Eucharistic minister

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Deborah_Kloos

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What do priests look for in choosing a Eucharistic minister? I really wanted to be a Eucharistic minister, but the priest does not think I am ready. I don’t understand why and they won’t tell me why either. It is really difficult for me to understand and I feel a little hurt about this situation.
 
Not knowing anything about you or your pastor, I cannot comment on why the priest said what he did. If I were a pastor looking for an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister (the correct term, since only priests and deacons can be ordinary Eucharistic ministers), I would look for someone with a deep faith in Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, someone who feels a special calling to this ministry, someone who is a practicing Catholic who won’t bring scandal, and someone who does not publicly dissent from Church teachings.
 
Most of us would not know and shouldn’t speculate on the personal reasons behind actions of Priests. Since he is the final say in a parish I would respect his decision and find a way to serve in another way.

There are always people needed to wash the linens, iron them, catechize children, bring people to Church, invite non-catholics to become Catholic, talk to Pastors, talk to non-catholics, make copies of Catholic material, distribute Catholic material, contribute to pro-life work, donate time, pray before the blessed Sacrament, etc…
These are things that are more necessary than being a Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion as doing those things would free the Priest up to do his job and distribute Holy Communion.
The Priests primary job is to give us the Mass\Eucharist and be available for communion. The more we help out in other things the more we support the Priest in being able to do his job.

Offer up your disappointment or sadness to God and serve God in another way. We all have different ways to contribute.

God Bless
Scylla
 
I was wondering about your Biography:
I am Catholic and I also practice my faith in the Nazarene church. I sing in the choir.
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What do you mean “practice my faith in the Nazarene church”?
 
Deborah_Kloos said:
What do priests look for in choosing a Eucharistic minister? I really wanted to be a Eucharistic minister, but the priest does not think I am ready. I don’t understand why and they won’t tell me why either. It is really difficult for me to understand and I feel a little hurt about this situation.
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They would have had to validly receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders to the Priesthood.
 
Deborah_Kloos said:
What do priests look for in choosing a Eucharistic minister? I really wanted to be a Eucharistic minister, but the priest does not think I am ready. I don’t understand why and they won’t tell me why either. It is really difficult for me to understand and I feel a little hurt about this situation.
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Actually, the priest is the only eucharistic minister. Extraordinary ministers are those who give out Communion other than the priest.

I know that we had to take a series of preparatory courses prior to being extraordinary ministers of the eucharist.
 
I read the post that lak611 showed.
It says that you just came back to the Church last year. That would be the first reason that the priest says that you are not ready. Continue going to Mass and be sure where your loyalty lies.
I am familiar with the Nazarene church. Actually I was familiar with all the churches in the little town where I used to live. I did attend their services, but only after first attending Mass (as the Catholic Church teaches). There was never any question of where my loyalty lay. It lay in Jesus Christ and the fullness of faith I find in the Catholic Church.
When I first joined the parish that I now call home, the pastor refused my services. He knew nothing of my past or that I had been a EMCH for over 15 years. Just wait and be patient. Let the priest get to know you and see your spiritual growth. When the priest retired, his successor not only accepted my services, he asked me to take over as catechist for the sixth grade.
Meanwhile, as has already been mentioned, there are many other ways that you can serve God and His Church.
 
lak611 said:
You might want to read this post that the OP wrote.
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DebChris said:
I read the post that lak611 showed.
It says that you just came back to the Church last year. That would be the first reason that the priest says that you are not ready. Continue going to Mass and be sure where your loyalty lies.
I am familiar with the Nazarene church. Actually I was familiar with all the churches in the little town where I used to live. I did attend their services, but only after first attending Mass (as the Catholic Church teaches). There was never any question of where my loyalty lay. It lay in Jesus Christ and the fullness of faith I find in the Catholic Church.
When I first joined the parish that I now call home, the pastor refused my services. He knew nothing of my past or that I had been a EMCH for over 15 years. Just wait and be patient. Let the priest get to know you and see your spiritual growth. When the priest retired, his successor not only accepted my services, he asked me to take over as catechist for the sixth grade.
Meanwhile, as has already been mentioned, there are many other ways that you can serve God and His Church.
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I too think this could be the reason. yes, I would echo DebChris again about being patient. God knows our desire to serve Him, but He also knows and will tell us how to serve. Praying and discerning is very important.
 
only a validly ordained man can be a Eucharistic minister, priest, bishop or deacon.

an extraordinary minister of holy communion may be a lay person who is commissioned and prepared for this role by the pastor, and then should only be asked to serve where there is a genuine need, and not enough ordained ministers.

that said, in this Diocese, all those lay persons in ministry are required to take a basis faith formation class, and after that, at least one class to prepare them for their specific ministry. The “entry-level” requirements to be an EMHC (or a catechist) are the same as for a godparent or confirmation sponsor: adult Catholic, fully initiated, not under canonical penalty, who accepts, practices, and lives in harmony with Catholic teaching including Church law on marriage and family.

In general those received into the Church through RCIA are not asked to serve in a formal ministry until at least a year, and to enter seminary or a religious order, at least 3 years.
 
puzzleannie said:
only a validly ordained man can be a Eucharistic minister, priest, bishop or deacon…
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Not a Deacon. A Deacon cannot confect the Eucharist and therefore is not a Minsiter of the Eucharist.

A Deacon can Communicate the Sacrament, that is offer it to the Community. Thus a Deacon is an Ordinary Minister of Holy Commuion.
 
Deborah_Kloos said:
What do priests look for in choosing a Eucharistic minister? I really wanted to be a Eucharistic minister, but the priest does not think I am ready. I don’t understand why and they won’t tell me why either. It is really difficult for me to understand and I feel a little hurt about this situation.
Click to expand...
Deborah, I’ll throw my two cents. I don’t really care about your past posts or if you are singing in a Nazarene Church. You are finding your way back into the Church and that is what’s important. 😉 the fact that you wanted to sign up to be an EM says a great deal about where your heart is at. I think it is wrong for the priest to not give you an explanation. How can we keep people in the Catholic faith if we don’t take the time to councle? Just saying your not ready is unfairly vague. I would suggest for you to make an appointment with him in good will and ask him what might the problem be. You should not be feeling hurt my friend. Perhaps after talking with him you will feel much better.

As a side note, I signed up to help serve. The coordinator trained us and put us on the schedule. The priest had nothing to do with it other than meeting with the coordinator for thier montly liturgy meetings. Personally, I’ve never heard of someone being turned away to help serve. Our parish doesn’t do back ground checks on people who want to serve for heavens sake. No one knows what is in your heart. Sounds persumptuous. I started serving right after I converted. Did the coordinator tell you the priest said this or did the priest actually say this to you? Just curious.

Anyway, take heart and please don’t give up. Talk to the priest and ask in kindness. You might find out that this is just a misunderstanding. You should seriously get an explanation.
 
I know that the reason the priest does not want me to be an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist is that I am struggling emotionally with issues re to being sexually molested by a priest at age 17. Although the priest does not think I am ready to be an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, my heart has been ready for a very long time since I renewed my Catholic faith at the altar at a special mass. When I did this, I dedicated my heart to serving the Catholic faith. I go to mass as often as possible during the week and on the weekends I go to at least two out of four masses. I sing at mass and at every funeral. I watch mass on ETWN every day, read Catholic literature, and listen to Catholic programs. It does not matter how many times I listen to the homily on the weekends, because everytime I listen to it the scriptures touch my heart profoundly. I still get periods of depression from what happened to me and when I am around the priests, especially when they wear the black clerical outfit with the collar I feel very anxious and uncomfortable because the priest who abused me wore that outfit. I also look up to these men who have dedicated their lives to serving Christ with admiration and I want to be serving Christ in as many ways as I can. I want to nourish people with Him by giving them the Eucharist, especially if they are sick because it is the most beautiful gift one can give another person. Also I believe that giving of one’s self in service of the Lord is very important as we receive the Eucharist and are called to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus. I understand the priest’s concerns about me being a Eucharistic minister, but I don’t think he understands how much it hurts me profoundly to feel in my heart that this is what the Lord wants me to do, to be as close to the Lord as possible by serving at the altar, and to be able to give the precious gift of Jesus to others. I understand that one can’t do everything in the church. My vocation is a Registered Nurse and I serve the sick, nourishing their physical, emotional, and at times their spiritual needs. I give medication to the sick. I see the Eucharist as being a spiritual medication to people because it fills them with Jesus. I really believe just as I tend to the sick, I am also called to nourish people with the gift of Jesus. I know that I am not worthy of this task, but I do know that my heart longs to do this and I am sure that this longing comes from the Holy Spirit who lives within us. I respect the priest who does not think I am ready to be an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, but I want to know what qualities that I need to be ready to do this when the priest thinks I am ready. What do I have to do to improve myself? I have read the books about being an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist and have answered all the questions. I know that I don’t have every quality on the list, but I don’t think everyone does or will have every quality. The priest who does not think I am ready is a very upstanding man whom I respect and think highly of, but I wish he would give me clear cut information of what he is looking for in an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, so I know why he won’t choose me and I can work on some goals to grow spiritually if that is what it takes. It really hurts to not know what to do or what is expected of me.
 
Well,

Its really too bad actually. That some parishes use EMHCs as a developed ministry which has taken place as the norm.

The concept of EMHC was not created to bring the laity into the Mass…it was created because of the availiblity of deacons and priests.

I frosts me when people see it as a persona ministry when it really is a fill in in extraordinary circumstances.

How often have we seen the armies of EMHCs standing in the back of the sanctuary gulping down the leftoevers. Proof enough that they are over used.
WE ALL NEED TO PRAY FERVENTLY THAT EMHCs WILL NO LONGER BE NEEDED.

I pray for the day the practice ends.
 
what did the priest tell you when you asked him why you cannot serve (or why you cannot serve at the present time)?
 
Deborah_Kloos said:
I know that the reason the priest does not want me to be an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist is that I am struggling emotionally with issues re to being sexually molested by a priest at age 17. Although the priest does not think I am ready to be an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, my heart has been ready for a very long time since I renewed my Catholic faith at the altar at a special mass. When I did this, I dedicated my heart to serving the Catholic faith. I go to mass as often as possible during the week and on the weekends I go to at least two out of four masses. I sing at mass and at every funeral. I watch mass on ETWN every day, read Catholic literature, and listen to Catholic programs. It does not matter how many times I listen to the homily on the weekends, because everytime I listen to it the scriptures touch my heart profoundly. I still get periods of depression from what happened to me and when I am around the priests, especially when they wear the black clerical outfit with the collar I feel very anxious and uncomfortable because the priest who abused me wore that outfit. I also look up to these men who have dedicated their lives to serving Christ with admiration and I want to be serving Christ in as many ways as I can. I want to nourish people with Him by giving them the Eucharist, especially if they are sick because it is the most beautiful gift one can give another person. Also I believe that giving of one’s self in service of the Lord is very important as we receive the Eucharist and are called to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus. I understand the priest’s concerns about me being a Eucharistic minister, but I don’t think he understands how much it hurts me profoundly to feel in my heart that this is what the Lord wants me to do, to be as close to the Lord as possible by serving at the altar, and to be able to give the precious gift of Jesus to others. I understand that one can’t do everything in the church. My vocation is a Registered Nurse and I serve the sick, nourishing their physical, emotional, and at times their spiritual needs. I give medication to the sick. I see the Eucharist as being a spiritual medication to people because it fills them with Jesus. I really believe just as I tend to the sick, I am also called to nourish people with the gift of Jesus. I know that I am not worthy of this task, but I do know that my heart longs to do this and I am sure that this longing comes from the Holy Spirit who lives within us. I respect the priest who does not think I am ready to be an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, but I want to know what qualities that I need to be ready to do this when the priest thinks I am ready. What do I have to do to improve myself? I have read the books about being an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist and have answered all the questions. I know that I don’t have every quality on the list, but I don’t think everyone does or will have every quality. The priest who does not think I am ready is a very upstanding man whom I respect and think highly of, but I wish he would give me clear cut information of what he is looking for in an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, so I know why he won’t choose me and I can work on some goals to grow spiritually if that is what it takes. It really hurts to not know what to do or what is expected of me.
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Personally, I think the priest is right in telling you that you are not ready. You still have major issues stemming from your abuse, and these need to be addressed and worked out within you. hopefully, you are receiving counseling for this part of your life.
 
The priest said I am not ready, because as an Extraordinary minister of the Eucharist you must have close contact with the priest, but I have been sexually abused by a priest and I am not healed from it. He does not understand my heart. Despite everything that has happened, I believe that like Jesus kept His wounds after the Resurrection, people carry wounds either observable physical scars or wounds of the heart. These scars are there and they make each person unique, but the suffering also is a gift which brings us closer to Jesus, because we have a tiny understanding of His suffering for humanity that He wanted us to always remember. The wounds we endure in our life also make us very empathetic to the needs of others in similar circumstances because we have been through it. We will always bear the wounds of our suffering which have an effect on us for the rest of our lives, but these wounds help refine us, making us unique. I believe that because a person has scars, it should not be a reason why they could not serve Eucharist. If anything, it would bring them closer to Jesus and be very empathetic and compassionate in serving the Body of Christ. Yes I have been deeply hurt by the sexual abuse, but what hurts more is that I feel misunderstood and uninvited to the altar with the other people. I take my faith very seriously and if the priest does not think I am ready, I respect his decision, but it still hurts deeply. It won’t stop me from faithfully going to mass or from participating in other ministries that will benefit the church with all my heart. His decision also won’t stop me from tithing or make me lose respect in his leadership. I will just do my best to be a good steward within the tasks God has blessed me with like Father Solanus Casey, who was a monk who was not allowed to give a homily because he did not know German well. I am committed to the church to be a humble, faithful servant.
 
When I was first commissioned as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, my name was sent to the bishop. The pastor has to vouch for each person given this extraordinary gift.
There are many gifts of service from hospice to candle cleaning. Therese of Liseux wanted to become a missionary, yet her call was to remain cloistered in the convent near her home. Could she have reached as many people doing otherwise?
I think it was she who first said to “do ordinary things extraorinarily.” I have very often been in a position of high visibility. Yet what I do for the kingdom of God is no more important than the person whose gift of service is cooking the meals taken to the homebound. I am no more important in the eyes of God than the person who sets up the chairs in the auditorium for a Eucharistic Congress or Charismatic Conference… This unsung service is likewise a gift. It is these people who are humble of heart and their work seldom recognized.
 
You are very right and I appreciate your feedback. I think being in the spotlight is not what it is all about related to God. I would like to be an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist basically to bring Holy Eucharist to the sick and homebound, which really is not in the spotlight. Tending to these people, who are sick and lonely is something special, because you have the opportunity to nourish them with the Body of Christ. I feel like this is a special calling, especially because I already have years of experience tending to the sick, dying, and their families as a Registered Nurse. This is my vocation and I love my work immensely, but presently I am working in a postpartum area and I don’t have as much opportunity to tend to the needs of the special population of the sick. I love working in postpartum, but also really miss working with elderly people. These people are unique, special people who have a lot to teach us.
 
we must also remember it is not always up to us to choose the manner in which we will serve, but that it is God who calls us to service, generally through the priest, bishop or their delegate. It is also God who prepares us for the service to which we are called, often through the means provided by the bishop or his delegate, also through our personal experience including suffering, and waiting.
 
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