Communion service by lay people

[OraLabora]

It would be far preferable, when a priest is not available during the week, to replace the “communion service” with either Lauds (Morning Prayer) or Vespers (Evening Prayer). Or both.

These can legitimately be led by laypeople, with rubrics for that (for example a layperson does not give a blessing at the end but uses a simpler dismissal formula “May the Lord bless us, may He deliver us from all evil, and lead us to eternal life. Amen.”-not an “approved” translation but translation from the French which I know by heart).

That way there is no danger of anybody trying to “play priest”, or for non-informed Catholics to be confused. And it will introduce the faithful to the true richness of the Psalms while participating in the prayer of the entire Church.

 

[Mark1970]

I think one of the reasons for EMHC’s “playing priest” (certainly in my own parish) has been becasue we’ve always had a group of “daily Communicants” who’ve gone to Mass and received Holy Communion daily. When this hasn’t been possible - due to priest’s holiday or a priest covering two Churches and only celebrating Mass in one - an EMHC has had a comunion service to enable the daily communicants to receive Communion rather than mising for a few days. A lot of daily communicants in my parish have been onder people without transport who would find it difficult going to another church. Also, as officially a priest isn’t supposed to say more than one Mass a day, they’ve been saying Mass in one church and using EMHC’s in the other church to provide communion services.

 

[AlabamaCatholic]

I have heard of a local parish that has communion service led by a laywoman once per week because the priest is away. She stands behind the altar, puts her hands all over the host and the sacred vessals and even apparently reads the Gospel and gives a little “homily”. I don’t know what current Church teaching on this is, but it sure seem as though that could undermine someone’s faith in the Real Presence and acknowledgement of the necessity of the priesthood.

 

[Remington]

It would be far preferable, when a priest is not available during the week, to replace the “communion service” with either Lauds (Morning Prayer) or Vespers (Evening Prayer). Or both.

These can legitimately be led by laypeople, with rubrics for that (for example a layperson does not give a blessing at the end but uses a simpler dismissal formula “May the Lord bless us, may He deliver us from all evil, and lead us to eternal life. Amen.”-not an “approved” translation but translation from the French which I know by heart).

That way there is no danger of anybody trying to “play priest”, or for non-informed Catholics to be confused. And it will introduce the faithful to the true richness of the Psalms while participating in the prayer of the entire Church.

No, it wouldn’t. Certainly not in all situations.

 

[Remington]

I have heard of a local parish that has communion service led by a laywoman once per week because the priest is away. She stands behind the altar, puts her hands all over the host and the sacred vessals and even apparently reads the Gospel and gives a little “homily”. I don’t know what current Church teaching on this is, but it sure seem as though that could undermine someone’s faith in the Real Presence and acknowledgment of the necessity of the priesthood.

Why?

I conduct communion services at the behest of my pastor if he has a reason he cannot be at Mass. Yes, it’s always a serious reason. It’s not a matter of his day off (he has a substitute) or him wanting to sleep-in.

I read the Gospel per the Church approved ritual. I don’t offer a reflection (not homily) as allowed but I do read a related prayer or another writing verbatim from a well-known saint if I can find one. I am hyper-sensitive about how I handle and distribute the Blessed Sacrament – all by the book.

I take great pains to ensure my personality does not enter into the communion service. I don’t sit in either the celebrant’s or deacon’s chair. I sit in a server’s chair. I cannot think of anything I do that would in any way impinge on the Real Presence.

 

[AlabamaCatholic]

I think for an average Catholic in the pews it could create more of an ordinary atmosphere that lends itself to an understanding of the Eucharist as something, well, ordinary. That’s not a knock on you. Sounds like you’re as reverent as possible and just doing what you’ve been allowed to do. I just think when you start letting laypeople handle the Blessed Sacrament in that manner, and even more so in the absence of a priest, it can create mass confusion and chaos in the minds of Catholics that are not very well-versed in their faith.

Seems as though it’s allowed in modern day, though I’ve never witnessed it myself and wouldn’t be comfortable attending such a service. Seems a bit Protestantized to me.

 

[Remington]

I think for an average Catholic in the pews it could create more of an ordinary atmosphere that lends itself to an understanding of the Eucharist as something, well, ordinary. That’s not a knock on you. Sounds like you’re as reverent as possible and just doing what you’ve been allowed to do. I just think when you start letting laypeople handle the Blessed Sacrament in that manner, and even more so in the absence of a priest, it can create mass confusion and chaos in the minds of Catholics that are not very well-versed in their faith.

Seems as though it’s allowed in modern day, though I’ve never witnessed it myself and wouldn’t be comfortable attending such a service. Seems a bit Protestantized to me.

I just follow the Church’s directives and my pastor’s requests in place of my own opinion of what should and should not be allowed.

 

[DebChris]

Why?

I conduct communion services at the behest of my pastor if he has a reason he cannot be at Mass. Yes, it’s always a serious reason. It’s not a matter of his day off (he has a substitute) or him wanting to sleep-in.

I read the Gospel per the Church approved ritual. I don’t offer a reflection (not homily) as allowed but I do read a related prayer or another writing verbatim from a well-known saint if I can find one. I am hyper-sensitive about how I handle and distribute the Blessed Sacrament – all by the book.

I take great pains to ensure my personality does not enter into the communion service. I don’t sit in either the celebrant’s or deacon’s chair. I sit in a server’s chair. I cannot think of anything I do that would in any way impinge on the Real Presence.

I find that being given this type of responsibility brings with it a corresponding amount of humility. A person placed in a leadership position often faces public scrutiny, even when that leadership is one of service to the community.
I am happy that the Church is willing to use many different means to meet the spiritual needs of its people. Lay ministers, lectors, EMCHs answer to their pastor, who in turn answers to the diocesan bishop. Regardless of our accepted role within the community, each of us is called to continued growth in knowledge and understanding of our faith.

 

[Anrando]

Hello,

Here in Japan, where I live this type of service is conducted one Sunday every month. There are seven parishes and five priests so the priest must go to another church to conduct Sunday Mass once a month.

The service is usually “officiated” at by a nun with all female EM’s distributing communion. The readings are made and the nun does give a homily of sorts. The normal songs used in the liturgy are sung, and basically everything except consecration is as per the liturgical norms here.

The leader does not play priest, but the first time I attended I was taken aback by the whole thing. I am a bit “traditional” and had never experienced such a service.

I do understand why this type of service is necessary, but it still just “feels” not quite right.

W.Unland

 

[DebChris]

Hello,

Here in Japan, where I live this type of service is conducted one Sunday every month. There are seven parishes and five priests so the priest must go to another church to conduct Sunday Mass once a month.

The service is usually “officiated” at by a nun with all female EM’s distributing communion. The readings are made and the nun does give a homily of sorts. The normal songs used in the liturgy are sung, and basically everything except consecration is as per the liturgical norms here.

The leader does not play priest, but the first time I attended I was taken aback by the whole thing. I am a bit “traditional” and had never experienced such a service.

I do understand why this type of service is necessary, but it still just “feels” not quite right.

W.Unland

A Mass is always preferable. I understand a sense of loss. During a communion service we are not there to witness the Consecration that is such a central part of the Mass. There is no Liturgy of the Eucharist, only the Liturgy of the Word plus distribution of the hosts which were consecrated beforehand.

During a Charismatic Conference, I saw a film on the miracles that took place among the garbage people of Juarez. One of the memorable things from the film is how much more powerful the Church became when the men stepped into their leadership roles. It is the women and children who came to Christ first. The men followed. I mention this only because there is so much emphasis lately on the number of women who have accepted the leadership roles we have been given. The parable of the talents is not limited by gender. All of us are called to service in one form or another. Only a priest can consecrate the hosts.

 

[Kevin812]

It depends on the training of the lay person and sadly our parish training is a script to follow that is based on the Mass, but without the consecration. In the past and for about 8 years we had Sister’s Mass on Mondays and various other times. Monday’s where her days and she would not allow a priest or a deacon to intrude on that.

I finally just refused to go to her “mass” or to receive after she “consecrated” the previously consecrated hosts one evening. I could live with her in her special Alb that was very dramatic (although it always reminded me of a “granny” nightgown), her very long Reflections (realistically it’s a homily), and I could even live with the fact that her “Congregation” was not Catholic or recognized the Pope and the Bishops , but what I could not live with the most grave matter of her thinking, telling, and acting upon the error that she is able to act the role of priest during Mass.

Now before some one says, did you talk with the Priest/Bishop/Rome, our Priest at the time brought her with him from his last assignment and a position was created for her. Our Priest and for that matter our Bishop are of the opinion that the faithful should stay out the liturgy debate. And I am in no position to change parishes.

 

[AlabamaCatholic]

That is a shame. I’m sorry you can’t find another parish.

Fortunately, and I say this in all charity, the 60’s-80’s were the pinnacle of abuses and blurring of the line between priest and people, and our younger generation of priests are so much more well-versed (by and large) in how things ought to be done. There is some leftover stuff that needs to be cleaned up, but the pendulum is swinging back in the right direction. Deo gratias!

 

[Remington]

A Mass is always preferable. I understand a sense of loss. During a communion service we are not there to witness the Consecration that is such a central part of the Mass. There is no Liturgy of the Eucharist, only the Liturgy of the Word plus distribution of the hosts which were consecrated beforehand.

During a Charismatic Conference, I saw a film on the miracles that took place among the garbage people of Juarez. One of the memorable things from the film is how much more powerful the Church became when the men stepped into their leadership roles. It is the women and children who came to Christ first. The men followed. I mention this only because there is so much emphasis lately on the number of women who have accepted the leadership roles we have been given. The parable of the talents is not limited by gender. All of us are called to service in one form or another. Only a priest can consecrate the hosts.

This is a fascinating subject. In many cases it seems that men do not step-up. Often their excuse is that they feel things are not as they should be (despite what the Church says in documents) so they refuse to get involved. That’s bad.

On the other hand it seems like a lot of women CRAVE authority within the Church. When an opportunity like this comes a long they jump all over it, often it would seem for the wrong reasons.

In the end it often seems that the wrong people (of both sexes!) end-up getting involved.

 

[Remington]

I find that being given this type of responsibility brings with it a corresponding amount of humility. A person placed in a leadership position often faces public scrutiny, even when that leadership is one of service to the community.
I am happy that the Church is willing to use many different means to meet the spiritual needs of its people. Lay ministers, lectors, EMCHs answer to their pastor, who in turn answers to the diocesan bishop. Regardless of our accepted role within the community, each of us is called to continued growth in knowledge and understanding of our faith.

And they should be. When I conduct a communion service I take it very seriously. While a “reflection” is allowed for example, I wouldn’t consider giving one because it WILL lead to some level of discontent no matter what. Instead I read (verbatim) something from a well known saint that relates to the daily readings.

 

[Remington]

It depends on the training of the lay person and sadly our parish training is a script to follow that is based on the Mass, but without the consecration. In the past and for about 8 years we had Sister’s Mass on Mondays and various other times. Monday’s where her days and she would not allow a priest or a deacon to intrude on that.

I finally just refused to go to her “mass” or to receive after she “consecrated” the previously consecrated hosts one evening. I could live with her in her special Alb that was very dramatic (although it always reminded me of a “granny” nightgown), her very long Reflections (realistically it’s a homily), and I could even live with the fact that her “Congregation” was not Catholic or recognized the Pope and the Bishops , but what I could not live with the most grave matter of her thinking, telling, and acting upon the error that she is able to act the role of priest during Mass.

Now before some one says, did you talk with the Priest/Bishop/Rome, our Priest at the time brought her with him from his last assignment and a position was created for her. Our Priest and for that matter our Bishop are of the opinion that the faithful should stay out the liturgy debate. And I am in no position to change parishes.

She didn’t have that authority. The pastor should have DIRECTED her to stand down when a cleric was available. It also sounds like thee should have been 1-2 more trained people around to share the responsibility with sister so she didn’t become so possessive.