Coins in the Ciborium

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stanthonyserver

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As an EMHC at our church recently I had an unusual occurence. As I was presenting the Host to a very elderly woman and saying the words “The Body of Christ” she reached up and dropped several coins into the ciborium before I could react.:eek:

When I returned to the sanctuary I took the coins out but now I’m wondering if that was the proper thing to do? It is possible they may have had particles of the Host on them, although I did not see any. Should I have left them in the vessel and brought it to the attention of the Deacon? And what should he have done with them?

Just wondering in case it ever happens again.

David
 
stanthonyserver said:
As an EMHC at our church recently I had an unusual occurence. As I was presenting the Host to a very elderly woman and saying the words “The Body of Christ” she reached up and dropped several coins into the ciborium before I could react.:eek:

When I returned to the sanctuary I took the coins out but now I’m wondering if that was the proper thing to do? It is possible they may have had particles of the Host on them, although I did not see any. Should I have left them in the vessel and brought it to the attention of the Deacon? And what should he have done with them?

Just wondering in case it ever happens again.

David
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That is a bit strange. remove the Hosts to another ciborium, take that ciborium to the back and remove the coins rinse them in the sacrarium and purify the ciborium as usual.
 
Hmmm - just waiting for the ‘communion on the tongue reduces abuses’ types to figure out a way that communion in the hand is to blame for this one or that communion on the tongue could’ve stopped it … oh well, I’m sure they’ll find one soon.
 
Now then - if only she had received the sacred Host on her tongue none of this would …

… oh never mind 😛 😛 😛
 
She probably was visiting and didn’t know what people:)ere lining up for. So
 
bpbasilphx said:
That dear soul was obviously having a senior moment.
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Perhaps confusing with the antidoron???

I have seen a few natives raised in the RO wake up during communion and presume it was antidoron time, since non-clerics were distributing…
 
stanthonyserver said:
As an EMHC at our church recently I had an unusual occurence. As I was presenting the Host to a very elderly woman and saying the words “The Body of Christ” she reached up and dropped several coins into the ciborium before I could react.:eek:

When I returned to the sanctuary I took the coins out but now I’m wondering if that was the proper thing to do? It is possible they may have had particles of the Host on them, although I did not see any. Should I have left them in the vessel and brought it to the attention of the Deacon? And what should he have done with them?

Just wondering in case it ever happens again.

David
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You did the right thing. The only thing you realy could have done under the circumstances. As Bro Rich said, they should have been rinsed in the Sacrarium, but at the same time, if you examined them, it’s safe to say that no particles of the Body remained. It sounds like this woman may have indeed had a “senior moment” and you should be aware in the future in case she tries to do it again–which is actually very likely.

On a related note, once the accidents of bread are no longer present, the Body of Christ no longer exists either. Therefore particles of the Host which are so small and minute as to be no longer recognizable as “bread” are not the Precious Body. We still treat them with respect (for example, a dried “wine stain” on the purificator no longer has the accidents of wine, and is no longer the Precious Blood, yet we wash it with respect just the same).
 
Thank you for the replies -

Actually the woman was receiving on the tongue which is why her hand was free to drop the coins - receiving in the hand may have actually prevented the incident 😉 (sorry)

The woman clearly was making an offering with all good intentions, just confused. She attends Mass every week and did not repeat the donation the next week. Of course my fellow EMHCs told me my collections were down:D

I think removing the host to a new ciborium and rinsing the coins properly sounds like what I would do if it ever happened again.

Have a happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate.

David
 
stanthonyserver said:
Actually the woman was receiving on the tongue which is why her hand was free to drop the coins - receiving in the hand may have actually prevented the incident 😉 (sorry)
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Kneeling at a Communion Rail would have had the same effect. She would have had to reach up to dump her cash in the priest’s ciborium and the paten held by the altar boy would have served as an additional obstacle.
 
LilyM said:
Hmmm - just waiting for the ‘communion on the tongue reduces abuses’ types to figure out a way that communion in the hand is to blame for this one or that communion on the tongue could’ve stopped it … oh well, I’m sure they’ll find one soon.
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Nothing to say that is even remotely on topic?

James
 
LilyM said:
Hmmm - just waiting for the ‘communion on the tongue reduces abuses’ types to figure out a way that communion in the hand is to blame for this one or that communion on the tongue could’ve stopped it … oh well, I’m sure they’ll find one soon.
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Wow…that was off topic AND insulting. Bravo.
 
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