Do All Parish EMHC's Have Proper Formation Teaching?

  • Thread starter Thread starter centurionguard
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Joannm said:
I am involved with EMHC training in our diocese. All candidates have to write a letter to their pastor and be interviewed, take VIRTUS and have a background chech before nomination letter is sent to the Bishop. They must attend a four hour diocesan couse that covers the Mass, Eucharistic theology and spirituality and the practicalities of serving. Then they are supposed to receive further instruction from their individual parish.

If they want to bring communion to the homebound they must attend a second four hour class.

In my parish I also write a newsletter where in addition to a spiritual reflection I might five some general correction or point out any new directives from the pastor or the diocese. Is someone seems to be sloppy or not doing his or her service well I might talk to them. I also have three meetings a year where I address issues, so all EMHCs should know exactly what is expected of them.
Click to expand...
Wow, I wish it was more like that in my diocese. When I volunteered all I had to do was meet with the parish coordinator of EMHCs on a Saturday morning for basic instruction in where to stand and the like. I had assumed I would need to meet with the priest before I could start serving, but nothing like that happened. Perhaps it is because we are a parish with 3000 families and one priest, and he just needs to delegate a lot.
 
smh1978 said:
Wow, I wish it was more like that in my diocese. When I volunteered all I had to do was meet with the parish coordinator of EMHCs on a Saturday morning for basic instruction in where to stand and the like. I had assumed I would need to meet with the priest before I could start serving, but nothing like that happened. Perhaps it is because we are a parish with 3000 families and one priest, and he just needs to delegate a lot.
Click to expand...
Well, the thing is, for ordinary EMHC duties at a Sunday Mass, I don’t think much more training is necessary than a reminder what the Real Presence demands of us in reverence, a tutorial on where to stand etc. and a practice of CITH and COTT. Oh, and what to do if a Host is dropped/chalice spilt or if someone walks away without consuming, and the parish protocol on blessings. There is very little else, surely? An hour or so, even less?

Whereas, taking HC to the housebound, and even more so, conducting services in care homes etc. - yes, that requires much more training. But not all EMHCs do these things.

I think emphasising a presumed need for intensive training has the danger of implying that EMHCs are the parish elite, which should not be the case. We are only the Christmas donkey, after all.
 
I had 2.5 hours training this Monday night and was provided with a large instruction manual from the Archdioces of Atlanta.

archatl.com/offices/odw/docs/EMHC-Manual-2010-Eng.pdf

Fr. Theodore Book runs the Office of Divine Worship here in Atlanta and he is awsome. A great video for readers is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrzAolHXd2Y&lr=1 and he has many written resources on how to reserve the Blessed Sacrament, Guide for Reception of the Eucharist and such things at archatl.com/offices/odw/norms/norms.html

-Tim-
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top