I. Introduction/Prior to Mass: All ministers of Holy Communion should show the greatest reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist and the faithful with whom they share the Body and the Blood of Christ by their demeanor, their attire [please, no tennis shoes, jeans, shorts, sweatpants, sweatshirts, or sports attire, if you are not dressed appropriately, you may be asked to decline serving and secure a substitute], and the manner in which they handle the consecrated host or Precious Blood. (pg 4 Instruction) EMHC should arrive 15-20 minutes prior to the start of Mass so that the Mass Coordinator will know if all the positions are filled. If you are scheduled and will not be able to serve, please find a substitute. When signing in, place your name next to the numbered position as either a cup or plate minister. Please do not cross off someone else s name without their permission. Please do not sign someone else in for them unless they are in the church. If you are an assigned minister and are running late but know you will get to mass prior to it starting, contact your liturgical coordinator to let them know you will be there and this must be the exception, not the habit. If you are here early for a catechetical function (such as RCIA, CAFÉ, or Families in Faith) and sign in early, please indicate in parentheses the room number you are in, so that the coordinator knows you are here. Please do not sign in very early and then leave (for example, to go home and get ready) this makes it difficult for the coordinators to know when they need subs and it discounts part of your ministry: serving as greeter prior to Mass. If you have * next to your name on the ministry schedule, you are responsible for cleansing the vessels after mass, not purifying them unless otherwise directed by the priest. Once you are signed in, please serve as greeter near the entrances of the church (both gathering area and chapel sides). Note that the sacristy is a preparation space and therefore should have an air of quietness. Five minutes prior to the start of Mass, proceed to the music area to pray with all the liturgical ministers. The Mass Coordinator will fill the required number of cups for that particular Mass with the appropriate amount of wine and cover with a purificator. The cups are on the LEFT credence table behind the sanctuary. The key for the Tabernacle will be placed on the RIGHT credence table. If requested, Gluten-Free Hosts are placed in a small glass bowl on the altar. updated 10/12/13 Page 1 of 6
II. Liturgy of the Eucharist: After the altar has been set up by the deacon and/or altar servers, the Mass Coordinator, or another designee, will bring the tray of cups [required for Consecration] containing the wine to the Altar, where the priest or deacon will remove them and place them directly on the Altar. During the Lord s Prayer, Plate Minister #3 (the position next to the priest), or designee, will take the key for the tabernacle from the RIGHT credence table, enter the chapel, remove the ciboria from the tabernacle, close the tabernacle, return the key to the RIGHT credence table, and hand the ciboria to the priest during the sign of peace. Altar servers should not be handed the ciboria. All the EMHCs will approach the center of the Church when the music begins for the Lamb of God. Please line up in the middle of the sanctuary, a step forward from the cantor stand. Please utilize the hand sanitizer located behind the altar and at the church entrances prior to receiving and distributing Communion. Facing the Sanctuary, please stand in this order, left to right: Cup Ministers: Plate Ministers: Position 8 [first person to receive the Cup] 1, 2, 3, 13 all cup positions except 6 & 8 Position 6 stands behind the altar by the LEFT credence table. Position 6 receives Communion at the altar and distributes the cup to the other ministers following the priest. Position 8, after receiving Communion, moves to the altar and hands a cup and purificator to each cup minister. The next cup minister, after receiving their cup from Position 8, will continue to serve the rest of the Extraordinary Ministers, beginning at the opposite end of the line. Afterwards, this minister and Position 8 then take their places at the assigned communion stations. III. Communion Stations: It is imperative that extra caution be given to holding on to and distributing both the Precious Body and the Precious Blood. There have been times when the Eucharist was found on the floor. updated 10/12/13 Page 2 of 6
Beginning in Advent (November 30, 2014), two extra ministers one plate and one cup will be assigned to serve those unable to come forward. Since these two vessels will only have a small amount of Communion, the plate and cup will be visually different (and easier to distinguish as being designated for those unable to come forward.) All members of the assembly should have the opportunity to receive from both species, so the plate minister and the cup minister MUST STICK TOGETHER. Those two ministers will serve those who are unable to come forward, beginning with the BACK ROW and then moving to the FRONT ROW, Chapel side first, then Gathering area side. The ushers will help direct the ministers to those who are unable to come forward. Once those two ministers have served Communion to all who are unable to come forward, they return the plate/cup to the Altar and go back to their seats. Note that the sign-in sheet has been numbered for easier reference of communion stations. Positions 1-4 and 13 are plates, and the remaining positions are cups. Position 1 Plate stands on the gathering area side nearest the Sanctuary. Position 2 Plate stands on the gathering area side nearest the music area. This EMHC may distribute the Eucharist to the musicians. Position 3 Plate this EMHC will stand next to the priest on the chapel side closest to the music area. This position is responsible for retrieving the Ciborium from the tabernacle during the Our Father and handing it to the presider during the sign of peace. When all the communicants on this side of the church have received the Eucharist, this EMHC will proceed to assist the remainder of the communicants on the gathering area side or take the plate to the Altar. Position 4 Plate is the priest. Position 5 Cup this EMHC will stand on the gathering area side nearest the Ambo (place where readings are done) to serve the communicants. Position 6 Cup (DEACON, if he is assisting) stands on the chapel side nearest the Altar. This EMHC stands behind the Sanctuary as the other EMHCs line up in front of the Sanctuary. After the presider has received Communion, this minister will step into the Sanctuary to receive Communion. This EMHC then follows the priest to the line of EMHCs and ministers the Precious Blood to those EMHCs wishing to receive it. When all the communicants on this side of the church have received the Precious Blood, this minister (typically the first cup finished) will return to the sanctuary and stand by the altar, to receive the cups returned by the cup ministers. Position 7 Cup stands on the chapel side nearest the music area. When all the communicants on this side of the church have received the Eucharist, this EMHC will proceed to assist the remainder of the communicants on the gathering area side or take the cup to the Altar. updated 10/12/13 Page 3 of 6
Position 8 Cup stands on the gathering area side nearest the music area. After receiving Communion, this minister moves to the altar and hands a cup and purificator to each cup minister. Afterwards, this minister then takes his/her place at the assigned communion station. This EMHC may distribute the Precious Blood to the musicians. Position 9 Cup stands next to Position 5 Cup. Position 10 Cup stands next to Position 6 Cup. Position 11 Cup stands next to Position 7 Cup. Position 12 Cup stands next to Position 8 Cup. Position 13 Plate serves Eucharist to those unable to come forward, beginning with the back row, chapel side, then the front row, chapel side, then the gathering area side. This EMHC must stick together with Position 14 Cup, so that all have the opportunity to receive from both species. Position 14 Cup serves Precious Blood to those unable to come forward, closely following Position 13 Plate. If you forget what position you have signed up for or someone else accidentally takes your position, please take the open position. Please ask the last person to receive from the cup to consume the remainder of the cup saying: Blood of Christ. Please finish the Precious Blood if you are able. The minister raises the host/cup slightly, showing it to the communicant, saying clearly and audibly, The Body/Blood of Christ. The communicant bows and says, Amen! Please completely open the purificator and consistently move it as when drying dishes in order to be able to wipe the cup appropriately. When you are finished, do not place the purificator in the cup. If the host, or any particle of it, falls, it should be picked up reverently and consumed by the minister. If any of the Precious Blood spills, the area where the spill occurred should be washed with water, and this water should be poured into the sacrarium in the sacristy. This procedure should be done after Mass. Eucharistic ministers should take care to ensure the area is not walked on by placing a purificator over the spill. Per the Instruction, communion may be distributed by intinction by the priest only. The assembly has been instructed that if they wish to receive communion by intinction, (in the Roman rite it is by exception) they must go to the communion station where a priest is minister. updated 10/12/13 Page 4 of 6
A pyx should only be filled by the priest. This can be done when the minister receives Communion or at the end of the Communion procession, when the priest is at the altar. IV. After the Assembly Has Received Communion: Once the plate ministers have finished distributing communion, they return to the sanctuary and hand the plate to the priest, who will reserve Eucharist into the ciboria. The first cup minister finished distributing Precious Blood will return to the sanctuary, place their cup on the tray on the altar, and receive the cups from the other cup ministers. Typically, this is Position 6 or Position 10 cup minister. We encourage the cup ministers to have the last person receiving from the cup to consume all the remaining Precious Blood before bringing the cup back to the altar. The EMHCs will return the sacred vessels to the Altar, to the minister receiving the cups. If there is remaining Precious Blood in the cup, the EMHC ministers the cup to the minister at the Altar (who may choose to offer the cup back to the minister for consumption). No self-communicating is allowed. Do Not Place the Purificators Inside the Cup. Once all the cups have been placed on the tray on the altar, the cup minister who received the empty cups will carry the tray to the LEFT credence table. All vessels MUST STAY IN THE SANCTUARY until they have been purified. Please do not bring vessels to the sacristy until they have been purified. The remaining Eucharistic Bread will be placed in the ciboria by the priest. The Mass Coordinator, or designee, will take the filled ciboria back to the chapel and repose the Eucharist in the tabernacle. The key is to be returned to the RIGHT credence table. V. Ministering Communion to the Homebound If you are taking communion to the homebound, please use a communion line where a priest is distributing, and bring your pyx to be filled when you receive communion. This may also be done as the Eucharist is being placed in the ciboria. VI. Purification of the Vessels If a deacon is present, he will purify the vessels after the Communion Rite, before the Prayer after Communion. After Mass has ended, the Mass Coordinator and Position 5 Cup minister will carry the vessels back to the sacristy. If a deacon is not present, the vessels remain on the credence table to be purified by the priest or designee. Once the vessels are purified, the Mass Coordinator and Position 5 Cup minister will carry the vessels back to the sacristy after Mass has ended. PLEASE DO NOT BRING VESSELS BACK TO THE SACRISTY UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN PURIFIED. updated 10/12/13 Page 5 of 6
Unless otherwise directed, it is the role of the priest to purify the vessels. Once the vessels have been purified, the minister indicated by * on the schedule will cleanse the vessels and ready them for the next Mass or put them away, as appropriate. Please note if you are designated to cleanse the vessels, plan to remain after Mass to complete this vital task! When washing the vessels, please handle them gently. Do not submerge the cups in water, as this loosens the bond between the stem and the cup. Do not stack the plates, as it damages the plating. DO NOT SCRUB the vessels, as this wears off the precious metal. It is very expensive to re-plate vessels, so please treat them like your fine china! If you have any questions please ask: Deacon Carl, Mary Hrich, or the ministry coordinator at your mass (see schedule for contact information) o 4:30 Nada Maneri or Fran Bubley o 8:00 Diane Mayer, or Nick Stefko o 11:00 Diana Kruger, Bernita Kavulich, or June Scherrer Reverence for the Eucharist and consistent procedure at each mass time is our goal. Thank you for your ministry as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Your ministry is a vital part of our parish life! updated 10/12/13 Page 6 of 6