Does your parish have multiple priests? If so, do they come out to assist at each communion time?

[Lovemyfaith]

Three priest, never more than one at Mass and up to 7 EMHC assisting. One of the priest sometimes sits out himself or sits on the Altar Rail to distribute. I think it would be nice if all three were present to help, at least at Sunday Masses. Sometimes the pastor is out front to greet people anyway. One of the assistants likes to sit on the bench out front and say hello after Mass as well.
I am not in any hurry, so I wouldn’t mind if Communion took longer.

 

[lizaanne]

If your parish has multiple priests, and they are not off-site performing an important function (like celebrating Mass at another parish) or are otherwise unavailable for good reason, do they come out and assist at each and every communion time?

If they did, they would be performing their sacred duties and minimizing the over-use of EMHCs.

Yes - they all assist with distribution of Holy Communion at our parish, as well as our Deacon. In over a year I’ve never seen one EMHC, I don’t even think our parish has any. Besides, we receive via intinction and they would not be able to assist in that manner anyway, even if we did have them.

~Liza

 

[bilop]

We have 5 priests (3 active, 2 retired in residence) plus a weekend associate (teacher at a nearby Catholic H.S.).

On average 2-3 additional priests will come out to assist the celebrant, which is great.

However, 1-2 EMHCs are still used at every Mass. With 3-4 priests, I feel the EMHCs are unecessary. Even 2 priests are enough to complete Communion in 5-7 minutes. We typically have 200-300 people at a Mass.

God Bless

 

[Aramis]

1 priest, typically 15 to 60 people per liturgy, 3 liturgies (6pm Vigil and 10am sunday, plus a 3:30 at the mission, 60 miles away).

No deacon, either.

There is a trained but not facultied religious priest in one of the Roman parishes who has expressed a desire to help out from time to time, but his superiors have declined.

Not been an issue outside of Easter and Christmas, and on those feasts, we just suck up the long communion lines (only about double, despite quadruple the attendance) by singing more hymns. Then again, when one is making the difference between an hour and 30 minutes versus an hour and fourty minutes, plus matins or vespers prior (another 30-40 minutes), it’s not that big an issue.

 

[SMHW]

We only have one full time priest in residence. We are not too far from a seminary and we have an associate who splits his time between two parishes so we do have other “regulars” but unless they are concelebrating there is seldom an additional priest on the premises so we do use EMHCs.

If any of our eight deacons are present they and their wives will help with the distribution of communion.

 

[Lepanto]

Three priest, never more than one at Mass and up to 7 EMHC assisting. One of the priest sometimes sits out himself or sits on the Altar Rail to distribute. I think it would be nice if all three were present to help, at least at Sunday Masses. Sometimes the pastor is out front to greet people anyway. One of the assistants likes to sit on the bench out front and say hello after Mass as well.

In “army-talk,” I think these priests would be charged with dereliction of (sacred) duty.