Study: In emergencies, few call for a priest anymore

Priests still frequently offer confession, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick at hospitals, of course, but not so much at the scenes of accidents. The words “priest called to the scene” and similar phrases appeared in many news stories in the United States during the last century until the late 1960s, when they started tapering off, according to searches of online databases conducted by the Register. Pastors from various parts of the United States were asked whether emergency personnel call them to life-threatening situations. For the most part, the answer is No.