communion service question

[GwenL]

Yesterday morning, I went to a church in town (not my usual parish); a 7 a.m. Mass was on the schedule. It was a communion service instead; a woman led the service, standing behind the altar and reading prayers, etc… Nothing much out of the ordinary until the end. She went to the tabernacle (without genuflecting), retrieved a ciborium, and returned to the altar. She then removed a host, stated “the body of Christ,” and self-communicated. Then she took the ciborium and gave communion to the parishioners.

I know that communion services shouldn’t be a normal thing, especially during the week, especially where there are many other churches with daily Mass. Apparently the priests were on some sort of retreat and gone for a few days. But that’s not my question here.

My question is about the self-communication. Is the non-priest person who leads a communion service supposed to do this? I’ve read on this forum that EHMCs are not allowed to do this, but always the comments have been in the context of the Mass, and of course I cannot find the thread or post. Maybe I am remembering in error.

This woman may be a religious. Not sure if that changes things? It was difficult to tell, as she was in street (really, gym) clothes; tennis shoes and gray stretchy sweat pants, but I know that some non-habited older women religious are at this particular church. Or she may have been a lay person.

What are the rules about self-communication?

 

[zab]

No, a lay minister is not supposed to self-communicate

Redemtionis Sacramentum

2. Distribution of Holy Communion
[94.] It is not licit for the faithful “to take . . . by themselves . . . and, still less, to hand . . . from one to another” the sacred host or the sacred chalice.181] Moreover, in this regard, the abuse is to be set aside whereby spouses administer Holy Communion to each other at a Nuptial Mass.

3. Particular Celebrations carried out in the Absence of a Priest
…

[165.] It is necessary to avoid any sort of confusion between this type of gathering and the celebration of the Eucharist.[271] The diocesan Bishops, therefore, should prudently discern whether Holy Communion ought to be distributed in these gatherings. The matter would appropriately be determined in view of a more ample co-ordination in the Bishops’ Conference, to be put into effect after the recognitio of the acts by the Apostolic See through the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. It will be preferable, moreover, when both a Priest and a Deacon are absent, that the various parts be distributed among several faithful rather than having a single lay member of the faithful direct the whole celebration alone. Nor is it ever appropriate to refer to any member of the lay faithful as “presiding” over the celebration.

 

[bpbasilphx]

\My question is about the self-communication. Is the non-priest person who leads a communion service supposed to do this?\

**Then at a Communion Service/Celebration without a Priest, from whom WOULD the Leader receive Communion?

The rubrics barring EMHCs self-communicating refer to during Mass itself.

Whether Communion Services/Celebrations without a Priest are a good thing is for somenoe else to answer.

FWIW, In Orthodox Churches on Sundays and Feast Days when no Priest is present, it’s customary to celebrate Third and Sixth Hours, followed by Typica (which is basically the Liturgy of the Word with a few other prayers). Only if a Deacon is present does he give Communion from the Reserved GIfts.**

 

[John_Lilburne]

Here are the instructions from liturgical book “Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass”.

“30. After the prayer the minister goes to the place where the sacrament is reserved, takes the ciborium or pyx containing the body of the Lord, places it on the altar and genuflects.”

So, rather than a genuflection to Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle, it should be to the Blessed Sacrament when placed on the altar.

After the Lord’s Prayer, Sign of Peace, and “This is the Lamb of God …”, the instructions are:

“COMMUNION
33. If the minister receives communion, he says quietly:
**May the body of Christ bring me to everlasting life.
**He reverently consumes the body of Christ.”

The above was published (in Latin) in 1973. In 2004 the Instruction Redemptionis Sacrmantum introduced this:
“[165] … It will be preferable, moreover, when both a Priest and a Deacon are absent, that the various parts be distributed among several faithful rather than having a single lay member of the faithful direct the whole celebration alone. Nor is it ever appropriate to refer to any member of the lay faithful as “presiding” over the celebration.”

But my understanding is that no new edition of the liturgical book has been published, so there is no change to the rubic: “He reverently consumes the body of Christ.”

Reference: The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0.

 

[Monte_RCMS]

Some parishes don’t have enough priests and may have more than one church building. So, in order to serve the parishioners, an ordained Catholic deacon or one or more extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist may be requested and delegated by the pastor/bishop to do a communion service. It may be scheduled and /or prearranged and/ or it may be just a contingency in case there is no priest that day to say the Mass due to traffic or an emergency or illness. The EME does not have to be a religious. Can be any EME layperson who has been given the specific training and the consent/prior arrangement by the pastor/bishop. [You have to know about how to pick the assigned readings for that day, something which is not normally part of the EME routine duties. And also be familiar with a lot of the other proceedings and where everything is kept and put away. The “script” is laid out in advance and the EME has to know what it is for that day. Most EME’s are not comfortable unless they have been specifically trained. The EME will read the epistle and gospel, but may not give a homily and must avoid giving the impression that he or she is ordained. The offertory and consecration are not performed, but the Consecrated Host is elevated. In addition, the attendees may not know the specific responses if they have not been at a communion service before, so the EME will need to know how to say the responses slowly enough for the other attendees to pick up on it.]

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Yesterday morning, I went to a church in town (not my usual parish); a 7 a.m. Mass was on the schedule. It was a communion service instead; a woman led the service, standing behind the altar and reading prayers, etc… Nothing much out of the ordinary until the end. She went to the tabernacle (without genuflecting), retrieved a ciborium, and returned to the altar. She then removed a host, stated “the body of Christ,” and self-communicated. Then she took the ciborium and gave communion to the parishioners.

I know that communion services shouldn’t be a normal thing, especially during the week, especially where there are many other churches with daily Mass. Apparently the priests were on some sort of retreat and gone for a few days. But that’s not my question here.

My question is about the self-communication. Is the non-priest person who leads a communion service supposed to do this? I’ve read on this forum that EHMCs are not allowed to do this, but always the comments have been in the context of the Mass, and of course I cannot find the thread or post. Maybe I am remembering in error.

This woman may be a religious. Not sure if that changes things? It was difficult to tell, as she was in street (really, gym) clothes; tennis shoes and gray stretchy sweat pants, but I know that some non-habited older women religious are at this particular church. Or she may have been a lay person.

What are the rules about self-communication?

A Layperson who is leading a Communion Service in the absence of a priest would normally “self-communicate”. I would suspect that for some reason the priest that usually celebrates morning Mass forgot to tell someone that he would be on retreat, so there was not enough time to notify anyone that Mass was canceled.

 

[benedictgal]

Some parishes don’t have enough priests and may have more than one church building. So, in order to serve the parishioners, an ordained Catholic deacon or one or more extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist may be requested and delegated by the pastor/bishop to do a communion service. It may be scheduled and /or prearranged and/ or it may be just a contingency in case there is no priest that day to say the Mass due to traffic or an emergency or illness. The EME does not have to be a religious. Can be any EME layperson who has been given the specific training and the consent/prior arrangement by the pastor/bishop. [You have to know about how to pick the assigned readings for that day, something which is not normally part of the EME routine duties. And also be familiar with a lot of the other proceedings and where everything is kept and put away. The “script” is laid out in advance and the EME has to know what it is for that day. Most EME’s are not comfortable unless they have been specifically trained. The EME will read the epistle and gospel, but may not give a homily and must avoid giving the impression that he or she is ordained. The offertory and consecration are not performed, but the Consecrated Host is elevated. In addition, the attendees may not know the specific responses if they have not been at a communion service before, so the EME will need to know how to say the responses slowly enough for the other attendees to pick up on it.]

First of all, we need to get the terminology correct. The correct term is Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Please note what Redemptionis Sacramentum says:

[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.

Second, these “communion services” should not be happening during the week. Please note what Redemptionis Sacramentum states:

[166.] Likewise, especially if Holy Communion is distributed during such celebrations, the diocesan Bishop, to whose exclusive competence this matter pertains, must not easily grant permission for such celebrations to be held on weekdays, especially in places where it was possible or would be possible to have the celebration of Mass on the preceding or the following Sunday. Priests are therefore earnestly requested to celebrate Mass daily for the people in one of the churches entrusted to their care.

Now, regarding the actual rubrics, please read the Directory for Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest. You can find it by following this link:

catholicliturgy.com/texts/absence.txt

Inasmuch as the OP referred to “self-communication”, what John posted is correct and logical. The person conducting this part of the service consumes the Host. There is no way around that. Since it is not done within the context of the Mass, we cannot say that this is self-communicating. If that were the case, then, one could make the argument that a deacon leading this service is also self-communicating (something that he does not do during the actual Mass).

Just the same, it is important that we use the terminology requested and required by the Church.

 

[zab]

The following is an exerpt from Zenit Daily Dispatch from Rome in 2004
ewtn.com/Library/Liturgy/zlitur57.htm

*… the extraordinary ministers of holy Communion should always receive the sacred vessels from the priest. And so the natural order of things would be that they also normally receive Communion from him before receiving the vessels. *

*Even if, for some just cause, they do not receive Communion directly from the priest, they must always receive through some minister and may never communicate themselves. *

*Follow up: ***Both the deacon and the lay extraordinary minister of Communion may communicate themselves if called upon to distribute Communion outside of Mass and if they have no other opportunity to receive Communion at Mass during the day.
**

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

The following is an exerpt from Zenit Daily Dispatch from Rome in 2004
ewtn.com/Library/Liturgy/zlitur57.htm

*… the extraordinary ministers of holy Communion should always receive the sacred vessels from the priest. And so the natural order of things would be that they also normally receive Communion from him before receiving the vessels. *

*Even if, for some just cause, they do not receive Communion directly from the priest, they must always receive through some minister and may never communicate themselves. *

*Follow up: ***Both the deacon and the lay extraordinary minister of Communion may communicate themselves if called upon to distribute Communion outside of Mass and if they have no other opportunity to receive Communion at Mass during the day. **

In addition the person conducting the Communion Service does not necessarly have to receibe Holy Communion themselves, unlike a priest celebrating Mass must receive under both forms.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

When we have a Communion service an EMHC usually comes forward to help with distributing Communion. He and the leader give Communion to each other; so there is no need for self communicating.

 

[Ghirardelli]

…What are the rules about self-communication?

Rather than guess or rely on local customs let me quote from the actual ritual for Holy Communion Outside of Mass from the Church:

1. The minister genuflects. Taking the host, he raises it slightly over the vessel or pyx and, facing the people says:

This is the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.
Happy are those who are called to his supper.

The communicants say once:

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word and I shall be healed.

1. If the minister received communion, he says quietly:

May the body of Christ being me to everlasting life.

He reverently consumes the body of Christ.

1. Then he takes the vessel or pyx and goes to the communicants. He takes a host for each one, raises it slightly, and says:

The Body of Christ…

 

[Ghirardelli]

Here are the instructions from liturgical book “Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass”.

“30. After the prayer the minister goes to the place where the sacrament is reserved, takes the ciborium or pyx containing the body of the Lord, places it on the altar and genuflects.”

It would also be very proper to genuflect (or bow if unable to genuflect) upon removing the Blessed Sacrament from repose whether or not the ritual explicitly says to or not.

 

[Ghirardelli]

When we have a Communion service an EMHC usually comes forward to help with distributing Communion. He and the leader give Communion to each other; so there is no need for self communicating.

Why don’t they follow the official rite instead?

 

[GwenL]

Thanks for all of your answers!

This was not a last minute “priest was ill and didn’t show up” sort of thing. I learned after the service that it was scheduled in the bulletin as a communion service, due to the priests’ planned absence at a retreat. It was listed as a Mass on the website, which I now know is not kept up to date! BTW, there are at least three other churches within a two mile radius that have daily mass, one at the exact same time. And this church had a daily mass on Monday and another scheduled for Friday.

The person conducting the communion service never genuflected, nor did she elevate the host. At least she didn’t say parts of the Eucharistic prayer, which I have observed at a communion service at our parish. But I gather that the self-communication really isn’t such, since it’s outside the Mass.

 

[Ghirardelli]

Thanks for all of your answers!

This was not a last minute “priest was ill and didn’t show up” sort of thing. I learned after the service that it was scheduled in the bulletin as a communion service, due to the priests’ planned absence at a retreat. It was listed as a Mass on the website, which I now know is not kept up to date! BTW, there are at least three other churches within a two mile radius that have daily mass, one at the exact same time. And this church had a daily mass on Monday and another scheduled for Friday.

The person conducting the communion service never genuflected, nor did she elevate the host. At least she didn’t say parts of the Eucharistic prayer, which I have observed at a communion service at our parish. But I gather that the self-communication really isn’t such, since it’s outside the Mass.

And that is OK as long as your bishop approves. When I conduct a communion service I announce when the next Mass is being celebrated at the closest parish.

 

[CDNowak]

And that is OK as long as your bishop approves. When I conduct a communion service I announce when the next Mass is being celebrated at the closest parish.

No, because the bishop does not have the authority to overrule RS, as already quoted by benedictgirl.

 

[zab]

No, because the bishop does not have the authority to overrule RS, as already quoted by benedictgirl.

Actually the bishop does have the authority to determine if Communion Services are appropriate to be celebrated during the weekday but he must not grant these “with ease”
From Redemtionis Sacramentum:

*In fact, “Redemptionis Sacramentum” sees a Communion service guided by extraordinary ministers mostly as an exceptional solution to the lack of clergy on a Sunday: *

*Thus No. 164 states: “‘If participation at the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible on account of the absence of a sacred minister or for some other grave cause,’ then it is the Christian people’s right that the diocesan Bishop should provide as far as he is able for some celebration to be held on Sundays for that community under his authority and according to the Church’s norms. Sunday celebrations of this specific kind, however, are to be considered altogether extraordinary.All Deacons or lay members of Christ’s faithful who are assigned a part in such celebrations by the diocesan Bishop should strive 'to keep alive in the community a genuine “hunger” for the Eucharist, so that no opportunity for the celebration of Mass will ever be missed, also taking advantage of the occasional presence of a Priest who is not impeded by Church law from celebrating Mass.’” *

***Therefore, in order to hold a daily Communion service guided by lay ministers, express permission is required from the bishop, who is encouraged not to grant it with ease. ***

 

[benedictgal]

No, because the bishop does not have the authority to overrule RS, as already quoted by benedictgirl.

Let’s get some clarification to what I posted:

the diocesan Bishop, to whose exclusive competence this matter pertains, must not easily grant permission for such celebrations to be held on weekdays, especially in places where it was possible or would be possible to have the celebration of Mass on the preceding or the following Sunday.

RS states that while it is the diocesan Bishop’s exclusive competency in this matter, he must not easily grant permission for these celebrations to occur, especially when it is possible to have Mass on the previous or the next Sunday.

A priest’s day-off is not, as I would see it, sufficient cause to justify a communion service, since Mass is celebrated throughout the rest of the week, inclusive of Sunday.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

When we have a Communion service an EMHC usually comes forward to help with distributing Communion. He and the leader give Communion to each other; so there is no need for self communicating.

Execelent option

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Thanks for all of your answers!

This was not a last minute “priest was ill and didn’t show up” sort of thing. I learned after the service that it was scheduled in the bulletin as a communion service, due to the priests’ planned absence at a retreat. It was listed as a Mass on the website, which I now know is not kept up to date! BTW, there are at least three other churches within a two mile radius that have daily mass, one at the exact same time. And this church had a daily mass on Monday and another scheduled for Friday.

The person conducting the communion service never genuflected, nor did she elevate the host. At least she didn’t say parts of the Eucharistic prayer, which I have observed at a communion service at our parish. But I gather that the self-communication really isn’t such, since it’s outside the Mass.

There appears to have been no need for this Communion Service.