Dipping the Eucharist into the Chalice

[SPONP4US]

Today, and not for the first time, I saw someone in the Holy Communion procession (a member of the leity, an old woman about 70) take the Eucharistic Christ in hand, and proceed to approach the chalice, dip him into into the Chalice and then I think she took it back to her seat (with a rather impressed look on her face) to recive as I didn’t see her consume it afterwards. Or maybe she passed it someone else, I couldn’t see.

I know that only a priest should be doing this. I admit (and may have to go confess this as a venial slip up) my blood pressure probrbaly shot right up for a few minutes, and I felt a shallow rage building up inside me. I felt like becoming the “Communion” police and giving her a peice of my mind after then mass. I then saw sense and let it go. But I wonder how this whole idea of it being ok, started and continues to this day?

Is there anything I can do? like write an email to the priest that maybe he could highlight this in his newsletter? Or perhaps invite people for a refresher discussion on communion protocol?

It’s bad enough people reach out like desperate beggars to take Communion on the hand, without people fumbling about like this with the precious body and blood of our Lord.

It saddens me, I can ignore it once or twice but the more I see it the more I want to either explode (driving them out into the church Car Park having first fashioned a whip from my own trousers) or simply weep in the pew at the sight of such things going on Infront of me.

Anyone else seeing this happen? Or do I happened to be attending Churches with the global majority of uneducated Catholic parishioners? I am trying hard not to despair but … It isn’t easy.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’ve never seen anyone self-intinct and I would think/ hope most EMHCs are trained to cover the chalice or otherwise prevent it from happening.

Why did you or someone else not chase down the elderly lady?

 

[SPONP4US]

How do you mean Chase her? If you mean intervene, it was already too late she had done it and that was that. I am also a member of the congregation, it isn’t my place to be correcting people, but it was hard not to as I mentioned. I also pray after mass and often people have left, so i was unable to even track her down afterwards and politely mention it. But again, doing so seems rather like I am imposing in something which really isn’t my place to do so.

The ministers did nothing , I think the majority of them have no idea what they are doing most of the time. I’ve never ever seen one Minster receive on the tongue, I’ve seen them waving the host blessing people and all sorts of madness here. But no they happily extended the cup and let her do what she pleased.

P.S I forgot to mention, this isn’t just happening in one Church, it happens at the Cathedral masses in my city too.

 

[Irishmom2]

It’s bad enough people reach out like desperate beggars to take Communion on the hand,

What do you mean by this? Communion in the hand is allowed.

 

[Cruciferi]

Is there anything I can do?

You should be speaking with the Parish Priest concerning this matter.

but the more I see it the more I want to either explode (driving them out into the church Car Park having first fashioned a whip from my own trousers)

No, theatrics like that will get you arrested. Please, stop dwelling on this and speak to the Priest.

P.S I forgot to mention, this isn’t just happening in one Church, it happens at the Cathedral masses in my city too.

I’m finding it hard to believe that the entire Diocese is rife with self-intinction.

 

[SPONP4US]

I’m finding it hard to believe that the entire Diocese is rife with self-intinction.

That isn’t what I said friend. It is the 2nd or 3rd time I’ve noticed it (in less than a year) but also taking into account I may have not noticed it other occasions it is happening once too often. The point remains, rife or not, ONCE reslly is far too often.

You should re read my post if you sttuggle to believe the truth of what I’ve said. Your advice is valid though, I may have to discuss with the Priest(s) where I have seen it happening (on more than one occasion).

 

[SPONP4US]

No, theatrics like that will get you arrested. Please, stop dwelling on this and speak to the Priest

There is always one person isn’t there? This is the part you actually should have found hard to believe. It was a joke !

 

[DeniseNY]

You should re read my post if you sttuggle to believe the truth of what I’ve said. Your advice is valid though, I may have to discuss with the Priest(s) where I have seen it happening (on more than one occasion).

You may have to discuss it? If you’ve seen it happen more than once, why are you not already speaking to someone about it?

 

[SPONP4US]

I only found out it was not allowed, except by a priest, a few days ago on an unrelated CAF thread.

I mentioned I’d seen it happen by someone who was not a priest then, and lo and behold today (which is now yesterday) it happened again at Mass. This time I actually paid attention to it, as I’d hoped the previous time(s) where an exception since the person doing it last time was a very young female. This time an older Lady.

I will try and get five minutes with the priest of today’s mass. I hope he too doesn’t find it hard to believe like some people here as I’m not going to get anywhere

I don’t want to have to start filming mass on my phone just to prove what I’ve seen with my own eyes to people I could barely believe what I was seeing too, being honest.

 

[SPONP4US]

I think it’s as good as being a closed thread now anyway. Thank you everyone for your contributions.

God bless

 

[Katherine438]

I will pray for this lady, as this is the prayer forum.

 

[Phemie]

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Some of us of a certain age have belonged to parishes where, for years, the only way to receive under both species was by doing what you saw that woman do. The option to drink from the chalice didn’t exist, you were directed to do self-intiction. Not everyone has received the memo that it’s forbidden to do this. And not every EMHC has been directed to prevent it.

I still see the occasional person doing it at our parish and the majority are new arrivals to our community. I suspect they, like I, belonged to parishes where this was the norm. Usually we put a notice in the bulletin once or twice a year to let people know it’s not allowed.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

Your advice is valid though, I may have to discuss with the Priest(s) where I have seen it happening (on more than one occasion).

A great idea. And, if your priest seems bothered by this, you could ask if he has ever considered a “guardian of the Eucharist” kind of program, and volunteer to help. Then it would be someone’s job to gently ask people to consume right away. If they refused it would then be their job to alert a clergyman so that he could go and correct the person right then.

We have guardians where I am, they frequently stop people from returning to the pew with Jesus in hand. I have seen one of our priests race out to the parking lot during mass to retrieve Jesus from someone who apparently planned to take him home. It’s unfortunate.

 

[Phemie]

We have guardians where I am, they frequently stop people from returning to the pew with Jesus in hand. I have seen one of our priests race out to the parking lot during mass to retrieve Jesus from someone who apparently planned to take him home. It’s unfortunate.

One EMHC in our parish was quite shocked, years ago, when she attempted to self-intinct at a parish outside our diocese and the EMHC there put her hand over the chalice to prevent it. At the time self- intinction was SOP in our parish but that came to a screeching halt when Redemptionis Sacramentum was promulgated.

 

[Rau]

The option to drink from the chalice didn’t exist, you were directed to do self-intiction. Not everyone has received the memo that it’s forbidden to do this.

For what reason is it (now) forbidden?

 

[jvickers]

For what reason is it (now) forbidden?

Likely to prevent spillage of the Precious Blood? Usually, you need a paten in order to protect from spillage of the Precious Blood.

 

[1ke]

Is there anything I can do?

I suggest you TALK to the priest, explain that you saw a woman not only intinct but also fail to consume the host and return to her seat with it.

The priest needs to train the EMHCs what to do in this situation to prevent intinction and to ensure consumption of the host.

If you are able to point out the woman to the priest discreetly, then do so. He may then be able to speak with her privately.

 

[Phemie]

Phemie:

The option to drink from the chalice didn’t exist, you were directed to do self-intiction. Not everyone has received the memo that it’s forbidden to do this.

For what reason is it (now) forbidden?

It was never “allowed”, but concerns over hygiene when Communion was allowed from the chalice had priests making odd decisions. I guess the problem became severe enough that it had to be addressed in an official document. There is much danger of the Precious Blood dripping on the floor when communicants self-intinct with no paten to prevent it.

Two things that were addressed when RS was promulgated were the bride and groom giving each other Communion and priests breaking the Host during the Consecration at the words “broke it”. I remember thinking, “Where in heck does that happen?!?” only to have our now-PM and his bride do it a few months later and having a priest break the Host at Consecration at a parish where I attended Mass while on holidays, and a bishop do it at Mass during a catechetical conference a year later.

 

[GemmasGirl]

My Dad found Jesus lying under a kneeler on day during Monday morning daily Mass… He took it to Father after Mass, and Father properly too care of it… and then spoke very, very firmly at the end of his homily. We go to a microscopic country parish, and people usually don’t just show up without being somehow invited. He told everyone that they should properly warn non Catholic visitors not to receive communion and to watch for anyone carrying Jesus. He told everyone that if they saw someone carrying Jesus away, they should stop them and either have them consume or ask for it and consume it themselves. We have since had a couple guys who are adorably protective of Jesus sit in the front by the outside aisle and watch everyone. I also try to watch, because I’m in the choir, which in our Church is slightly forward of the middle, across the outside aisle.
All that being said, I would talk to a priest and let him give his response and further instructions.

 

[TheLittleLady]

I’ve never seen anyone self-intinct and I would think/ hope most EMHCs are trained to cover the chalice or otherwise prevent it from happening.

Why did you or someone else not chase down the elderly lady?

Our EMHCs are well trained. If someone approaches the Chalice with a host in hand, the minister is to place their purificator over the Chalice and their hand flat on top of that. Should that person sill stand there, they are to “stage whisper” “Consume the Host first”.

How do you mean Chase her? If you mean intervene, it was already too late she had done it and that was that.

There are rare occasions when a parishioner notices someone carrying the host back to their seat. They go to that person and say “you need to consume the host”.

If you have ushers, they ought be keeping an eye out as well.

It is very important that you speak to your pastor so he can do a brush up training sesson, or announce from the ambo that self-intinction is forbidden.