Altar Server acting as Extraordinary Minister?!

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idpatel

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Hey all,

So I was at a different church than the one I usually go to for Sunday mass, and during communion, I noted that one of the altar servers was acting as an EM. I’m still new to the faith (as in I am doing RCIA in the fall), but something about having an altar server also handing out the Body made me feel…not right. I don’t really know how to describe it other than it didn’t feel right. Is this something that is ok to do? 🤷
 
Was this an adult? Is it possible s/he could have been trained as both? There is one lady at my church who is a sacristan, EM, lector, and she fills the role of altar server during daily Masses sometimes. (Yes, I think she lives at the church. She is a very sweet, holy woman.)
 
SaltySirena said:
Was this an adult? Is it possible s/he could have been trained as both? There is one lady at my church who is a sacristan, EM, lector, and she fills the role of altar server during daily Masses sometimes. (Yes, I think she lives at the church. She is a very sweet, holy woman.)
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No, he was a younger boy. He couldn’t have been more than 14. And this was at evening mass on a Sunday.
 
idpatel said:
No, he was a younger boy. He couldn’t have been more than 14. And this was at evening mass on a Sunday.
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It’s possible, but unlikely. An altar server is a “substitute” for an instituted acolyte. An acolyte is a de facto Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, but an altar server is not. For an altar server to assist in the distribution of Holy Communion, he (or she) must be expressly deputed for this. (cf. GIRM 98, 100) It is permissible for a layman to be deputed on a one-time basis if the need is truly great, but I have no way of judging the situation from where I am (and it’s not my call, anyway). But this does require an actual deputing by the priest – it can’t just be a “hey, would you mind giving out Communion?”
 
Hi,

To be commissioned for a term (usually 3 years, but I’ve never seen any expire or be renewed), the candidate must be formally trained, and be formally commissioned. There is usually a ceremony, and a certificate signed by the Pastor, and recorded in the diocesean records.

If an EMHC is needed for a one time, the priest will ask the individual to serve. There is an age limit (I think 18) for a commissioned EMHC. For the one time need, perhaps the priest may waive that requirement, as well as official commissioning.

Lux
 
Lux_et_Tenebrae said:
Hi,

To be commissioned for a term (usually 3 years, but I’ve never seen any expire or be renewed), the candidate must be formally trained, and be formally commissioned. There is usually a ceremony, and a certificate signed by the Pastor, and recorded in the diocesean records.

If an EMHC is needed for a one time, the priest will ask the individual to serve. There is an age limit (I think 18) for a commissioned EMHC. For the one time need, perhaps the priest may waive that requirement, as well as official commissioning.

Lux
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My 16 YO son is an EMHC. He was asked to consider it by the priest the week after he was confirmed.
 
FWIW, all the altar servers at my parish are required to become EMs as well in the event of a necessity.
 
From the present (1985) English Sacramentary, all capitalization (or lack thereof!) as found in the text:
APPENDIX V

RITE OF COMMISSIONING
A SPECIAL MINISTER
TO DISTRIBUTE HOLY COMMUNION
ON A SINGLE OCCASION

A person who, in the case of real necessity, is authorized to distribute holy communion on a single occasion {See instruction Immensae Caritatis I, nos. 2, 6.} should normally be commissioned according to the following rite.

During the breaking of the bread and the commingling, the person who is to distribute holy communion comes to the altar and stands before the celebrant. After the Lamb of God the priest blesses him/her with these words:

Today you are to distribute
the body and blood of Christ
to your brothers and sisters.
May the Lord bless + you, N.
R. Amen.

When the priest has himself received communion in the usual way, he gives communion to the minister of the eucharist. Then he gives him/her the paten or other vessel with the hosts. They then go to give communion to the people.
Here is the Latin text as found in the 2002 Missale Romanum:
APPENDIX III

RITUS AD DEPUTANDUM MINISTRUM SACRAE
COMMUNIONIS AD ACTUM DISTRIBUENDAE
  1. Episcopus diocesanus facultate fruitur permittendi singulis sacerdotibus sacra munera exercentibus ut deputare valeant fidelem idoneum, qui in casibus verae necessitatis, ad actum, sacram Communionem una cum ipsis distribuat.
  2. Fidelem qui, iis in casibus, ad Communionem distribuendam ad actum deputatur, mandatum accipere expedit iuxta ritum qui sequitur.
  3. Postquam sacerdos celebrans de more ipse Sacramentum sumpsit, minister extraordinarius ad altare accedit et coram celebrante sistit, qui eum benedicit his verbis:
    Benedícat + te Dóminus
    ad Corpus Christi frátribus tuis nunc ministrándum.
Et ipse respondet:
Amen.
  1. Si minister extraordinarius ipse Ss.mam Eucharistiam suscepturus sit, sacerdos eum communicat ac deinde sacerdos pyxidem vel vas cum hostiis aut calicem ei porrigit, et una cum eodem ad Communionem fidelibus ministrandam accedit.
    I’ll post a translation in a few minutes.
 
Digitonomy said:
What does an actual deputing require?
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There are actually different “layers” of answers to that:

First, there must be a genuine necessity, including the fact that it’s not possible for the priest himself or another cleric to distribute, the person must be qualified, etc. etc. etc. I know you know all this, and for other readers, check the other threads.

The actual “deputing” part is a 2-part answer. On the one hand, the person should be appointed by some liturgical ceremony. The new Book of Blessings has at least one (maybe a few options?) for this–a very brief ceremony for appointing EMHCs to be used by a priest (unless they have been previously appointed as potential EMHCs by the bishop for a more stable period.) These prayers are “provided” but they’re not “required.” The Church prefers some kind of liturgical ceremony but does not strictly define what that must be.

To use the example we’ve already seen posted “hey, would you mind giving out Communion?” would actually suffice (in a minimalist sort of way), but it’s not the preferred way.

The other element of “deputing” is to remind us that when there is a priest present, the person can only become an EMHC if the priest actually appoints that person to help him in distributing Communion. To put it another way, there’s no such thing as an EMHC unless and until the priest makes the decision to depute one. Even in the case of those who have been appointed potential EMHCs by the bishop, it is still necessary that the priest decide within-the-Church’s-norms, that there is a genuine need, and that he “deputes” this person to be an EMHC at that moment.

Another way of looking at it is that “deputing” reminds us that the priest alone makes the decesion as to whether this is necessary and appropriate. To make it more concrete, I myself have been in situations where people “tell” me that they “are EMHCs” and that they “will” be distributing Communion at Mass. This is a teachable moment, and I use that moment to remind the person that unless I’ve appointed him to do so, he won’t be distributing Communion.
 
APPENDIX III

RITUS AD DEPUTANDUM MINISTRUM SACRAE
COMMUNIONIS AD ACTUM DISTRIBUENDAE

[THE RITE FOR DEPUTING A MINISTER OF HOLY COMMUNION
TO THE ACT OF DISTRIBUTION]
  1. Episcopus diocesanus facultate fruitur permittendi singulis sacerdotibus sacra munera exercentibus ut deputare valeant fidelem idoneum, qui in casibus verae necessitatis, ad actum, sacram Communionem una cum ipsis distribuat.
[The diocesan Bishop enjoys the faculty of permitting to individual priests carrying out their sacred office that they may choose to depute a qualified member of the faithful, in cases of true necessity, to the act of distributing Holy Communion with the priests on a single occasion.]
  1. Fidelem qui, iis in casibus, ad Communionem distribuendam ad actum deputatur, mandatum accipere expedit iuxta ritum qui sequitur.
[The faithful who, in such cases, is deputed to the act of distributing Communion, prepares to accept this mandate according to the following rite.]
  1. Postquam sacerdos celebrans de more ipse Sacramentum sumpsit, minister extraordinarius ad altare accedit et coram celebrante sistit, qui eum benedicit his verbis:
    Benedícat + te Dóminus
    ad Corpus Christi frátribus tuis nunc ministrándum.
[After the priest celebrant has received the Sacrament in the usual way, the extraordinary minister approaches the altar and presents himself in the presence of the celebrant, who blesses him by these words:
**May the Lord bless you
who are about to administer the Body of Christ to your brethren this day.]

Et ipse respondet:
Amen.
[And he responds:
**Amen.]
  1. Si minister extraordinarius ipse Ss.mam Eucharistiam suscepturus sit, sacerdos eum communicat ac deinde sacerdos pyxidem vel vas cum hostiis aut calicem ei porrigit, et una cum eodem ad Communionem fidelibus ministrandam accedit.
[If the extraordinary minister himself is about to receive the Most Holy Eucharist, the priest gives him Communion and then the priest offers to him a pyx or vessel with the hosts or else a chalice, and together they go to administer Communion to the faithful.]
I think that’s a pretty good translation. A little shaky at places, but the substance is there. Note that the rite has changed: the EMHC does not approach the altar until the priest has received Communion (rather than standing around in the sanctuary during the Fraction and all the way through the priest’s Communion), at which point the blessing is done (rather than before the priest’s Communion).
 
With regard to the laity ,if possible it should be avoided that one person performs more than one function. Sometimes it can’t be avoided.
And the lector should not also take on the role of server and/or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. There is a wide variety of services to be performed, and it is desirable that different individuals exercise those services so that the talents and gifts God has placed within the Christian community are fully utilized and these roles of service are not monopolized by a few.
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usccb.org/liturgy/girm/bul2.shtml
 
From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :

“100. In the absence of an instituted acolyte, lay ministers may be deputed to serve at the altar
and assist the priest and the deacon; they may carry the cross, the candles, the thurible, the
bread, the wine, and the water, and they may also be deputed to distribute Holy Communion as
extraordinary ministers.”

(My bold text.)

So the GIRM does not have a problem with altar servers being the extraordinary ministers. It does not seem to follow a “sharing around the ministries” approach. It is also clear that if there is an instituted acolyte (who will be doing altar serving) he should be the extraordinary minister, if one is required, ahead of other lay people. The part “in the absence of an instituted acolyte” conveys this priority.
 
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