Can a Eucharistic Minister bring out the Monstrance

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I go to daily Mass in our local parish. There are people who are in by 10 a.m and Holy Mass is at noon. We have asked our parish priest if we could have an hour of adoraiton before the Blessed Sacrament fort for 1 hour before the Mass. (we can guarantee at least 6 or more daily adorers during this hour.). Our pastor said that he will find out if the Church ruling allows a Eucharistic minister (amoing us) to bring out the monstance or ciborium for that one hour. Our idea is that after that one hour, when the priest comes in to say the Mass, he can repose the Blessed Sacrament. Is this permitted?

Thank you and God blessings to all!
Teresa
 
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Jesusismylord:
I go to daily Mass in our local parish. There are people who are in by 10 a.m and Holy Mass is at noon. We have asked our parish priest if we could have an hour of adoraiton before the Blessed Sacrament fort for 1 hour before the Mass. (we can guarantee at least 6 or more daily adorers during this hour.). Our pastor said that he will find out if the Church ruling allows a Eucharistic minister (amoing us) to bring out the monstance or ciborium for that one hour. Our idea is that after that one hour, when the priest comes in to say the Mass, he can repose the Blessed Sacrament. Is this permitted?

Thank you and God blessings to all!
Teresa
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Yes.

According to the liturgical book “Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass”:
In the absence of a priest or deacon or it they are lawfully impeded, the following persons may publicly expose and later repose the holy eucharist for the adoration of the faithful:
a) an acolyte or special minister of communion;
b) a member of a religious community or of a lay association of men or women which is devoted to eucharistic adoration, upon appointment by the local Ordinary.
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Such ministers may open the tabernacle and also, if suitable, place the ciborium on the altar or place the host in the monstrance. At the end of the period of adoration, they replace the blessed sacarment in the tabernacle. It is not lawful, however, for them to give the blessing with the sacrament.
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  1. The minister, if he is a priest or deacon, should vest in an alb or a suplice over a cassock and a stole.
    Other ministers should wear either the liturgical vestments which are usual in the region or the vesture which is suitable for this ministry and which has been approved by the Ordinary.
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(From Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass, E.J. Dwyer (Australia), 1975, ISBN 0-85574-401-4, page 68).

According to the Code of Canon Law, canon 943:

“… In special circumstances the minister of exposition and deposition alone, but without the blessing, is an acolyte, an extraordinary minister of holy communion, or another person deputed by the local Ordinary, in accordance with the regulations of the diocesan Bishop.”

(From The Code of Canon Law, Harper Collins Liturgical, 1997, ISBN 0-00-599375-X, page 215.)

According to the 2004 Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum, the term “Eucharistic Minister” should not be used:

“[156.] This function is to be understood strictly according to the name by which it is known, that is to say, that of extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and not “special minister of Holy Communion” nor “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist” nor “special minister of the Eucharist”, by which names the meaning of this function is unnecessarily and improperly broadened.”
 
So essentially, it is okay if the layperson is specifically deputized for that purpose and does not do any actions (ie the blessing) proper to clergy alone.
 
My pastor was thrilled when I forwarded your responses. Thanks!
Teresa
 
When I was reading your question you asked if a “Eucharistic Minister” could expose the Blessed Sacrament for adoration. First of all, when you say “Eucharisitic Minister” your refering to a priest. I think what you ment was an “Extra-Ordinary Minister of of Holy Communion.” Since the only Ordinary minister of Holy Communion is the priest. So in future referances you should use the term “Extra-Ordinary Minister of Holy Communion” instead of “Eucharistic Minister.”

Now to your question. I just want to let you know that when the other people responed with a yes and some with quotes, I just wanted to make it clear what the Code of Canon Law stated in canon 943:
“… In special circumstances the minister of exposition and deposition alone, but without the blessing, is an acolyte, an extraordinary minister of holy communion, or another person deputed by the local Ordinary, in accordance with the regulations of the diocesan Bishop.”

You must first get premission from you local bishop before you can proceed in having a lay person expose the Blessed Sacrament.

In my opinion, since the priest can repose the Blessed Sacrament, why can’t he expose the Blessed Sacrament?
If this isn’t possible due to parish duties then I would probably think your Bishop would allow it. But if it is because of some other reason then this I think your Bishop would say no. Then again, I am not your Bishop.

I am sorry if I seem harsh, but I just wanted to make sure that this was clear to you. I hope everything goes well. God Bless!
 
Yes, you are right, I meant “extraordinary eucharistic minister”.
My pastor is one of 2 priests running 4 merged parishes. He is very busy and involved with so much in the life of the parish community. People have his cell phone number and he is at anyone’s call even at night for confession and counselling. He does not have a day off. Most mornings,during the week, he celebrates the early Mass and runs off to school to do his doctorate (he is from Nigeria and is here to learn all he can about setting up a Catholic school there). He comes back at noon to celebrate our noon Mass, so you see that he has no time to be the one to expose the Blessed Sacrament.

He knew from the 1975 document on the Blessed Sacramentthat it could be done by the extraordinary minister but he wanted to make sure there have been no more updates on this due to all he abuses (I should have explained this). I will pass on your recommendation about getting the approval from our archdiocese. In fact, he will be meeting with them tomorrow about something else so I will ask him if he can bring up this matter.

We have between 20 to 40 people attending daily Mass (many from neigboring offices) and at least 6 of us are extraordinary eucharistic minister. We have a group of 8 to12 people staying after Mass to pray the rosary and the Chaplet. It is this noonday Mass group that has been asking for the one hour adoration before Mass, and many of them do come earlier, some at 10 a.m.
Thanks and God bless you!
Teresa
 
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Jesusismylord:
Yes, you are right, I meant “extraordinary eucharistic minister”.
Teresa
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No, it’s ExtraOrdinary Minister of Holy Communion 🙂

The Minister of a Sacrament is one that brings the Grace of that Sacrament into being.

In Baptism, the Minster is the person pouring the water and reciting the Tritarian formula (usually a priest or deacon)

In Marriage, the two persons marrying Minister the Sacrament to each other.

In the Eucharist, it is a Priest or a Bishop. And as only a priest or a bishop can be Minsters of the Eucharist, there is no such thing as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist.

Now laypersons may assist in the Communing of the Sacrament, in it’s distrubution.

That ministry falls normally to the ordained, Priests, Bishops and Deacons. They are thus Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

A layperson in the role would act in an Extraordinary capacity, as thus are ExtraOrdinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

If you look through Vatican documents on the Liturgy, and related documents such as the GIRM, you will see that the term for lay persons is ALWAYS Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

It might seem like a trivial matter, but it has a deep meaning Sacramentally.

Check out

Redemptionis Sacramentum

Specifically #154
 
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