Eucharistic Adoration

[Eworms]

The Catholic Newman Community recently began offering Eucharistic Adoration every week. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about this, but since it involves the Blessed Sacrament, I want to make sure that we’re doing everything right.

According to our pastor, who often is not present for the beginning or end of adoration, it is acceptable for a layperson to set up the altar and place the monstrance on the altar where it can be uncovered. There is no benediction when he is not present and the Blessed Sacrament is never left unattended on the altar.

To date I’ve just gone with that and asked a few friends what they knew about setting up for adoration, but it would make me feel much more comfortable to find some sort of resource outlining the procedures for the beginning and end of adoration. I tried looking through the diocesan website for more information, but really have no idea where something like this might be found.

Can anyone help me find the resources I’m looking for?

 

[John_Lilburne]

The liturgical book for this ceremony is Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass. Particularly relevant are numbers 82-92, which can be found at ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDWSACRA.HTM .

 

[japhy]

According to our pastor, who often is not present for the beginning or end of adoration, it is acceptable for a layperson to set up the altar and place the monstrance on the altar where it can be uncovered. There is no benediction when he is not present and the Blessed Sacrament is never left unattended on the altar.

There’s only so much an ordinary layperson can do in Adoration:
III. Minister Of Exposition

1. The ordinary minister for exposition of the eucharist is a priest or deacon. At the end of the period of adoration, before the reposition, he blesses the congregation with the sacrament.

In the absence of a priest or deacon or if they are lawfully impeded, the following persons may publicly expose and later repose the eucharist for the adoration of the faithful:

a. an acolyte or [Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion];

b. upon appointment by the local Ordinary, a member of a religious community or of a pious association of laymen or laywomen which is devoted to eucharistic adoration.

Such ministers may open the tabernacle and also, as required, place the ciborium on the altar or place the host in the monstrance. At the end of the period of adoration, they replace the blessed sacrament in the tabernacle. It is not lawful, however, for them to give the blessing with the sacrament.

So technically, unless one of you is an acolyte or EMHC (although that’s increasingly common on college campuses nowadays), you are not permitted to fulfill the role of “Extraordinary Minister of Exposition of the Eucharist”.

As for what to do during Adoration, some traditional chants (or prayers or hymns, depending on how you say them) can be found here. If you are interested in singing them (in Latin!), I would strongly advise you to check out these links – they provide the musical notation (either in neumes or “normal” musical notes) and MIDI files:

• O Salutaris Hostia (Chant) (Hymn) (Hymn)
• Tantum Ergo (Chant) (Hymn) (Hymn)
• Te Deum (Chant) / Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (Hymn)
• Others listed here

 

[Eworms]

Thank you!

 

[mattwcu]

b. upon appointment by the local Ordinary, a member of a religious community or of a pious association of laymen or laywomen which is devoted to eucharistic adoration.

…

So technically, unless one of you is an acolyte or EMHC (although that’s increasingly common on college campuses nowadays), you are not permitted to fulfill the role of “Extraordinary Minister of Exposition of the Eucharist”.

I recently began, a month or so ago, volunteering at an adoration chapel. Since I close at 8pm Saturday evenings, I was given the duty to repose the Sacrament. I don’t have an individual charge from my Bishop but I’ve had the Pastor and 2 of the organizers of the chapel (pious association of laymen and laywomen) tell me directly that he knows and has given the OK for them to appoint select people to do this.

So I have been reposing now for over a month with a pretty clear conscience. But now I’m not so sure. Does the Bishop have to give me (or anyone for that matter) a personal charge to do this? I read the Canon on this topic and all it says is “the prescriptions of the Bishop should be followed.”

I suppose it depends on who is interpreting the canon then?

We were trained a very specific way and no Benediction takes place. I suspect if I wrote to or called the chancery they would just tell me its ok and not to worry about it since the Bishop has already given some sort of blanket approval. The chapel is well known throughout the diocese and people from all over visit and volunteer.

Just a note. I’ve stopped directly touching the monstrance. I now use the altar cloth (I was advised to do so by a priest) instead of putting my hands on it. I do the same to take the luna. The Sacrament is encased in the luna so I never actually touch it, only the vessels.

 

[japhy]

I don’t have an individual charge from my Bishop but I’ve had the Pastor and 2 of the organizers of the chapel (pious association of laymen and laywomen) tell me directly that he knows and has given the OK for them to appoint select people to do this. … Does the Bishop have to give me (or anyone for that matter) a personal charge to do this? … I suspect if I wrote to or called the chancery they would just tell me its ok and not to worry about it since the Bishop has already given some sort of blanket approval.

I would ask the priest again to make sure; it also wouldn’t hurt (I think) to write a letter to the Bishop letting him know that your pastor has granted you permission to fulfill this task, and that you thank him (the Bishop) for allowing him (the pastor) to do so.

 

[mattwcu]

The next time I see him I will ask. He is not always there, and so that is why we repose instead of him. This is not actually at my parish, which is an FSSP one, but another in the diocese.

I hate to keep asking people over and over. I keep getting the same answer. “Yes the Bishop knows…” In fact the “rule sheet” I received upon joining has language like “We have assured the Bishop this, or that.”

I feel like writing the Bishop may label me a troublemaker, even if it is a nice one.