Any former Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion here? Why did you quit?

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Are you a former Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion? If so, why did you quit?

Were there theological issues, procedural issues, etc. that made you quit? Or perhaps were you asked to quit?
 
i moved and in my new parish EMHC’s are rarely used (only the bread is distributed and all the priests help do this at every mass) the few that do perform this function as an exception are always nuns. i miss serving as i was also lector at my previous parish but i am really enjoying this traditional parish and as a convert i think i am learning a lot from it.
 
Procedural issues, I won’t go into the details here but it was a few things taken together that led me to my decision to not offer to serve again.
 
Until recently, I was an active EMHC. However I have now made a personal decision to abstain from it if at all possible. I recognize that the EMHC are often used illicitly when they are not absolutely necessary as the various instructions on the Liturgy so clearly state. They seem to me, to now serve primarily as a way to get people more “involved” with the parish, as if participating in the sacrifice at Calvary isn’t enough. It’s a combination of clericalization of the laity and poor catechesis on the part of clergy and laity alike.
 
I also stopped. I had been trained as both a lector (which I loved) and as a EMHC (which I wasn’t “trained” so much as “thrown into”). I noticed I was scheduled to appear less and less often as a lector (despite having many people, including the priest and the deacon of the parish praise my public speaking and reading abilities) and more often as an EMHC. Despite the fact that I was VERY pregnant (I was asked to serve up until the week I gave birth), and that the parish wasn’t big enough to support the EIGHT EMHCs that were always there, I continued being scheduled (it was a very, very small parish).

Upon reflection, I now feel it troublesome for women (such as myself) to be EMHCs, and felt that God was asking me not to participate in that ministry any more.

We have since moved to a new parish, and I am still discerning whether or not to offer my services as a lector.
 
I was once one; once I found out that traditionally laity shouldn’t even be touching the Eucharist at all, let alone distributing it, I decided to pass.

I even told them why I was quitting- they simply couldn’t understand my reasoning!
 
I served both at the altar and to the homes for several years. Of late I have developed an occasional twitch of my hand which could cause a spill; so I reluctantly stopped. I still bring a host to a disabled neighbor, since I can control the twitch over a short period if I focus well on it.
 
I was one for several years in different parishes to which I belonged. Once I realized how abused this ministry is, particularly in the parish I’m in now, I stopped being one and limited myself to being a reader.
 
I only did this for a short time and quit because of advancing arthritis, had several episodes of dropping things and did not want that to happen during Mass. Would not do it now because I am already involved in ministry (catechetics) and have heard over and over from many sources that a lay person should only be doing one ministry in the parish.
 
They dropped the “Extra” from ordinary, when I was ordained a permanent deacon. It is a great honor to serve God in any way. Our deacon candidates are chosen from those who are very involved both in ministy in the parish and ministry to the hungry,homeless,prisoners Etc.
 
Echoing what Cari said, I was both a Lector and an EME for several years at a former parish. I came to see myself as participating in the feminization of the altar and informed our pastor that I could no longer serve in those capacities.
 
As I grew to know and understand the Blessed Sacrament more fully, I became convinced that since I have not received Holy Orders, I should not touch the Blessed Sacrament with my hands. While I will received from an EMHC, I will not touch the Holy Eucharist except in the most extreme situations, such as preventing loss of the Blessed sacrament or to stop a sacrilege.
 
I have been thinking about resigning from this role in my parish. I have many concerns about procedures such as EM’s washing the vessels and receiving on the altar and combining hosts and breaking the large host to fit then placing the all the remaining hosts in the tabernacle and consumming the precious blood.

I am not going to do this anymore. It has been hard to resist the pressure to help out. This thread has helped me.This issue is the main reason I ended up discovering this web site.

I am still looking for printed material to give to my parish priest about this. Any suggestions?

Also, Exactly how many communicants at a given Mass would actually constitute the legimate use of an EM?

susan
 
I stopped because of the abuses.Although it was being an EMHC that got me excited about our faith again.I’ve always been a practicing catholic. Became an EMHC, felt very honored, then one day I felt like there was something wrong with how things were done. Our cups were glass(it has now been corrected to precious metal), EMHC on altar with priest while he takes communion, EMHC purifying cups, pouring of precious blood after consecrated in glass flagon, and just me touching the Hosts while putting them in the several plates after consecration prior to communion felt “not right”. I did a little research on the abuses and began trying to correct them. Hence the cup change. I started up with catholic answers and now read many books on our faith. I enjoy being able to kneel and pray after communion(not able to do while an EMHC). Hey, just read a good book BORN FUNDAMENTALIST BORN AGAIN CATHOLIC by Currie, easy reading!
 
I probably will be quitting in the near future, after our parish loses our latest battle between area parishes to see who stays open, and who closes. If we have to go to another parish, I will quit. I am honored to serve, but I don’t think it’s really necessary most of the time.
 
I moved and never went through “training” in my new diocese.
However, it never did feel “right” to me and when I started doing research, I realized that the Holy Spirit was pushing me in the right direction: to let the priests be the ones to distribute the Eucharist to the faithful.

I am excited to soon be a part of a parish that receives our Lord kneeling from the hands of the priest.
 
My dh & I both resigned from this ministry when we recognized that scheduling EMHCs was not the original intention. We felt that it was not appropriate for the parish to schedule 4-5 EMHCs when the church only holds less than 400 people!

Peace,
Linda
 
How many ministers of communion are you supposed to have compared to the number of people at the Mass? At a guess I’d say my parish has approx 400 people at each Mass and we have 6 ministers of communion total including the priest a each Mass.
 
Turtleoompa

I didn’t know glass cups were wrong. It just keeps gettingworse and worse.What or where should I read to find out about the official rules for distributing the Holy Eucharist.? susan
 
Lepanto said:
Are you a former Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion? If so, why did you quit?

Were there theological issues, procedural issues, etc. that made you quit? Or perhaps were you asked to quit?
Click to expand...
Didn’t acutally quit but moved. Unfortunately where I have moved to is so far from the rubrics that I will not get involved.

Thinkgs like;

All the EMHC’s on the altar way before they are supposed to be.

All dozen of them recieving with the Priest instead of after,

Distributing communion among themselves and helping themselves off the altar,

Pouring the blood into the chalices on the altar beside the priests (always a female),

Reserving the host to the tabernacle.

These are just to name a few I witness on a consistent basis.

If I got involved in that I would go mad.
 
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