacramental purpose. It is especially thoughtful for weddings and housewarmings (equipping a new Catholic home with an essential sacramental), RCIA (giving a new Catholic something they may have never seen but will need), elderly family members (honoring a loved one with readiness for the sacrament), and Christmas or Easter. All of our sets arrive in a gift box ready for presentation.
Can a sick call crucifix be blessed?
Yes, and it should be blessed before use. Any Catholic priest or deacon can bless the crucifix and the entire sick call set. Once blessed, the crucifix becomes a sacramental — a sacred object that invites prayer and provides spiritual protection for the household. Many families ask the priest to bless the set when it is first hung on the wall, during a house blessing, or after it is given as a gift. The candles can also be blessed — blessed candles carry additional spiritual significance when lit during the Anointing of the Sick.
What Is a Sick Call Set and Why Does Every Catholic Home Need One?
A sick call set is a wall crucifix with a hidden compartment containing two candles and a small glass bottle for holy water or blessed oil. It takes its name from the tradition of "calling" a priest to visit a Catholic who is seriously ill at home. When the priest arrives, the family takes the crucifix from the wall, opens it, sets the cross upright in its base, lights the candles, and fills the bottle with holy water — creating a small altar where the priest administers the Anointing of the Sick.
This tradition predates modern hospitals. In earlier centuries, when the sick were almost always cared for at home, the priest's visit to anoint a dying or gravely ill person was one of the most important moments in a Catholic family's life. The sick call set ensured that the household was always ready — candles for light and reverence, holy water for blessing, and the crucifix as the focal point of prayer. Today, even though many Catholics receive the Anointing of the Sick in hospitals, the sick call set remains essential for home visits, homebound parishioners, and anyone who wishes to receive the sacrament in the comfort and privacy of their own home.
The most common reason families don't own a sick call set is that they think they don't need one yet. But the whole point of having one is readiness. When a family member suffers a sudden illness, a stroke, a serious accident, or a decline in old age, the last thing you want is to scramble for candles and a crucifix while calling the priest. A sick call set that has been hanging on your wall for years is already there, already blessed, already waiting.
The Anointing of the Sick: What Happens During a Sick Call
The Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is not reserved only for the dying — it can be received by any Catholic who is seriously ill, facing major surgery, or weakened by advanced age. The sacrament was previously called "Extreme Unction" or "Last Rites" and was traditionally given only at the point of death. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has broadened its understanding: the sacrament is now encouraged whenever a Catholic faces a serious health challenge, not only at the moment of death.
When a priest arrives for a sick call, the family prepares the room by setting up the sick call crucifix with its candles lit and the holy water bottle filled. The priest then leads the family in prayer, hears the sick person's confession (if they are able), anoints the sick person's forehead and hands with the Oil of the Sick (blessed by the bishop during the Chrism Mass), and gives Holy Communion as Viaticum if the person is in danger of death. The sacrament confers the grace of the Holy Spirit, unites the suffering of the sick person with the suffering of Christ, and provides strength, peace, and courage to endure the illness. If the person is unable to confess, the sacrament itself forgives sins.
The Scripture foundation for this sacrament is James 5:14-15: "Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the priests of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven."
How the Sick Call Crucifix Works
A sick call crucifix is designed with both devotional beauty and practical function. During normal times, it hangs on the wall like any wall crucifix — often in a bedroom, hallway, or near the front door. When a priest is called to the home, the crucifix is taken down and the front panel is separated from the back (either by sliding, lifting, or releasing a magnetic clasp, depending on the design).
The front panel — bearing the corpus of Christ — stands upright in a slot cut into the base, becoming a freestanding crucifix. The base has two candle holders, one on each side of the cross. The two candles are lit, and the small glass bottle is filled with holy water (or left empty for the priest to use with his own Oil of the Sick). This arrangement creates a small, dignified altar on a nightstand or table beside the sick person's bed.
After the sacrament, the candles are extinguished, the bottle is emptied or stored, and the crucifix is reassembled and returned to the wall — ready for the next time it is needed.
Choosing a Sick Call Set
When selecting a sick call set, consider the wood type, size, and style. Oak is the most traditional and durable choice — it is the wood historically associated with sick call sets in American Catholic homes. Walnut offers a richer, darker finish. Cherry wood provides a warm reddish tone. All three are furniture-grade woods that will last for generations.
Size matters for both wall display and practical use. Our sets range from 9 inches to 13 inches in height. A 13-inch set makes a more prominent wall display and provides a larger crucifix for the sacrament. A 9-inch set is more compact, suitable for smaller rooms or apartments.
St. Benedict sick call sets add the Medal of St. Benedict — with its protective exorcism prayer inscriptions — to the crucifix design. Given that the Anointing of the Sick is often administered during the most spiritually vulnerable moments of a person's life, the added protection of St. Benedict's intercession against evil is a meaningful and deliberate choice.
Gift Occasions for Sick Call Sets
A sick call set is one of the most practical and lasting Catholic gifts because it serves a real sacramental purpose that no other household item can fill. The most meaningful occasions include weddings and housewarmings (equipping a new Catholic home with this essential sacramental), RCIA (giving a new Catholic something they almost certainly have never seen before but will need), grandparent gifts (honoring an elderly Catholic loved one with a set they may need sooner than later), and Christmas or Easter (a significant gift that says "I care about your soul, not just your comfort"). A sick call set paired with a standing crucifix and a framed holy picture creates a complete Catholic home blessing gift.
