Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion Procedures St. Joseph on the Rio Grande Parish as of January 2015 (Rev. 2) The Extraordinary Ministers are those who have been commissioned by the pastor to assist the priest and deacons in distributing the Body and Blood of Christ to the parishioners during the celebration of the Eucharist. There is also a group of Extraordinary Ministers who take Holy Communion to homebound parishioners who request it. These, too, must be commissioned. Training workshops are presented to both groups several times each year to enable them to carry out their ministry with reverence and compassion. When ministering during the celebration of Eucharist, these ministers facilitate the reverent flow of the liturgy. I. Who are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at SJRG? a. Extraordinary Ministers (EMs) for the distribution of Holy Communion are properly formed, instructed and commissioned lay persons. b. EMs may be male or female. c. They should reflect the cultural diversity of our parish community. d. In order for a person to be commissioned an EM, the following conditions must be met: i. Be a Catholic living in harmony with the teachings of the Church and be able to receive the Eucharist. If married, must be married in the Church. If single, must not be cohabitating. ii. Be of sufficient age and maturity to perform the duties of an EM at Mass or to the sick and homebound in various locations. (i.e. private homes, nursing homes, hospitals.) iii. Be chosen and commissioned by the pastor only for the parish entrusted to him. II. Role of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion a. These ministers are appointed for a given parish community to aid in the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass and to the sick and homebound when ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are unavailable. b. EMs are commissioned to serve only within their parish community. c. Ordinarily, EMs fulfill only this liturgical ministry at the Mass at which they are assigned as an EM. 1
III. IV. Preparing to serve as an EM at Mass a. As an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion you have been called to a solemn and special ministry, it is helpful to take some time in prayer to help you put aside the worries of the day, pray for those to whom you will minister and ask for the grace to exercise this important ministry faithfully and prayerfully. The pamphlet or booklets that you have received on Prayer for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are useful tools. b. Be aware of your serving schedule. Request a substitute online through our ministry scheduler system if you are unable to serve at any time. If you decide to stop being a minister, contact the Ministry Scheduler Admin either by calling the parish office at 839-7952 or by email: ministryscheduleratsjrg@gmail.com. c. Appropriate dress If you are serving at Mass you are expected to be properly dressed for this sacred ministry. Have your shoulders covered, wear nothing low cut, and do not wear shorts or T shirts or anything with logos or messages on them. If people are attending to what you are wearing, they are being distracted from prayer. d. Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the Mass start time. e. Sign in on the sheet in the gathering space when you arrive to claim your communion position for the Mass. (See Appendix II and Appendix III for Communion Distribution Position Maps.) f. Cup positions must be filled FIRST when you sign in. It is more important to have the cup positions filled over plates because Precious Blood must be consumed whereas Sacred Host is reserved in the Tabernacle. g. After the sign of Peace, gather at the foot of the stairs on either side of the altar and sanitize your hands. h. When you are standing at the foot of the altar stairs, go up to the altar WHEN MONSIGNOR STARTS RECEIVING COMMUNION. Procedures for distributing Sacred Host a. When distributing the Sacred Host, the minister holds up the consecrated Host as each communicant approaches and, addressing the communicant, says, The Body of Christ. These are the only words that are to be said. b. Wait until the communicant says Amen before placing the Sacred Host in their hands or in their mouth. c. If the communicant does not respond Amen, you may tell them that they should say Amen. (e.g. The response is Amen. ) d. If the communicant does not immediately consume the Sacred Host tell him/her to do so. (e.g. Please eat the host. ) 2
e. EM s with a ciborium and the Body of Christ will be led by an usher into the assembly to those who can t walk to the front in the communion line. f. For the 5pm, 10am and 12pm Masses: EM s in plate positions 11/12 or for the 8am Mass the EM in plate position 6--- You are the ministers who are responsible for distributing Holy Communion to the members of the choir. Please be sure that the all members of the choir have received Communion before returning to the Altar. g. When returning the ciborium to the altar, wait till Monsignor takes the ciborium from you. He will either keep the ciborium or purify it and hand it back to you. He will say Thank you to indicate that the ciborium will remain at the altar. You may then leave and return to your pew. When he does not say Thank you that means you remain at the altar till he has purified the ciborium and hands it back to you. Take the ciborium and lid (see letter g) and take it to the credence table. Return to your pew. h. There are two styles of ciboria: Those with lids and those without. i. The ciboria with a handle take a lid. ii. The ciboria without a handle do not take lids. i. Do not stack the ciboria at the credence table especially the ones that do not have lids. V. Procedures for distributing Precious Blood a. When distributing the Precious Blood, the minister holds up the cup as each communicant approaches and, addressing the communicant, says, The Blood of Christ. These are the only words that are to be said. b. Wait until the communicant says Amen before placing the cup in their hands. c. If the communicant does not respond Amen, you may tell them that they should say Amen. (e.g. The response is Amen. ) d. After the communicant has drunk from the cup, using the purificator the minister should wipe only the outside rim of the cup. Do not wipe the inside of the cup. e. Ministers with the cups with the Precious Blood may be led by an Usher into the assembly inside the Church to those who cannot walk in the communion line. f. For the 5pm, 10am and 12pm Masses: EM s in cup positions 5/6 or for the 8am Mass the EM in cup position 4--- You are the ministers who are responsible for distributing Holy Communion to the members of the choir. Please be sure that the all members of the choir have received Communion before returning to the Altar. g. Cups are NOT to be taken into the gathering space during communion. The reason for this is because of the increased danger of spilling in the Gathering Space with 3
VI. all the people milling around out there; and also because of the additional time needed. h. Any Precious Blood that has remained in the cup must be consumed at the altar, facing the altar; Monsignor has instructed that you may stand in the same place you stand when you are at the altar before communion. i. If you are not able to consume the remainder, you may ask the Deacon for assistance. j. When you return the cup to the credence table, cover the cup with the purificator. Do NOT put the purificator in the cup. If an accident occurs don t panic!!!! a. With the Eucharistic Bread: i. The minister has several options. You may bring the dropped Host to the altar and place it on the corporal to be dealt with after communion, or you may hold the Host in the same hand as the vessel. ii. The Host that is dropped is NEVER to be replaced in the vessel, given to the next communicant, or consumed by the Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at that time. iii. When distribution is finished and the minister returns to the altar, then the Host may be consumed or brought to the sacristy where it may be completely dissolved in a bowl of water, which is then poured into the special sink (sacrarium). b. With the Precious Blood: i. Remember that what is in your cup is NOT wine; it IS the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. ii. If the spill occurs when you are distributing to the assembly, the minister should immediately cover the spillage with a purificator and try to protect the area with your body as no one should walk through or on the spill. iii. Try to get an usher or an altar server to bring additional purificators and water to clean up the space as best as you can during the service. iv. After Mass, notify the Sacristan of the spill, the area should be washed with a damp clean purificator or clean (damp) towels should be used if the area is larger. v. The cloths are to be rinsed into the sacrarium. vi. If the spill occurs at the altar in the sanctuary, follow the instructions given to you by the priest or deacon. vii. If the Precious Blood should splash onto your clothing, do not just go home and wash the garment in the washer. 4
VII. viii. If you can remove the article at the church, go to the sacristy and ask the sacristan to help you rinse the Precious Blood in the sacrarium. ix. If you can t remove the garment (or don t want to go home with wet clothes), when you get home soak your garment in a small bucket or bowl of water. Wring the garment out into the bowl or bucket and then pour the water onto the ground outside in a garden or flower bed. The Precious Blood should never be put into the sewer system. Minister in Nursing Homes/private homes a. Be sure that the Host is consumed when it is received. b. Don t leave Hosts for the following day/week. c. When you take communion to a person s home; leave directly from church so that the person can participate in the Mass we have just celebrated. (Don t go shopping or out to breakfast first!) 5
SIGN OF THE CROSS + The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. Penitential Rite Coming together as God s family, Appendix I - Communion Service to the homebound With confidence let us ask the Father s forgiveness, for he is full of gentleness and compassion. Lord, have mercy (Lord ) Christ, have mercy (Christ ) Lord, have mercy (Lord ) (Gospel could be read at this point.) Let us pray with confidence as Christ our Lord taught us: Our Father.. Behold the Lamb of God, Behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb. R. Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. THE BODY OF CHRIST. The Lord be with you.. And with your spirit. May Almighty God bless us, + In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 6
Appendix II EM Position Map for 5pm, 10am, 12pm Masses 7
Appendix III EM Position Map for 8am Mass 8