Eucharist fell on the ground

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I was at Mass yesterday and happen to be watching people receive communion. The last woman to receive was receiving the Eucharist on the tounge. For some reason it never made it there and fell on the ground. Since I have never seen this happen before I was curious to see what happened next. Father calmly picked it up and walked up to the altar and dropped it into the chalice containing the remainder of the blood of Christ. I would assume that it dissolved in the blood and Father then drank the remaining blood as is customary.

My question is was the proper procedure? I’m merely asking because I have never had this experience before.

Thanks,
J.A.
 
JMJ
I have never seen that done before. I have seen him consume it himself. Two of my priest friends with hold the host over the ciborium. I go to TLM on Sunday’s so this isn’t an issue.
 
the GIRM states…
  1. If a host or any particle should fall, it is to be picked up reverently. If any of the Precious
    Blood is spilled, the area where the spill occurred should be washed with water, and this water
    should then be poured into the sacrarium in the sacristy.
But, it doesn’t specify how the host is to be consumed if at all? I know that it should be from what I’ve been told, but how and what is the correct way? There was a post in the link provided in which a gentlemen referred to his training, but I’m looking for Church document(s) that would be more specific in the matter.

Thanks for any additional (name removed by moderator)ut.
J.A.
 
That’s about as detailed as the documents get.

The best thing to do is for the minister or extraordinary minister to pick up the host and consume it then. In reserving it in her hand or carrying it to the celebrant, she would be causing further irreverence our Lord than is called for.
 
juniorapologist said:
I was at Mass yesterday and happen to be watching people receive communion. The last woman to receive was receiving the Eucharist on the tounge. For some reason it never made it there and fell on the ground. Since I have never seen this happen before I was curious to see what happened next. Father calmly picked it up and walked up to the altar and dropped it into the chalice containing the remainder of the blood of Christ. I would assume that it dissolved in the blood and Father then drank the remaining blood as is customary.

My question is was the proper procedure? I’m merely asking because I have never had this experience before.

Thanks,
J.A.
Click to expand...
Yes, it’s one possible solution.
 
Tsion said:
JMJ
I have never seen that done before. I have seen him consume it himself. Two of my priest friends with hold the host over the ciborium. I go to TLM on Sunday’s so this isn’t an issue.
Click to expand...
As if dropping a Host is not possible at a TLM?
 
passus said:
That’s about as detailed as the documents get.

The best thing to do is for the minister or extraordinary minister to pick up the host and consume it then. In reserving it in her hand or carrying it to the celebrant, she would be causing further irreverence our Lord than is called for.
Click to expand...
:confused:

How is that irreverant?
 
I was at Mass yesterday and happen to be watching people receive communion. The last woman to receive was receiving the Eucharist on the tounge. For some reason it never made it there and fell on the ground. Since I have never seen this happen before I was curious to see what happened next. Father calmly picked it up and walked up to the altar and dropped it into the chalice containing the remainder of the blood of Christ. I would assume that it dissolved in the blood and Father then drank the remaining blood as is customary.

My question is was the proper procedure? I’m merely asking because I have never had this experience before.
Click to expand...
The OP mentions falling on “the ground.” Was this an outdoor Mass?
 
Bruised_Reed said:
Dropping a host, yes; on the floor, no (or at least less likely) due to the use of the paten or communion cloth.
Click to expand...
Sadly those communion patens are almost worthless in a functional sense, although they do project the right sentiment. The “communion cloths” can be very effective though. The only time I was involved with a dropped host was at an EF Mass. The priest had to bend over quite a bit to place the hosts on our tongues and one hit the edge of my mouth. The paten with the handle never had a chance. Thankfully I did catch the host in my right hand.
 
Newbie2 said:
:confused:

How is that irreverant?
Click to expand...
The minister or extraordinary minister has to stop what he or she is doing, pick up the host, leave her Communion line (leaving a potentially huge line of people waiting for Communion), walk all the way over to Father, interrupt him (now this is two different Communion lines halted), explain to him what happened, etc.
Oh, and then everyone starts wondering what happened and their attention and focus are lost–as if seeing the Eucharist fall to the floor wasn’t rousing enough.

If she sticks it in the palm of her hand, her palm gets all sweaty, the host begins to turn soggy and it sticks to her skin. What a mess. And then she has to consume it?

It’s far better just to consume the fallen host right then and there and continue without any further interruptions or shows.
juniorapologist said:
Out of curiosity, what are all of the possible solutions in this event?
Click to expand...
Well, the host can be consumed ordinarily. It can be dissolved in the Precious Blood and consumed that way (as was described here). In the event the host is unable to be consumed (e.g., it is an outdoor mass and it falls in a puddle of mud; a person chokes on the wafer and spits it out) it may be gathered reverently and placed in a vessel of clean water. When the host has dissolved completely, Jesus is no longer present and the water can be spilled on the ground.
 
passus said:
Well, the host can be consumed ordinarily. It can be dissolved in the Precious Blood and consumed that way (as was described here). In the event the host is unable to be consumed (e.g., it is an outdoor mass and it falls in a puddle of mud; a person chokes on the wafer and spits it out) it may be gathered reverently and placed in a vessel of clean water. When the host has dissolved completely, Jesus is no longer present and the water can be spilled on the ground.
Click to expand...
The part about the host being consumed ordinarily or dissolved in the precious blood seems to sound okay, but the part about the host being placed in a vessel of clean water until he dissolves…and then he is no longer present? Really?

Your answers are truly appreciated. Is there any official Church documentation besides the GIRM (which doesn’t offer these details you have given).

Thanks for any additional (name removed by moderator)ut.
J.A.
 
juniorapologist said:
The part about the host being consumed ordinarily or dissolved in the precious blood seems to sound okay, but the part about the host being placed in a vessel of clean water until he dissolves…and then he is no longer present? Really?
Click to expand...
I can offer you what the Catechism has to say on the endurance of the Real Presence:
The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ (1377).
 
passus said:
I can offer you what the Catechism has to say on the endurance of the Real Presence:
The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ (1377).
Click to expand...
This makes sense to me when it says ‘as long as the species subsist’. Thank you.

But what about the part about spilling the water on the ground?
 
Bruised_Reed said:
Dropping a host, yes; on the floor, no (or at least less likely) due to the use of the paten or communion cloth.
Click to expand...
As a former altar boy who never served at a Mass where Communion in the hand was allowed and we ALWAYS used patens, I will tell you that hosts get dropped to the floor. I have even seen a priest drop a host on the floor next to the altar.

I will also add that, an an EMHC, I have only had one host dropped. That was when the host didn’t stick to the communicants tongue (I guess) and it dropped it as she was turning away from me.

Peace

Tim
 
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