Eucharist was stepped on!

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This happened at a weekday Mass recently. There is an older man who attends nearly every morning, and he has to walk with the aid of a cane.

He was in front of me when we received communion, and the extraordinary minister attempted to place the Eucharist on the man’s tongue. I suppose since the man has physical problems, the Eucharist immediately fell out of his mouth and onto the floor.

The minister bent down to pick it up, and the man absent-mindedly stepped on the consecrated host. The minister picked it up and proceeded to place it in the man’s mouth successfully.

I’m pretty sure that stepping on it was not the man’s intention. Everyone just went on as if nothing happened though.

My question: Did the extraordinary minister handle this situation correctly (letting the man receive the host after it was stepped on)? Anyone have thoughts or comments? Thank you.
 
That was fine, although he could have also taken it up later for the priest or deacon to consume, and given the elderly gentleman another host.
 
Topaz1128 said:
This happened at a weekday Mass recently. There is an older man who attends nearly every morning, and he has to walk with the aid of a cane.

He was in front of me when we received communion, and the extraordinary minister attempted to place the Eucharist on the man’s tongue. I suppose since the man has physical problems, the Eucharist immediately fell out of his mouth and onto the floor.

The minister bent down to pick it up, and the man absent-mindedly stepped on the consecrated host. The minister picked it up and proceeded to place it in the man’s mouth successfully.

I’m pretty sure that stepping on it was not the man’s intention. Everyone just went on as if nothing happened though.

My question: Did the extraordinary minister handle this situation correctly (letting the man receive the host after it was stepped on)? Anyone have thoughts or comments? Thank you.
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Scandal is also a sin. The way your phrased your title of this post probably cause scandal and distress for a great many people, for but for the minute that it takes to click and move to the post.
 
PacoG said:
Scandal is also a sin. The way your phrased your title of this post probably cause scandal and distress for a great many people, for but for the minute that it takes to click and move to the post.
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Excuse me? I chose this title for my post because that was my immediate reaction when it happened!

Let people choose titles that they deem appropriate; don’t be so hasty to judge.
 
Play nice, now. 😃

I suppose the EMHC could have consumed it himself right then, although that wouldn’t be ideal. Not entirely sure, though.
 
It was an accident. The man was elderly and infirm, and the Host was consumed, not thrown away or anything else bad. I think it was handled rather well. The last thing anyone should have done was freak out in the middle of Mass. I’m sure the man felt terrible.

Perhaps next time the man could sit in the first pew and have the Eucharist brought to him instead?
 
Moscati said:
It was an accident. The man was elderly and infirm, and the Host was consumed, not thrown away or anything else bad. I think it was handled rather well. The last thing anyone should have done was freak out in the middle of Mass. I’m sure the man felt terrible.

Perhaps next time the man could sit in the first pew and have the Eucharist brought to him instead?
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Hmmm… That’s a good point. He always sits near the front and goes up on his own. I’m not sure why the Eucharist isn’t brought to him.
 
Topaz1128 said:
Hmmm… That’s a good point. He always sits near the front and goes up on his own. I’m not sure why the Eucharist isn’t brought to him.
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My guess would be that he’s been attending for a long time, and maybe neither he nor the minister were fully aware of exactly how much his physical capabilities have declined. Force of habit and all that.
 
While it is laudable for those who consume the Body should it accidentally fall to the floor, there is nothing in canon law that requires us to do so. In fact, while the Host is indeed the Body of our Lord, the accidents that still give it the appearance of bread also can still transmit disease and other contamination. Consecrated hosts are not germ-proof. (It is also why bishops have allowed distribution of the Blood to be suspended in times of serious outbreaks of colds and flu in a region.)

To consume a host that has fallen is a personal thing. I receive on the tongue by preference. But during Christmas Mass this past year as an EMHC of all times, the host fell as my priest tried to place it on my tongue. I swooped in and consumed it (I’m an adherent of the now-Mythbusted “5 second rule” anyway).

For those who choose not to consumed a dropped host, it should be immediately given to the priest, who will dispose of it by dissolving it in water and then disposing of the solution in the sacrarium of the church.
 
Topaz1128 said:
My question: Did the extraordinary minister handle this situation correctly (letting the man receive the host after it was stepped on)? Anyone have thoughts or comments? Thank you.
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Hi Topaz1128,

As long as the man was ok with receiving a “stepped-on” Host, then the EMHC did the right thing. It would also be good, to either immediately clean the spot where the Host fell with a purificator and water, or, at least place a purificator over the spot until after Mass, when the spot can be cleansed.

As far as a “scandalous” subject line–a scandal is something that leads someone into sin. Many people these days seem to think of a “scandal” as something disappointingly shocking. I see no way in which your subject causes scandal, in the true sense of the word.

I have also heard about the “dissolving in water” idea, as mentioned in the above post. I think someone should just “man up” and consume the Host.

Dan
 
The situation was handled good. Though, I agree with the first poster. He should have taken the Host the the Priest to consume later, and given the poor man another one. I am praying for him. It was not the mans fault, so it is not a sin.

God knows what is what.
 
LoyalViews said:
The situation was handled good. Though, I agree with the first poster. He should have taken the Host the the Priest to consume later, and given the poor man another one. I am praying for him. It was not the mans fault, so it is not a sin.

God knows what is what.
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The EMHC may have been doing just as he/she was instructed to do in that situation. That is exactly what our pastor told us to do.
 
Topaz1128 said:
Hmmm… That’s a good point. He always sits near the front and goes up on his own. I’m not sure why the Eucharist isn’t brought to him.
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Best advice this ol’ cowboy has heard yet!

As an “EM” and "collection agent :rolleyes: " at our church, I always quickly scrutinize the pews while I’m doing the collection to see if anyone might appreciate having the Eucharist brought to him/her. More often than not, they thank me for asking. We have the first two pews “reserved” for the handicapped or otherwise needy in the congregation, but some people just don’t want to sit “up front.”

As an EM, I’ve never had the Eucharist fall out of anyone’s mouth (yet), but most at our parish receive in their hand, and it must be consumed immediately, as the pastor once enforced a boy to do; the kid decided to play with the host and take it back to the pew. The pastor told him “Eat it NOW”! But, yes, I’ve consumed my share of hosts that communicants have inadvertently dropped. I don’t let them retrieve the dropped host; I offer them another, and then consume the dropped host myself. I’m not positive of our parish’s precise ground rules as to who consumes a badly contaminated host, because it was never specifically mentioned during our training. I just do it. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/ponyguy/Shrug.gif
 
PacoG said:
Scandal is also a sin. The way your phrased your title of this post probably cause scandal and distress for a great many people, for but for the minute that it takes to click and move to the post.
Click to expand...
Topaz1128 said:
Excuse me? I chose this title for my post because that was my immediate reaction when it happened!
Click to expand...
Just for the record, I was neither scandalized nor distressed.
 
Spencerian said:
While it is laudable for those who consume the Body should it accidentally fall to the floor, there is nothing in canon law that requires us to do so. In fact, while the Host is indeed the Body of our Lord, the accidents that still give it the appearance of bread also can still transmit disease and other contamination. Consecrated hosts are not germ-proof. (It is also why bishops have allowed distribution of the Blood to be suspended in times of serious outbreaks of colds and flu in a region.)

To consume a host that has fallen is a personal thing. I receive on the tongue by preference. But during Christmas Mass this past year as an EMHC of all times, the host fell as my priest tried to place it on my tongue. I swooped in and consumed it (I’m an adherent of the now-Mythbusted “5 second rule” anyway).

For those who choose not to consumed a dropped host, it should be immediately given to the priest, who will dispose of it by dissolving it in water and then disposing of the solution in the sacrarium of the church.
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quoting this as the best answer

there is no requirement to consume a host that has dropped to the floor. there is a proper way to dispose of it and it should be handed over to the priest for him to take care of it
 
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THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IF PEOPLE RECEIVED ON THE TONGUE LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO. TYPICAL VAT2 / CITH DESECRATION.

(You were all waiting for someone to stumble along and say it, weren’t you? :p)
 
MarkThompson said:
.
THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN IF PEOPLE RECEIVED ON THE TONGUE LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO. TYPICAL VAT2 / CITH DESECRATION.

(You were all waiting for someone to stumble along and say it, weren’t you? :p)
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Ironically enough, the OP mentioned that the elderly man was attempting to receive on the tongue!!! 😉
 
Spencerian said:
For those who choose not to consumed a dropped host, it should be immediately given to the priest, who will dispose of it by dissolving it in water and then disposing of the solution in the sacrarium of the church.
Click to expand...
This makes the most sense to me, as an outsider.

The old man stepped on the Host by accident.

What was on the floor where it fell, brought in on the feet of others?

What was on the sole of his shoes?

And this was then placed in his mouth!!!

Being elderly his immune system is bound to be slowed, affected. Not the best idea then to be putting something off the floor (even a Host) into his mouth.

I dont think this was the best idea.

Surely a fresh Host, and the fallen one properly disposed of, would have been better?
 
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