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SummaTheo
Guest
Who here has been to a communion service??? What is it like?? I have only heard of it and never been to one. Do they do them because there are not enough priests or the priests are too lazy???
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ncjohn
Guest
I actually led Communion Services in our parish for a couple years on days when the priest was out of town on his “day off” or on vacation. To the best of my knowledge, there is not a set form and it is under the jurisdiction of the local bishop and the approval/supervision of the parish priest.
Ours took the form of: entrance antiphon; confiteor or “Lord Have Mercy” depending on the intention of the day; the readings for the day; sometimes a “meditation” from a pre-approved source such as Word Among Us or Magnificat; prayers of the faithful; the Lord’s Prayer; distribution of Communion; the prayer after communion; and a “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.”
The only controversy I’ve encountered is that in some areas the person “leading” the communion services compose their own meditations, which generates concern about whether you have an unapproved person giving what is essentially a “homily” although by definition it is not one since it is not in the context of a mass.
While certainly not a substitute for a mass, and not acceptable if a priest is available or present, it is a meaningful way of being able to participate in daily communion in small parishes like ours where there is only one priest and no other parish in reasonable distance, or in remote places where priests are not available on a regular basis.
To me the key issue to to have someone who has been trained to do it and enough control to prevent confusion either as to the role of the leader or any information passed on in the form of “meditation.”
Peace,
John
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Deacon_Ed
Guest
I, too, have led communion services during the period when our priests are on retreat. It has nothing to do with priests being lazy – just not available.
BTW, there is a set form – either the Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest (SCAP) or the older form Rite of Distributing Holy Communion Outside Mass with the Celebration of the Word.
Deacon Ed
BTW, there is a set form – either the Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest (SCAP) or the older form Rite of Distributing Holy Communion Outside Mass with the Celebration of the Word.
Deacon Ed
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ncjohn
Guest
Deacon Ed:
Does it differ when a deacon does it rather than a lay person? Obviously the deacon is authorized to “preach” so the meditiation form might be different, but is there anything beyond that?
Thanks for that info. I was handed the outline for what to do by our priest at the time, without really knowing where it came from. Since it was a handwritten outline, I just kind of made the assumption that it didn’t come from a set form.
Does it differ when a deacon does it rather than a lay person? Obviously the deacon is authorized to “preach” so the meditiation form might be different, but is there anything beyond that?
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SummaTheo
Guest
Thanks for all the info. The reason why I asked is because I heard once this priest in a parish was lazy and would not even say weekly mass. What he did was he said mass once a month a consecrated a ton of hosts so they could have communion services each week. I was shocked. It so sad some of these areas have so few priest. Where I live there is about a church every 2-3 miles and about 2-3 priest in each parish.
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ncjohn
Guest
I used to live in a south Florida area where it was like that, basically a “church on every corner.” Where I am now that is still true, it’s just that none of them are Catholic. If you go back a little ways in time, we didn’t even average a Catholic every 2-3 miles. The next closest parish to ours is about a half hour and there are several within 45 minutes to an hour. We have one priest, who has at times also had to serve a couple “mission churches”.
With a little luck, you’ll never need to experience communion services, although I have to say they’re sure better than not having anything available.
Peace,
John
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Deacon_Ed
Guest
Yes, the deacon may preach, and he gives a blessing at the end.
Deacon Ed
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pnewton
Guest
The only communion services I have attended has been when the priest has had a sudden illness and unable to make Mass. This has only happened during the week. We have a rather tough priest who runs miles every day, says 5 Masses every weekend and battles with epilepsy. He has a better work ethic than most people I know
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vegpotter
Guest
This isn’t laziness–it’s a lack of priests to fill all the parishes. Not all of us have multiple priests in residence in our parish and another church a mile away if we decide we don’t like the first. We have a communion service one day a week b/c our priest needs a day off–we’re the only Catholic church in the county, so he’s busy!
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system
Guest
In my parrish, we have 2 priests to about 3,000 parrishoners. There are times when we have to have communion services.
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alterserver_07
Guest
I would rather go to Mass because it is so much more fullfilling, but in emergencys or lack of priest, I will go to one, but only if there isn’t a parish nearby with a Mass going on.
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BigPaulie
Guest
Dear Deacon Ed,
The substitute priest assigned to our parish failed to show up for mass this weekend (our pastor is on vacation). The choir directress and the lectress announced that we would have something called a “Praise and Worship Service” and the Eucharist would be distibuted by extraordinary ministers. The choir directress said this “service” would fulfill our weekly obligation. No Deacon or Priests were present.
Question : Can a lector, extraordinary ministers and or lay people lead a valid “Communion Service” without a Priest or Deacon present? Without a Deacon or Priest present who should approach the Tabernacle??
And would this service fulfill a persons Sunday obligation for Mass?
God Bless, Big Paulie
The substitute priest assigned to our parish failed to show up for mass this weekend (our pastor is on vacation). The choir directress and the lectress announced that we would have something called a “Praise and Worship Service” and the Eucharist would be distibuted by extraordinary ministers. The choir directress said this “service” would fulfill our weekly obligation. No Deacon or Priests were present.
Question : Can a lector, extraordinary ministers and or lay people lead a valid “Communion Service” without a Priest or Deacon present? Without a Deacon or Priest present who should approach the Tabernacle??
And would this service fulfill a persons Sunday obligation for Mass?
God Bless, Big Paulie
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Deacon_Ed
Guest
First, let’s address the issue of “obligation.” If there were no priest available, and no Mass that one could reasonably be expected to get to the obligation ceases to exist. That is, the Church never obliges that which is not possible.
So, assuming that there was no other Mass available to you there was no obligation. A communion service, however, is certainly an acceptable option. Such a service is normally led by a deacon but may be led by a lay person who is so delegated by the bishop or, in very unusual circumstances, by the pastor (assuming the bishop has granted him this faculty).
Approaching the tabernacle is normally the function of the ordained (bishop, priest or deacon). However, in there absence (or should they be impaired) an EMHC (Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion) may certainly go to the tabernacle, especially in such a case as you describe.
So, it sounds like the solution that was taken was the best possible under the circumstances.
Deacon Ed
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BigPaulie
Guest
Deacon Ed:
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Deacon_Tony560
Guest
Deacon Ed put it well, but what had me confused was the term, “Praise and Worship Service…” We call this a SCAP-Sunday Celebration in Absence of a Priest.
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Deacon_Ed
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Deacon_Ed
Guest
Deacon Tony560:
I suspect the term “praise and worship service” was simply something they used for the congregation. Many places in the country are not yet familiar with SCAP. It sounds, however, like that’s exactly what they did.
Deacon Ed
Deacon Tony,
I suspect the term “praise and worship service” was simply something they used for the congregation. Many places in the country are not yet familiar with SCAP. It sounds, however, like that’s exactly what they did.
Deacon Ed
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BigPaulie
Guest
I thank both Deacon Ed and Deacon Tony for taking the time to answer my question. I think all of you Deacons are top notch. Thank God for the permenant Deaconate.
God Bless you, BigPaulie :tiphat:
God Bless you, BigPaulie :tiphat:
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Deacon_Tony560
Guest
Thank you for taking an interest in the faith. There are so may that are just going through the motions unaware that we are called to be in love with the Lord Jesus and to seek a very personal union with him. (Eucharist)
Deacon Tony
Deacon Tony
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grammyof3
Guest
The first Communion Service that I attended I thought I was going to weekday Mass. I was in an area where I had lived for almost 30 years prior to being way for the last two years. There were no lights in the beautiful large church. I followed the few others arriving in the parking lot to the rear of the church. I thought “Oh they must have a new chapel”. They had created a little chapel with a small alter in a corner,created from a portion of the room behind the alter in the large church.
I thought it was odd there were no Missals in the pews. A lady stood at a pulpit and read morning prayers. Then a gentleman ( no sash or Deacon garb) I assume he was a Eucharistic Minister. He read the Gospel and then he served preconsecrated Hosts which he took from the tabernacle. It seemed so strange to see someone do that dressed in street clothes.
I was so upset because it became suddenly obvious to me that this was what weekday Mass in The church had come down to. I had tears streaming down my cheeks as I received communion. They probably all thought I was a nut case.
I had gone to that church because it was the larger one in the area, 20 minutes from my old home. In my home town the parish is now served by a priest who has three parishes .There is now only one week day Mass and starting next week we are down to one weekend Mass. They will rotate on a 3 month schedule with another church to have a Vigil Mass. We had a nice large church complex with a church, chapel, rectory and a hall. The rectory is now vacant and the church is locked except for the weekend Mass. The chapel is open until noon when there is a secretary there.
No one lights the votive candles any more because they are only lit for the one hour that the church is open.
I thought it was odd there were no Missals in the pews. A lady stood at a pulpit and read morning prayers. Then a gentleman ( no sash or Deacon garb) I assume he was a Eucharistic Minister. He read the Gospel and then he served preconsecrated Hosts which he took from the tabernacle. It seemed so strange to see someone do that dressed in street clothes.
I was so upset because it became suddenly obvious to me that this was what weekday Mass in The church had come down to. I had tears streaming down my cheeks as I received communion. They probably all thought I was a nut case.
I had gone to that church because it was the larger one in the area, 20 minutes from my old home. In my home town the parish is now served by a priest who has three parishes .There is now only one week day Mass and starting next week we are down to one weekend Mass. They will rotate on a 3 month schedule with another church to have a Vigil Mass. We had a nice large church complex with a church, chapel, rectory and a hall. The rectory is now vacant and the church is locked except for the weekend Mass. The chapel is open until noon when there is a secretary there.
No one lights the votive candles any more because they are only lit for the one hour that the church is open.
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