Are you an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist?

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Are you an EME? After choosing the best option that describes your situation, please elaborate why or why not.

Thank you!
 
Other: I went through training in another diocese, but am not an EME in my present diocese.
 
Even though that I am an EMHC, I am one of those who are of the opinion that they’re overused.
 
I am not one, do not wish to be one, and think they are terribly overused.

*Redemptionis Sacramentum *reminded us that this ministry is not meant to increase people’s participation in the Mass.

There’s a line in the beautiful hymn, Pange Lingua, by St. Thomas Aquinas, that sums up how I wish to receive Holy Communion: “He gave Himself with His own Hand.” To me, that means the priest, acting in persona Christi. If Mass takes a few minutes longer, so be it.

I realize that in understaffed gigantic parishes EMHCs will have to be used, and I will not fuss about it. I will, however, silently wish that all the priests would slip into the church at communion time to distribute Communion, so fewer lay people would have to do it.

Betsy
 
baltobetsy said:
I am not one, do not wish to be one, and think they are terribly overused.

*Redemptionis Sacramentum *reminded us that this ministry is not meant to increase people’s participation in the Mass.

There’s a line in the beautiful hymn, Pange Lingua, by St. Thomas Aquinas, that sums up how I wish to receive Holy Communion: “He gave Himself with His own Hand.” To me, that means the priest, acting in persona Christi. If Mass takes a few minutes longer, so be it.

I realize that in understaffed gigantic parishes EMHCs will have to be used, and I will not fuss about it. I will, however, silently wish that all the priests would slip into the church at communion time to distribute Communion, so fewer lay people would have to do it.

Betsy
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I totally agree with you.
The purpose of the EMHC isn’t to further their efforts to “fully participate” in Holy Mass. It is to help the priest with the distribution of Our Lord.

I am only a EMHC to offer my services to my parish.
 
I am one and I wish I wasn’t used also as they are not necessary in my parish. At least by serving I can point out to the others that we shouldn’t be there, or else I am just someone complaining from the pew.

It would certainly help with respect for the Blessed Sacrament if were not used and Mass was just longer. I don’t mind 10 minutes more out of respect for Jesus.

God Bless
Scylla
 
I am an EME but really don’t like the idea. I feel obligated to do it but I wish I were not needed. Why do I feel obligated to do it? Without being judgemental I get some very serious feelings that many of the EMHC at my parish do not believe in the real presence. In fact I only serve when I notice that our sole instituted acolyte is present. I make him purify my chalice. At my parish the EMHCs retreat to the sacristy after communion to consume the leftover PRecious blood. I have witnessed with my own eyes the precious blood being dumped into the sink and the chalice rinsed out with tap water and then dumped again. My parish has no piscina and the drain goes to the sewer. I nearly freaked out when I saw this person do it. It was then that I realized that EMHCs are not a good thing. Especially since there is no provision in my parish for purification of vessels.
 
I serve as an EMHC at one Mass a month, also serve once a month to the homebound in our parish. I love to serve and support my parish as much as possible.
 
Other - No, I have been an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (EMHC) and feel they are overused today.

EME’s do not exist.
 
I am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. There is no such thing as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the whole sacrifice of the Mass; only a priest is its minister.

That said, I only exercise this ministry to bring Holy Communion to the sick and to assist in distribution of Holy Communion at our weekly Mass at a local nursing home. When I was commissioned as an EMHC several years ago, our parish was still using glass vessels, and I was uncomfortable participating in that, so I did not sign up to assist at Masses at church. Our new pastor uses proper vessels, so I was thinking about serving at church on an as-needed basis. But then the indult on EMHC’s purifying vessels ran out, our church is still doing that, so I guess I’ll wait for a while longer.

I agree that too many EMHC’s are used. I think it makes the laity feel “important,” at the expense of confusing the roles of priest and laity. I don’t see any way around it in the near future, unless someone in the hierarchy of the Church clearly defines the “extraordinary” circumstances under which an “Extraordinary” minister can be used (for example, X ministers needed for X communicants).
 
PhilotheaZ said:
I am an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. There is no such thing as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the whole sacrifice of the Mass; only a priest is its minister.
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The question was actually worded incorrectly. I answered yes, although I am aware, as you are, that the proper title is EMHC. Actually, deacons are ordinary ministers too, not just priests.
 
I do not serve at mass but do bring Holy Communion to the sick and homebound. With one priest and 2500 families, this ministry is without a doubt, extremely needed.
 
Wonko_the_Sane said:
Even though that I am an EMHC, I am one of those who are of the opinion that they’re overused.
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I completely agree - I’ve helped with Holy Communion for over 20 years. I really wish I wasn’t needed, but I’m glad to help on the weekends.

It pains me that so many EMHC’s are used in my parish, while priests remain in the rectory during Sunday Mass rather than coming over to the Church to help.

Our previous pastor made it a requirement for all available clergy and seminarians to assist at each Mass. It was so nice to see the committment to assisting at Mass (outside, of course, the regular emergency calls, which took priority.)

New pastor changed that directive, so now the celebrating priest and deacon are the only clergy distributing Holy Communion. (We do have several priests assigned to our parish)

I go to a different parish for weekday Mass where only the clergy and nuns distribute Holy Communion. I’ve never seen an EMHC during the weekday Masses. I really like that.
 
I have been thinking of it, but right now, I am not pursuing it. However, I believe that if there is multiple priests in the parish, all of them should be present for distribution of the Eucharist. My parish in the Philadelphia area did that for every Mass.
 
no I have both a ministry (paid) and an apostolate (unpaid) in the Church and have been advised throughout my active life in the Church to devote myself to one apostolate rather than trying to do everything, so as to leave room for others to volunteer. In any case I would never seek to be an EMHC because a) I have never seen a situation where they are truly needed except extremely large gatherings such as popular pilgrimage shrines, conferences etc. and 2) my arthritis makes it impossible many days and I often drop things.
 
lak611 said:
The question was actually worded incorrectly. I answered yes, although I am aware, as you are, that the proper title is EMHC. Actually, deacons are ordinary ministers too, not just priests.
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Deacon are Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, they are NOT Ministers of the Eucharist,. either Ordinary or Extraordinary.

The Minister of a Sacrament is the one who confects that Sacrament. So the ONLY POSSIBLE Minister of the Eucharist is a validly ordained priest.

The Communication of the Sacrament, it’s distribution to the faithful, has an entirely seperate ministry with an entirely seperate name, Minister of Holy Communion.

One ministry confects the Sacrament, the other ministry communicates the Sacrament. We should not misname the two.

The priest and deacon excercice this ministry normally, the laity in an Extraordinary way.
 
WanderAimlessly said:
I have been thinking of it, but right now, I am not pursuing it. However, I believe that if there is multiple priests in the parish, all of them should be present for distribution of the Eucharist. My parish in the Philadelphia area did that for every Mass.
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Our parish does the same thing. In fact, it’s very rare for us to use an EMHC at all.

We have a 90 year old senior priest in residence who comes out to assist with distribution at every Mass. So in addition to our pastor and the deacon, we have 3 OMHC’s to distrubute the Eucharist at our Masses. Which is generally enough.

When the deacon cannot be there on a Sunday Mass, we have a Chalean sub-deacon who has changed Rites to Latin. He will assist with the distrubution of Communion. Or if one of our seminarians returns for the weekend, he might as well.
 
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