The World Day of the Sick is a feast day of the Roman Catholic Church which was instituted on May 13, 1992 by Pope John Paul II. Beginning on February 11, 1993, it is celebrated every year on the commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes, for all believers seek to be "a special time of prayer and sharing, of offering one's suffering".
Pope John Paul II had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease as early as 1991, an illness which was only disclosed later, and it is significant that he decided to create a World Day of the Sick only one year after his diagnosis. The Pope had written a great deal on the topic of suffering and believed that it was very much a salvific and redeeming process through Christ, as he indicated in his apostolic letter Salvifici Doloris.
The feast of Lourdes was chosen because many pilgrims and visitors to Lourdes have reportedly been healed by intercessions of the Blessed Virgin. The pontiff was also fond of the sanctuary of Harissa in Lebanon.
In 2005, the World Day of the Sick had a special significance since it was the year John Paul died from a sepsis. Many people had gathered around him as he lay dying. In this day the church commemorates the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes under the sponsorship of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care. World Day of the Sick has three consistent themes. First, it reminds the faithful to pray intensely and sincerely for those who are sick. Second, the celebration invites Christians to reflect on and respond to human suffering. And third, this day recognizes and honors all persons who work in health care and serve as caregivers.On this day, the ill are encouraged to reflect on the Christian meaning of suffering. The occasion also provides an opportunity for those involved in health care to recall the roots of their healing mission. Pastoral care is a ministry of every parish community. Parishes are encouraged to celebrate World Day of the Sick. It is an annual event that is celebrated in different countries every year to signify the joining together of a nation by faith.
The day-long event focuses on the redemptive value of human suffering and on the important role of those who are sick in the work of spreading the Gospel. The Church reorganizes that those who are suffering because of some forms of illness and their relatives have a special bond with the Crucified Christ and with the suffering people of the Missions and those who serve them. This annual celebration will serve as a fitting opportunity to give a more generous apostolic impetus to the service of the sick and of those who provide care for them. May those who daily care for the sick, the elderly, and the suffering draw strength, patience, and courage from an awareness of their being vital instruments of Christ's compassion on this special day of the Sick.