Consecrated Host Dropped

[T700]

While waiting to go forward to receive communion today, I saw a man attempt to receive in the hand. Not sure the exact mechanism, but the consecrated host fell to the floor. The communicant simply pushed it aside with his shoe, scooped it up, and consumed it. There was no reaction from the EMHC and people proceeded to walk right across where our Lord fell.

To say I was stunned is an understatement. Even in the Anglican church from which I came, this would have caused all movement to stop, the priest or deacon would have gathered up the fallen host and any visible particles, covered the area with a cloth, and after the mass, thoroughly and reverently cleaned the spot.

Having converted this Easter past, I am still in RCIA until Pentecost. I asked the instructors about this and they agreed that it was unfortunate, but they saw no real problem with the handling of it.

My heart still breaks for even the unintentional desecration of our Lord. It has certainly reaffirmed my decision to only receive on the tongue. I simply don’t want to increase, however slightly, the chance of something like that happening on my watch.

My question to my brothers and sisters with more experience in the faith, what should have I done; anything? Should I speak to the pastor about this? Do nothing but pray?

Paul

 

[Philomeena]

If the person scooped it up and consumed it right then and there, that was the best possible scenario. Were there crumbs on the ground? I am not really sure what has you so upset.
I can understand if consecrated wine spilled-it would be necessary to cover the area respectfully and protect it until it can be roperly taken care of—but in this case a hard host fell and was consumed immediately.

 

[stuart12]

The problem is not just that the Sacred Host fell to the ground but that it was pushed aside by someone’s foot. What irreverence for the greatest treasure the Church has!

The Host should be received on the tongue with the paten placed underneath the chin, therefore we wouldn’t have any of these ‘incidents’.

 

[Philomeena]

Yeah-My brain glazed over the shoving the host with the shoe-I must have repressed that-I don’t understand why that step was taken-better to have just bent down and picked it up.

 

[ljubim]

!!! WHAT? How awful! Talk to your priest asap, this is disturbing…

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in Tabernacles throughout the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.

 

[JerrySeibert]

I am unsure of what to be upset most about. One that someone would take a shoe to Jesus. Or that some people are so ill learned of their own faith that they have to repeatedly ask this question in so many forums. Sorry, but that is my opinion.
There are so many different books by very astute authors that discuss these desecrations and what one must do if witnessed. And it seems so many do not have enought time to read them

 

[T700]

I am unsure of what to be upset most about. One that someone would take a shoe to Jesus. Or that some people are so ill learned of their own faith that they have to repeatedly ask this question in so many forums. Sorry, but that is my opinion.
There are so many different books by very astute authors that discuss these desecrations and what one must do if witnessed. And it seems so many do not have enought time to read them

Apologies, Jerry. I’m new to the Roman Catholic faith. I would have known what to do in the Anglican church. Could you point me to one of those books that explains the proper course of action?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[revert_jen]

There are so many different books by very astute authors that discuss these desecrations and what one must do if witnessed. And it seems so many do not have enought time to read them

In the 2000-year history of the Church, there have been probably millions of books written. I think we could let someone be a Catholic for at least a year or so before we expect them to have read them all.

One of the advantages of the types of hosts we have (versus bread cubes or something) is that they are not prone to have visible particles come off of them. Obviously, nobody should ever take their shoe to our precious Lord. But consuming the Host is the right thing to do for sure.

Unfortunately, I have been a Catholic since I was a few weeks old, and I haven’t read any of the books that tell you what to do either. Plus it’s hard to know sometimes whether a book has the official answer, or just someone’s own idea. So I can’t get more specific.

–Jen

 

[Newbie2]

The Host should be received on the tongue with the paten placed underneath the chin, therefore we wouldn’t have any of these ‘incidents’.

Um…seeing how the altar servers thrust the paten under the communicant’s chin in my experience is almost like having no paten there at all. I’ve never seen a host dropped this way, but my senses tell me that many a host would bounce off onto the floor when dropped, even if COTH and a paten were used every time, every where.

Key here is reverence and respect. Accidents happen, even with the best intentions.

 

[WetCatechumen]

While waiting to go forward to receive communion today, I saw a man attempt to receive in the hand. Not sure the exact mechanism, but the consecrated host fell to the floor. The communicant simply pushed it aside with his shoe, scooped it up, and consumed it. There was no reaction from the EMHC and people proceeded to walk right across where our Lord fell.

To say I was stunned is an understatement. Even in the Anglican church from which I came, this would have caused all movement to stop, the priest or deacon would have gathered up the fallen host and any visible particles, covered the area with a cloth, and after the mass, thoroughly and reverently cleaned the spot.

Having converted this Easter past, I am still in RCIA until Pentecost. I asked the instructors about this and they agreed that it was unfortunate, but they saw no real problem with the handling of it.

My heart still breaks for even the unintentional desecration of our Lord. It has certainly reaffirmed my decision to only receive on the tongue. I simply don’t want to increase, however slightly, the chance of something like that happening on my watch.

My question to my brothers and sisters with more experience in the faith, what should have I done; anything? Should I speak to the pastor about this? Do nothing but pray?

Paul

Hi Paul,

I was received into the church this past Christmas, and I am also named Paul. Congratulations!

I also saw the same thing happen this Lent, except the person in front of me was received communion on the tongue. I knelt in Mass while 15 or so people trampled the spot where the Host fell. It was horrific. A five foot drop on tile and you’re telling me there aren’t fragments? Not likely.

Five priests at that Mass. All Dominicans, too. Only 20 or so people at that Mass as well.

 

[OraLabora]

It happened to me at Mass last month, when I was singing with the choir. When I went to communion (I receive in the hand), the EMHC put the host in my hand, but when he pulled his away the host stayed stuck to his finger and then sailed to the floor. I simply picked it up and consumed it immediately for which the EMHC thanked me profusely.

Based on the texture of the Host, I doubt any particles remained on the floor.

 

[OraLabora]

The Host should be received on the tongue with the paten placed underneath the chin, therefore we wouldn’t have any of these ‘incidents’.

Maybe.

I also saw the same thing happen this Lent, except the person in front of me was received communion on the tongue.

Then maybe not.

 

[Cristiano]

The problem is not just that the Sacred Host fell to the ground but that it was pushed aside by someone’s foot. What irreverence for the greatest treasure the Church has!..

You are absolutely correct! To me that it is an indication on the lack of belief of true presence.

…The Host should be received on the tongue with the paten placed underneath the chin, therefore we wouldn’t have any of these ‘incidents’.

That is not correct. I have seen accidents happening with COTT and paten. It happened to me and the host flew between my body and my folded elbow. I think that rushing is probably one of the big contributors to the issue.

 

[Monica4316]

wow that is very sad I think if a consecrated Host is dropped, the priest should pick it up and consume it, and people shouldn’t walk over the spot where it was dropped this is why I receive on the tongue, and prefer the Latin Mass where everyone receives kneeling and with a paten.

 

[WetCatechumen]

Maybe.

Then maybe not.

It was at a hippie parish that doesn’t use patens. Or gold chalices or ciboria. They have five or six priests in residence, yet at a Mass with ~200 people, they use at least eight EMHC’s every time.

They don’t use altar servers at the student Mass either, actually.

 

[Philomeena]

A Hippie Parish? What is that?

Again, if there were no particles on the floor, what is everyone so upset about? (Yes, the shoving with the shoe was uncalled for, but once the host was retreived and consumed and if there were no particles, what is the problem?)

 

[thomas_jd]

Um…seeing how the altar servers thrust the paten under the communicant’s chin in my experience is almost like having no paten there at all. I’ve never seen a host dropped this way, but my senses tell me that many a host would bounce off onto the floor when dropped, even if COTH and a paten were used every time, every where.

Key here is reverence and respect. Accidents happen, even with the best intentions.

As a old altar server myself, I have seen a few hosts bounce off the paten.This has happened at the Communion rail as well as from the standing position of the priest.
You are correct accidents happen.

 

[ljubim]

A Hippie Parish? What is that?

Again, if there were no particles on the floor, what is everyone so upset about? (Yes, the shoving with the shoe was uncalled for, but once the host was retreived and consumed and if there were no particles, what is the problem?)

Old people with facial hair strum at the guitars like it’s 1969 And there are tambourines, lots and lots of tambourines. :banghead:

 

[Lormar]

I don’t know what I am more upset about - the apparent ignorance of sacrilege and desecration of some people or the way Our Lord is being treated.

Bring back the paten - ASAP.

Our Lord is truly present in the tiniest particle from the Sacred Host.

 

[WetCatechumen]

A Hippie Parish? What is that?

Again, if there were no particles on the floor, what is everyone so upset about? (Yes, the shoving with the shoe was uncalled for, but once the host was retreived and consumed and if there were no particles, what is the problem?)

It’s one of the sui iuris churches. The Hippie Rite was granted autocephaly in the 1960’s as part of the recommendation of the 17th document the Second Vatican Council, Spiritus Vaticani Secondi.

In order that those of the church who have at time been ungraciously called dissenters and heretics, a sui iuris rite is to be erected so that the most venerable tradition of the Missa Pholchae may be created. The Hippie Rite of the church has, unfortunately, at the hands of the curiae and the magisterium, been so thoroughly Latinized as to remove all differences between it and the Latin Rite.

Most especially, this Ordo Missa Pholchae will preserve the recent secularist denigration and irreverence of the Eucharist. As the Eastern churches maintain the tradition of leavened bread in their Eucharistic celebrations, the Hippie Rite will insure that nearly invalid matter such as gingerbread shall be used. The disuse of Latinizations such as patens, chalices and ciboria made of precious metals, and altars are recommended.

The presbyterate of the Rite shall be delatinized. Clergy, while still technically required to be celibate, shall be encouraged to explore their sexuality in whatever way they find most meaningful. The Hippie Rite has long sought to remove the difference between clergy and laity, and therefore it is most expedient that the Latin innovation of the altar rail be removed, and that priests cease to be the ordinary ministers of communion.

The sacred music of the Hippie Rite is to be taken from the proud tradition of Cantae Pholchae, which was preserved in the misunderstood restorations of early Christianity in the 19th Century United States. Most especially, the song “Lord of the Dance” is to sung liturgically at least once annually, if not more.

The Hippie Rite has long maintained its position at the forefront of moral theology. The Latin Church, long known for its rigidity, has failed to allow the full expression of opinion that the Hippie Rite will restore. Issues debated in the Eastern Churches such as contraception shall be decided by the laity at their own discretion, and the licitness of homosexuality is to be reviewed.

Therefore, this council recommends at once the recognition of the rights and privileges of this emerging rite of the church.