Can an alter server hand out communion?

[pianistclare]

The use of the word “mandated” on a certificate is what I find odd.
Our “certificates” speak to the training and preparedness of the person.
I can’t imagine someone is MANDATED, other than a priest.

At any rate, much ado about probably nothing.
Priests don’t just grab people out of the air and say , here, you’re an Extraordinary minister!
Although as someone said, it CAN happen. I was at a daily Mass where an unbelievable amount of people showed up. (4 huge tour busses). Our Pastor pulled the Sacristan aside (who is not a trained EMHC) and said "look, I’ve obviously got a situation here…you’re needed to help me with Holy Communion, and I don’t want to hear a peep out of you about it…help me please!’ She did, and he was grateful. But that is rare.
Priests know what they are doing, they do act according to the norms of their Diocese, and just because we haven’t seen it , or maybe we think we know better than the priests, doesn’t mean they have lost their minds are doing things wrong.

 

[anon98328916]

I thought not, but I’ve seen it happen twice at my parish- once at Easter and another time this morning.
I’m not talking about an adult server- teen boys- about 15-16?

I don’t think they should be.

 

[thistle]

Not commissioned - mandated. That’s what my certificate says.

To the OP: Yes, young people, who are properly trained, of a certain age (age requirement varies in different parts of the country), and mandated by the Archbishop, or Bishop can serve as EMHC’s .

Here in the Philippines females are not permitted to be EMHC’s. We have only male EMHC’s.
Females are readers, ushers, and commentators.

 

[tee_eff_em]

When they are instituted as Acolytes they automatically become EMHCs - Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. “Extraordinary” here does not mean “fabulous and extra special”, it means “not the norm”, the norm being that Communion is given out by the “Ordinary” Ministers of Holy Communion: deacons, priests, and bishops.

:twocents: I have been told (cf. [thread=897577]Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist[/thread]) that here *“extraordinary” *means neither *“fabulous and extra special” *nor *“not the norm” *but rather: “outside the sacrament of Holy Orders” (Though as one can see from the referenced thread I could not provide an absolute and authoritative source. Still, I stand by the orthodoxy of my teachers)

tee

 

[Brendan]

The use of the word “mandated” on a certificate is what I find odd.
Our “certificates” speak to the training and preparedness of the person.
I can’t imagine someone is MANDATED, other than a priest. .

In legal terns, it means that one has a mandate, that one has been appointed under the law to perform a specific action.

 

[Phemie]

In legal terns, it means that one has a mandate, that one has been appointed under the law to perform a specific action.

I have to say that all the dioceses in which I’ve been an EMHC used the term “commission” rather than mandate. The first time I was commissioned I received a personal letter from my Bishop, outlining what my duties were and making it very clear that it applied only to my own parish. At the time it was for 1 year. I still have that letter from the 30 some odd years ago.

In my present parish the commissioned EMHCs receive a certificate which establishes that their commission is for a fixed period of time (3 years) and, again, only within our parish.

 

[1ke]

I have to say that all the dioceses in which I’ve been an EMHC used the term “commission” rather than mandate. The first time I was commissioned I received a personal letter from my Bishop, outlining what my duties were and making it very clear that it applied only to my own parish. At the time it was for 1 year. I still have that letter from the 30 some odd years ago.

In my present parish the commissioned EMHCs receive a certificate which establishes that their commission is for a fixed period of time (3 years) and, again, only within our parish.

and in our parish there is no commissioning at all. no certificate. same people have been EMHC for the 10 years I’ve been here, only 1 new one. (Of course we are a small, rural parish with very few people moving in or out, ever, and each person is known personally by the pastor).

 

[Phemie]

and in our parish there is no commissioning at all. no certificate. same people have been EMHC for the 10 years I’ve been here, only 1 new one. (Of course we are a small, rural parish with very few people moving in or out, ever, and each person is known personally by the pastor).

Well, the commissioning thing is fairly recent in our parish and not all pastors have used it. When I started here I just signed my name in the “Communion Minister” column of the volunteer sheet and that was it. They didn’t know me from Adam, I’d only been in the parish about 5 weeks when “Sign Up Sunday” rolled around. They never asked any questions and just put me on the list. I was an EMHC for a few years then read the documents and decided they didn’t need my services.

 

[Joelle_M]

Thank you all!