Congregation standing in a circle around the altar

[verdantmemories]

The Catholic Mass at my college always includes a part where the students all stand around the altar in a circle during the Eucharistic Prayer, and then give each other communion in a circle, rather than having an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. I’m looking for a document that would state whether this is valid or not, I couldn’t find the answer in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal.

 

[benedictgal]

The Catholic Mass at my college always includes a part where the students all stand around the altar in a circle during the Eucharistic Prayer, and then give each other communion in a circle, rather than having an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. I’m looking for a document that would state whether this is valid or not, I couldn’t find the answer in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal.

This is highly ilicit. Redemptionis Sacramentum addresses the issue:

[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.

I hope this helps.

 

[verdantmemories]

What about standing around the altar?

 

[NewsTheMan]

What about standing around the altar?

Not sure what you mean - do you mean they stand around the sanctuary or…? Be specific

 

[promethius]

The Catholic Mass at my college always includes a part where the students all stand around the altar in a circle during the Eucharistic Prayer, and then give each other communion in a circle, rather than having an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. I’m looking for a document that would state whether this is valid or not, I couldn’t find the answer in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal.

As Benedict Gal said, the practice is illicit because we are forbidden from administering the Sacrament by giving it to ourselves or by passing it between lay persons. The GIRM Adaptation that the USCCB Posted states:

160. The Priest then takes the paten or ciborium and approaches the communicants, who usually come up in procession.
It is not permitted for the faithful to take the consecrated Bread or the sacred chalice by themselves and, still less, to hand them on from one to another among themselves. The norm established for the Dioceses of the United States of America is that Holy Communion is to be received standing, unless an individual member of the faithful wishes to receive Communion while kneeling (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction, Redemptionis Sacramentum, March 25, 2004, no. 91).
usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/roman-missal/general-instruction-of-the-roman-missal/girm-chapter-4.cfm

It appears that standing in a circle around the altar is not STRICTLY forbidden, depending on the circumstances. If it occurs prior to the time appropriate for procession, it would appear to be illicit, as noted in this writing:
ewtn.com/expert/answers/non-ordained.htm

However, the GIRM only states that the USUAL method of approaching communion is a standard procession (for the laity). That does not rule out processing forward into a circle and the priest then distributing the Eucharist in that manner.

 

[benedictgal]

What about standing around the altar?

While this section from the GIRM addresses the issue of seating, I think it shows a clear differentiation between where the celebrant is and where the faithful are:

The Chair for the Priest Celebrant and Other Seats

1. The chair of the Priest Celebrant must signify his function of presiding over the gathering and of directing the prayer. Thus the more suitable place for the chair is facing the people at the head of the sanctuary, unless the design of the building or other features prevent this: as, for example, if on account of too great a distance, communication between the Priest and the congregation would be difficult, or if the tabernacle were to be positioned in the center behind the altar. In any case, any appearance of a throne is to be avoided.[118] It is appropriate that before being put into liturgical use, the chair be blessed according to the rite described in the Roman Ritual.[119]

Likewise, seats should be arranged in the sanctuary for concelebrating Priests as well as for Priests who are present at the celebration in choir dress but without concelebrating.

The seat for the Deacon should be placed near that of the celebrant. For the other ministers seats should be arranged so that they are clearly distinguishable from seats for the clergy and so that the ministers are easily able to carry out the function entrusted to them.[120]

III. The Arrangement of the Church

The Places for the Faithful

1. Places for the faithful should be arranged with appropriate care so that they are able to participate in the sacred celebrations, duly following them with their eyes and their attention. It is desirable that benches or seating usually should be provided for their use. However, the custom of reserving seats for private persons is to be reprobated.[121] Moreover, benches or seating should be so arranged, especially in newly built churches, that the faithful can easily take up the bodily postures required for the different parts of the celebration and can have easy access for the reception of Holy Communion.

Care should be taken to ensure that the faithful be able not only to see the Priest, the Deacon, and the readers but also, with the aid of modern technical means, to hear them without difficulty.

This next quote comes from the September 2004 edition of the Adoremus Bulletin:

Life Teen’s Liturgical Reform
Life Teen, the Phoenix-based Catholic youth organization, announced in July that it will cease its idiosyncratic liturgical practices. Monsignor Dale Fushek, Life Teen’s founder and former Vicar General under Bishop Thomas O’Brien, sent a letter July 2, saying that he confirms “our adherence to the new GIRM, and as always, our obedience to our own local Bishops”.

The letter asked that “all parishes that implement the LIFE TEEN model” make these changes. The teens will no longer surround the altar during the Eucharistic prayer; they will cease saying, “The Mass never ends, it must be lived”, at the end of Mass; the rock-party atmosphere before Mass will be toned down to “make sure there is a period of silence to begin the liturgical celebration”; and they will “make sure the music does not in any way detract from the action at the altar, ambo or chair”.

“I am sure these issues will be hard on some parishes and teens”, Monsignor Fushek wrote. His letter said that Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted met in Rome with Cardinal Francis Arinze, of the Congregation for Divine Worship, about Life Teen.

I hope this helps.

 

[eegardner]

The Catholic Mass at my college always includes a part where the students all stand around the altar in a circle during the Eucharistic Prayer, and then give each other communion in a circle, rather than having an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. I’m looking for a document that would state whether this is valid or not, I couldn’t find the answer in the General Instructions of the Roman Missal.

This is very wrong. If it continues, I would suggest contacting the Bishop.

 

[Julia_Mae]

That does not rule out processing forward into a circle and the priest then distributing the Eucharist in that manner.

I was at a Mass once where the priest had us do this, in a small chapel on the Archdiocese of Denver campus. He distributed the Eucharist to us each, though. It was a charismatic Mass, not too weird except for that, which I thought was unusual but not all that strange.