Eucharist fell on the ground

[Bruised_Reed]

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.

I remember when patens were used just before receiving in the hand was introduced and I can see why it’s effectiveness could be iffy: to close the the throat not enough surface to catch anything from the front; to far forward by the chin not enought surface on the sides. Communion cloths it is!

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

I know hosts have been dropped for like foreverl I still think it’s less likely to happen if a person is kneeling at a communion rail with a -]paten or/-] communion cloth. And it’s not just dropping the host; I’m concerned about particles in people’s hands.

 

[gelsbern]

I remember when patens were used just before receiving in the hand was introduced and I can see why it’s effectiveness could be iffy: to close the the throat not enough surface to catch anything from the front; to far forward by the chin not enought surface on the sides. Communion cloths it is!
I know hosts have been dropped for like foreverl I still think it’s less likely to happen if a person is kneeling at a communion rail with a -]paten or/-] communion cloth. And it’s not just dropping the host; I’m concerned about particles in people’s hands.

Although I have seen some good catches by quick altar boys when a host was dropped, the paten isn’t meant to catch the host if it drops it is meant to keep any crumbs from dropping to the floor.

The host is large enough to be picked up, but the crumbs aren’t and since Christ is present even in the smallest particle of the blessed sacrament, care must be taken to keep any possible crumbs from falling on the floor. Hence the need for the paten.

Of course the modern host doesn’t produce many crumbs, the potential is still there which is why I think the paten should still be used even for people receiving by hand.

 

[Daniecm]

The same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago. The host never touched my tongue and fell to the ground. Father had me pick it up and consume it, anyway. Was that the right thing to do?

 

[passus]

The same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago. The host never touched my tongue and fell to the ground. Father had me pick it up and consume it, anyway. Was that the right thing to do?

There are a couple ways to answer that.

Did you do the right thing? Yes, because that’s what the priest told you to do.

Did he tell you to do the right thing? Well, it wasn’t the wrong thing, but priests and other ministers and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion usually do the courteous thing and consume the fallen host themselves.