Can children be EMHC's?

[RosalieM]

This boy was about four feet tall. He was definitely a child and I assume he is from the parish school which only goes up to 8th grade.

 

[archlight]

In our diocese an EMHC must be 18 but can be 17 if he or she is serving at their CATHOLIC HS. They have to go to a special training session for them and must be nominated by the school principal and their parish pastor.

I know I would be upset with a child distributing communion.

In our parish at least 25. This is the first time I heard about this incident, but if they are doing it already, it might mean there’s nothings wrong with it.

But in my personal opinion, if there are sufficient numbers of EMHC around legal age, maybe it would be good to let the older ones with this task and give the children who really want to serve at the mass other things to do.

 

[Chatter163]

Is it just me or are there starting to be more and more strange scenarios going on at mass around the world?

It’s just you. This type of nonsense has been going on for forty years.

 

[MissRose73]

If the church allows the kids to help in the way in the original post, I hope they have been properly trained and understand the serious nature of what they are doing.

At my parents’ church, it used to be only adults serving as ministers. Seldom, teens were encouraged to participate.

I do see some teens assisting the cantor/organist/pianist as an example.

Some kids do stand with parents acting as greeters/ushers, helping to take up the collection, handing out bulletins, and/or opening doors. The parent(s) are supervising them as well.

I did not have a long training class to distribute Holy Communion at Mass. My mother was a minister and “trained” me. I was allowed to do that ministry after I got confirmed as a 17 year old many years ago as that was the requirement then for most things you had to be confirmed. Keep in mind, I looked much younger than 17 if I did not fix up my hair, wear some makeup, and dress up a lot.