EMHC Question about visiting the sick

[Blessedwithfive]

Can someone explain the “commissioning” of the EMHC? If I was commissioned at one church, could I serve at another in the same diocese if asked by the priest? What about a hospital in the same diocese? Nursing home near the church? Nursing home in the town away? In another diocese if asked by the priest, like at a family wedding or funeral?

Thanks

 

[Mary_Ellen]

I am commissioned to work within my parish by my diocese. I have served as an EMHC in other parishes within the diocese on a case-to-case basis but I have refused to serve in that capacity when asked to do so outside the diocese. My commissioning was approved of under the authority of my bishop and different diocese’s have different requirements. No priest can come into our parish from another diocese and offer Mass without the permission of the local pastor. As EMHC are only assistants in the Mass I’m absolutely certain that permission must be also be granted them to serve outside their own diocese as well.

A fellow parishioner, commissioned as an EMHC, sees former parishioners in a nursing home in the neighboring parish on a weekly basis. He got the permission of the pastor of that parish to do so. I don’t believe he was strictly required to do so but it was certainly the polite thing to do.

 

[FrDavid96]

There are 2 forms that this appointment can take:

1. “ad actum” means “for the act” that means that someone is appointed for that particular moment and nothing more. A priest can make such an appointment. Although this is not the typical way people see things, if a priest appoints someone to be an EMHC, he can only do this for that moment itself and nothing more. So if a priest needs someone as EMHC as the parish for “this week’s Masses” he actually must appoint that person for Monday’s Mass, then again for Tuesday’s Mass, etc. Keep in mind that most people do not perceive things as happening this way, but that’s the reality of it. A priest can only appoint “ad actum” for that one single act.

It is safe to say that (in the U.S.) by custom, most such appointments are made merely by the assent of the priest-celebrant. In other words, someone makes up a schedule and when Communion-time happens, the priest merely agrees that whoever assists him at that moment has his appointment. It is however important because if the priest does not want to make the appointment, he need not do so. No one has a claim on being an EMHC, no matter what might be printed in a schedule.

1. “ad tempus” means “for a time” although the Church does not set universal limits on this time. So it could be six months, or 10 years, or just about any other defined time period. Such an appointment must be made by the bishop. The idea behind these appointments was originally for areas with no priest or with infrequent visits by a priest. It also must be noted that even with an appointment as EMCH by the bishop, this does not in any way confer a right to serve as EMCH at any particular moment. If a priest-celebrant at Mass chooses not to have an EMCH, or chooses not to utilize a particular person, then that is still his decision to make.

No priest can act outside of his own jurisdiction. So the pastor of St Joseph parish cannot appoint anyone to be an EMHC at St Mary parish. Same with the diocese. A bishop can only make such an appointment for his own territory or his own people.

Even though a person might be accustomed to being appointed as an EMCH “often” at the home parish, nothing about that (except for experience) carries over into other situations, such as traveling or distant weddings/funerals. So even though someone might be appointed weekly as EMCH at home, if one attends a wedding at another parish, that person must be appointed by the priest-celebrant of that particular wedding Mass.

 

[Gorgias]

Can someone explain the “commissioning” of the EMHC? If I was commissioned at one church, could I serve at another in the same diocese if asked by the priest? What about a hospital in the same diocese? Nursing home near the church? Nursing home in the town away? In another diocese if asked by the priest, like at a family wedding or funeral?

By rights, your “commissioning” as an EMHC is for the parish in which you were commissioned. By rights, if you wish to act as an EMHC in another parish, the pastor of that parish should “commission” you. Both of these are temporary commissions, not permanent.

In addition, you might also perform communion calls to local hospitals and care facilities. The parish responsible for these facilities coordinates these ministries.

 

[AdamP88]

The comissioning of EMHCs is supposed to be specific to an individual parish, according to the Vatican guidelines. Any priest can comission a layperson on the spot for a specific circumstance if absolutely necessary but that is all.

 

[FrDavid96]

Blessedwithfive:

Can someone explain the “commissioning” of the EMHC? If I was commissioned at one church, could I serve at another in the same diocese if asked by the priest? What about a hospital in the same diocese? Nursing home near the church? Nursing home in the town away? In another diocese if asked by the priest, like at a family wedding or funeral?

By rights, your “commissioning” as an EMHC is for the parish in which you were commissioned. By rights, if you wish to act as an EMHC in another parish, the pastor of that parish should “commission” you. Both of these are temporary commissions, not permanent.

In addition, you might also perform communion calls to local hospitals and care facilities. The parish responsible for these facilities coordinates these ministries.

Close, but not quite.

The appointment (if made by a priest, most likely the pastor) cannot be “for the parish” instead it can only be “ad actum” (as I wrote earlier, “for the act”).

Each and every act of distributing Holy Communion must be by appointment of the priest. No priest can appoint anyone for the parish. This is despite the fact that it may often seem as if they do so.

I do see what you’re getting at here: to make the point that the appointment does not carry-over into another parish. That’s absolutely true.

 

[Blessedwithfive]

I was commissioned “ad tempos” by the bishop for like 7 years. That is what our diocese does. Can I then be a EMHC at a hospital in the diocese if asked? Or do I need permission from my parish priest?

 

[FrDavid96]

I was commissioned “ad tempos” by the bishop for like 7 years. That is what our diocese does. Can I then be a EMHC at a hospital in the diocese if asked? Or do I need permission from my parish priest?

That depends on which priest has jurisdiction over the hospital. It might be the pastor of the parish where the hospital is located, or it might be a priest specifically appointed as Chaplain for that hospital. The pastor of the person you actually visit can also appoint you.

It is the priest who actually designates you to distribute Holy Communion at any particular moment. The appointment from the bishop means that you are qualified to be appointed by him.

Remember that the Eucharist to carry to the sick still has to come from a tabernacle, so there is some priest somewhere who has the responsibility for the custody of the Eucharist. One cannot just walk into a church, open the tabernacle and remove the Eucharist–you still need to be appointed by that priest, even if it is the tabernacle in a hospital chapel.

The diocese or the hospital Chaplain might have set policies on who can take Communion to the patients and under what circumstances. For example, if I am that priest and I take Communion to the patients every afternoon, I would not want someone giving Communion as an EMHC in the morning. On the other hand, I might need help on Tuesdays, but not Wednesdays. See where I’m going with this?

What I can tell you (based on what you wrote) is that since you were appointed by the bishop “ad tempus” that means the priest can be reasonably certain that you meet all the requirements. As far as going to a particular hospital, you need to consult the priest who has jurisdiction there—first of all to see if there is even a need for EMHCs.

Even if you go to visit a relative, again, you still need to be appointed by the priest from whom you will be receiving the Eucharist. Even an appointment by the bishop does not give anyone the ability to just go to a tabernacle and remove the Eucharist.

 

[Blessedwithfive]

Thanks for all your replies. I didn’t want it to sound like I was going to take this on my self. The hospital Chaplin, knowing I was a commissioned EMHC and had a history of serving the sick, asked if Iwas interested a training secession for bringing Communion to patiences at the hospital. My pastor was upset saying it was improper for me to do so. He said something to the effect that it was hard enough to get EMHC for our own Masses and we weren’t sending people to them… I just wondered if it was his call (my pastor) or not.

Thanks again. Not sure I really understand but that is pretty much par for the course in my quest with the Catholic Church.

 

[Gorgias]

I do see what you’re getting at here: to make the point that the appointment does not carry-over into another parish. That’s absolutely true.

And temporary. You saw that, too, right?

So… whereas you might define things per act, pastors tend to define them for periods of time. (Or a given number of ‘acts’, if you prefer. )

 

[FrDavid96]

Thanks for all your replies. I didn’t want it to sound like I was going to take this on my self. The hospital Chaplin, knowing I was a commissioned EMHC and had a history of serving the sick, asked if Iwas interested a training secession for bringing Communion to patiences at the hospital. My pastor was upset saying it was improper for me to do so. He said something to the effect that it was hard enough to get EMHC for our own Masses and we weren’t sending people to them… I just wondered if it was his call (my pastor) or not.

Thanks again. Not sure I really understand but that is pretty much par for the course in my quest with the Catholic Church.

It seem that this is not about being faithful to the norms of the Church as much as it is about a shortage of volunteers.

Either priest can appoint you (or allow you to exercise the appointment from the bishop) but neither can prohibit you from being appointed by the other within the other’s jurisdiction. More directly: you pastor cannot outright prohibit you from being an EMHC at the hospital–unless he actually has direct pastoral care of the hospital (which is unlikely based on what you typed, otherwise he would be putting his own solution into effect).

Personally, I don’t see a conflict between hospital visits and EMHCs at Mass–meaning that I’ve never had the experience where volunteering for one had a negative effect on the other.

It seems that your pastor needs more EMHC volunteers for parish Masses. That seems to be the real issue here. Perhaps if you volunteered to help at parish Masses, he might be less upset (your word) at the fact that you want to help at the hospital. Now, maybe you already do, or maybe you can’t, I don’t know. What I am saying is that if that’s the problem, then work to solve the problem.

Generally speaking, here in the U.S. a shortage of EMHCs is a rare problem indeed. Quite frankly, the more typical problem is too many of them.

Ultimately, what I’m suggesting is to work with the pastor and help him to recruit EMHCs for the parish Masses; since he feels he needs them.

I don’t know your situation, other than what you’ve already posted here. What I can tell though, is that you are the sort of person who would be willing to help as EMHC at parish Masses–because otherwise, you wouldn’t be asking the kind of question you first posed. So have you offered to help the pastor? If not, please consider it, if you’re able.

 

[FrDavid96]

FrDavid96:

I do see what you’re getting at here: to make the point that the appointment does not carry-over into another parish. That’s absolutely true.

And temporary. You saw that, too, right?

So… whereas you might define things per act, pastors tend to define them for periods of time. (Or a given number of ‘acts’, if you prefer. )

Sort of. When I read the word “temporary” I immediately think of the Latin term “ad tempus” which is the type of appointment reserved to the bishop.

As I wrote earlier, the Church does make a distinction between “ad tempus” and “ad actum” therefore I’m trying, in this thread, to be very careful about that distinction.

 

[poche]

I have a question. Many years ago while he was alive my father, who lived in another parish was ill. There were arrangements for the priest of that parish to bring him communion on a particular day. The priest never showed up. The priest at the parish where live told me that I could bring him communion the next day when I was already planning to go over there.
Is there a problem with that?

 

[FrDavid96]

I have a question. Many years ago while he was alive my father, who lived in another parish was ill. There were arrangements for the priest of that parish to bring him communion on a particular day. The priest never showed up. The priest at the parish where live told me that I could bring him communion the next day when I was already planning to go over there.
Is there a problem with that?

No, there is not a problem with that.