Eucharist dropped on the floor

[fin]

Yesterday at Sunday Mass I was in line for Communion, and I’m not sure, if it was the person before me or two persons before me when I noticed that a small piece of the Eucharist dropped on the floor. I was surprised and didn’t know what to do, and it was my turn to receive. So I received the Host and after the minister was done distributing Communion, I told and showed him the Host that fell, and he went back and picked up. I was mistaken by not informing him asap of what happened. It didn’t help that I’m problematic and anxious lately due to several things, and this incident happens. I know it was an accident, still we don’t want the Eucharist to fall on the floor ever. I don’t know, but it seems I was the only one who was what happened.

 

[hannajomar]

I’m thankful that you did see it, and that it’s not still sitting on the floor. Yes, those who distribute Holy Communion are supposed to do their best, but they make mistakes too. I hope this will encourage everyone to be even more careful now.

 

[GangGreen]

I always gasp when I see something like that happen. It’s a shame when people don’t even notice.

 

[ARKRN]

I know that sometimes the Eucharistic Ministers do not see that a Host has been dropped but when one is dropped anyone can pick it up. Hopefully the person who was receiving the Host would have seen it and picked it up and consumed it. If not the Eucharistic Minister should have consumed it. If the Precious Blood is spilled I have always seen the Priest wipe it up. Then there are certain ways to clean the towels used to clean up the Precious Blood.

 

[jmymac]

I can remember in my younger years that the dropping of the Eucharistic host was a big deal. As an altar boy back then I held what was called a paten with a handle on it under the chin of the person receiving Holy Communion. Wine was not offered in those days, just the host.
You could only recieve the host by sticking your tongue out and the priest placed it there. If a host did fall, the priest would immediately place a handkerchief over the fallen host to prevent anyone from stepping on it. It remained there throughout the rest of the Mass and was properly taken care of by the priest after Mass.
This was also back in the days when we had communion railings.

 

[Evania]

I can remember in my younger years that the dropping of the Eucharistic host was a big deal. As an altar boy back then I held what was called a paten with a handle on it under the chin of the person receiving Holy Communion. Wine was not offered in those days, just the host.
You could only recieve the host by sticking your tongue out and the priest placed it there. If a host did fall, the priest would immediately place a handkerchief over the fallen host to prevent anyone from stepping on it. It remained there throughout the rest of the Mass and was properly taken care of by the priest after Mass.
This was also back in the days when we had communion railings.

I wish it were still like that. Every so often, I see people walk up to receive the Eucharist while chewing gum. I think it’s beautiful the way they used to do it, and it inspired a more reverent attitude during Communion. It would be kind of neat if we returned to that.

 

[mandajane]

My church still uses the paten, and I’m the odd one out for recieving in the hand (I was never taught the proper protocol for receiving on the tongue, and everyone says “oh receiving in the hand is fine, don’t worry about it” when I ask)

 

[maryjk]

My church still uses the paten, and I’m the odd one out for recieving in the hand (I was never taught the proper protocol for receiving on the tongue, and everyone says “oh receiving in the hand is fine, don’t worry about it” when I ask)

The protocol is easy. After you say “Amen,” open your mouth and put your tongue out. Practice in the mirror before you try it.

But I warn you, in the 40 years that I have been receiving Communion, I have only had the Host fall to the floor once. It was when I received on the tongue.

 

[john78]

This actually happened to me once as well, with a priest who was on the verge of being ordained a bishop, the then priest was placing the Eucharist in my hand but instead of laying the Eucharist on my hand flat, he some how drops the Eucharist on end just ever so slightly above my hand an in turn the Eucharist bounces off my hand an on to the floor, needless to say this was the first and hopefully only time this has an ever will happen, an also i was dumbfounded, i had no clue what to do so i stood there looking at the priest an then he yells at me to " pick it up " , to which i did an consumed an went on with my slap happy self.

A Paten seems the simplest way to stop issues like this happening of dropping the Eucharist, but i suppose if there are no alter servers then that is another problem.

As uniformed as the Catholic Church is , why such simple things are not in use at every church is beyond me, we recently had a notice put in our bulletin that the Precious Blood would no longer be brought to those who could not walk as to avoid spilling,

people here want to argue to hell an back on why communion railings and receiving on the tonuge only should be the norm, i dont see how that is even possible when we don’t even have the simplest Paten still in use at every church.

 

[Suslar]

The person distributing should pick up any fallen hosts and consume them (if possible - sometimes they fall in gunk and cannot be consumed but can be disposed of properly with dilution). Likewise, if someone is distributing the Precious Blond and there is a spill, they can clean it up with their purificator and single the Sacristan and altar servers if they need help.

Yes, sadly, accidents do happen.

 

[Chatter163]

I can remember in my younger years that the dropping of the Eucharistic host was a big deal. As an altar boy back then I held what was called a paten with a handle on it under the chin of the person receiving Holy Communion. Wine was not offered in those days, just the host.
You could only recieve the host by sticking your tongue out and the priest placed it there. If a host did fall, the priest would immediately place a handkerchief over the fallen host to prevent anyone from stepping on it. It remained there throughout the rest of the Mass and was properly taken care of by the priest after Mass.
This was also back in the days when we had communion railings.

This is still the procedure at my FSSP parish. It is actually a purificator that is placed over the spot, but everything is done.as you described.

 

[englishredrose]

It happend to me once that seen the host on the floor in front of the priest and was hoping that every single choir member in front of me would see it and look at him but either they hadn’t seen it or just left it etc but got to my turn and not being sure what to do I just stood back a little so he could pick it up and made no further reference apart from remembering it for this.