Sister Briege McKenna on the Power of Sacraments

Sister Briege McKenna, OSC

"By their fruits you shall know them," our blessed Lord said in the Sermon on the Mount; and by that measure Sister Briege McKenna is one of the world's truly holy souls, with a powerful gift of healing.

I had the privilege of talking with her once, and she prayed for a close friend and with my father shortly before their deaths.  She would be the first to explain that she is not the one who heals, but rather Jesus.  Nevertheless, through her worldwide mission to priests, parish missions, books, audio tapes, and healing ministry,  Sister Briege has been a tireless and powerful instrument through which God has worked extraordinary miracles.

Our Sunday Visitor recently interviewed her on the power of the Sacraments and the priesthood.

From Our Sunday Visitor

By Emily Stimpson

As a young woman, Sister of St. Clare Briege McKenna was miraculously healed of rheumatoid arthritis. Not long after, she received the gift of healing, and began a ministry to Catholic clergy and laity that has spanned four decades and five continents. But Sister Briege learned long ago that the deepest healing is that which can’t be seen by the naked eye. 

That is the healing of the soul, and it comes to us first and foremost through the sacraments. In her newest book, “The Power of the Sacraments” (Servant, $9.99), Sister Briege calls Catholics to rediscover the sacraments and encounter their healing power. Recently, Our Sunday Visitor spoke with Sister Briege about her new book and the need for healing in the Church today. 

Our Sunday Visitor: Why do you think Catholics sometimes tend to take the sacraments for granted? 

Sister Briege McKenna: I think that’s because many don’t really understand the power of the sacraments. The greatest need in our present day is for people to be instructed in the faith and to be taught what the sacraments really are. Catholics need to be evangelized about their own faith and beliefs. 

OSV: And where does that evangelization begin? 

Sister Briege: It begins by showing people how the deepest needs they have are fulfilled by the sacraments. 

Take, for example, the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In today’s world people feel a need to unburden themselves, to confess. But they’re going to all the wrong people to do that: hairdressers, psychiatrists, strangers on the Internet. I can’t tell you how often people tell their sins to me on airplanes.

But I can’t absolve anyone of their sins. Nor can a hairdresser. They’re confessing, but they’re not going to the right place. They’re not going where they can find real freedom. The same is true for the Eucharist and the anointing of the sick.