Eucharistic Ministers?

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KnightforChrist

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Question for all…

Why do we see, especially in smaller church parishes such as the one that I’m in, extraordinary eucharistic ministers at both the vigil and sunday morning masses…

I thought unless the priest was say physically hindered or if there were such a large number of people that it caused a overrun on the time for mass that the priest was to be the minister of the eucharist ???

I am not talking about large church parishes…I’m well aware it would take an extra long time to distribute communion…

Anyway, in small cases, such as mine and possibly some of yours, say 50 people at a Saturday evening vigil…Why has this become a practice when its supposed to be reserved for these extra-ordinary circumstances ???

Any guidelines would be appreciated !!! 🙂
 
The best thing to do is first talk to your pastor and ask him why. He might just not know and may be relying on a lay “liturgical minister.”

Baring that look at the following article from Catholic Answers and there is a section that addresses what to do if there is an issue in your parish with liturgical abuse.

catholic.com/library/liturgy/cag_changes.asp
 
Perhaps…

the priest is hesitant (afraid?) to tell the lay people just what extraordinary really means

or

he has himself bought into the abuse-turned-norm

or

there is a misunderstanding of what active participation was meant to convey.

.
 
Do any of you have this go on in their parishes where this has become the norm ??? Extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist at all masses ??? 🙂
 
KnightforChrist said:
Do any of you have this go on in their parishes where this has become the norm ??? Extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist at all masses ??? 🙂
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Yes. I’ve been to a Daily Mass where there were more Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion than people attending the Mass.:eek:

It seems like in most parishes that the “Extraordinary” minister, has become “ordinary”…
 
At my parish there are almost always extraordinary ministers even at the daily Masses, people don’t seem to know or care that this is really an abuse.😦
 
KnightforChrist said:
Question for all…

Why do we see, especially in smaller church parishes such as the one that I’m in, extraordinary eucharistic ministers at both the vigil and sunday morning masses…

I thought unless the priest was say physically hindered or if there were such a large number of people that it caused a overrun on the time for mass that the priest was to be the minister of the eucharist ???

I am not talking about large church parishes…I’m well aware it would take an extra long time to distribute communion…

Anyway, in small cases, such as mine and possibly some of yours, say 50 people at a Saturday evening vigil…Why has this become a practice when its supposed to be reserved for these extra-ordinary circumstances ???

Any guidelines would be appreciated !!! 🙂
Click to expand...
I pray it is out of charity that the priests do not wish to withhold the duties of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion in a small parish. Please remember that they also provide this service for the homebound, the sick in hospitals, etc. It is very hard to stop a train going downhill.
 
At my parish, we usually have between 100-150 people at each Mass, and we utilize a few EMHC’s. But they do have very good training, and rumor has it we’ll be getting a deacon next year, so they will decrease at least by one.

I don’t see a problem with EMHC’s as long as it’s done reverently. Our church has a dress code, but I’ve been to Masses at other churches where they wear t-shirt, shorts, and filp-flops, and sometimes some dresses that were inapproriately short for no matter where they were.
 
KnightforChrist said:
Question for all…

Why do we see, especially in smaller church parishes such as the one that I’m in, extraordinary eucharistic ministers at both the vigil and sunday morning masses…

I thought unless the priest was say physically hindered or if there were such a large number of people that it caused a overrun on the time for mass that the priest was to be the minister of the eucharist ???

I am not talking about large church parishes…I’m well aware it would take an extra long time to distribute communion…

Anyway, in small cases, such as mine and possibly some of yours, say 50 people at a Saturday evening vigil…Why has this become a practice when its supposed to be reserved for these extra-ordinary circumstances ???

Any guidelines would be appreciated !!! 🙂
Click to expand...
You are correct. The Church allows for extraordinary ministers, such as at a time when the priest is unable to distribute communion as you pointed out.

However, extraordinary measures seem to have a way of becoming the norm.
 
trth_skr said:
Are we seeing the pendulum slowing and possibly even turning back?
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I would hope so regarding the “incorrect” use of extra-ordinary ministers…So many churches have started to accept this as the norm when in “many”, not all cases, it shouldn’t be practiced…👍
 
Unless the Priest has been gifted with bi-location, distributing under both Sacred Species requires a second person - be they Deacon or EEHCs…
 
kage_ar said:
Unless the Priest has been gifted with bi-location, distributing under both Sacred Species requires a second person - be they Deacon or EEHCs…
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If you read the new guidlines, they are saying- if there are not enough priests / deacons / acolytes to clean the vessels, then just distribute the consecrated hosts, i.e., as it was for over 1000 years, the Eucharist under one species is sufficient.

Mark Wyatt
www.veritas-catholic.blogspot.com
 
trth_skr said:
If you read the new guidlines, they are saying- if there are not enough priests / deacons / acolytes to clean the vessels, then just distribute the consecrated hosts, i.e., as it was for over 1000 years, the Eucharist under one species is sufficient.

Mark Wyatt
www.veritas-catholic.blogspot.com
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Guess I’m in the wrong line - I thought we were discussing distrobution and there was a different thread for cleansing discussions…

Did I mention cleansing, anywhere???

And one Priest is plenty 'nuff to cleanse the vessles.
 
That is an excellent point you have made that goes “in hand” with the current abuse topic !!!

I remember when I was younger that you didn’t have both species at each and every mass like many parishes do now…(I know, not all do this)

Do any of you also see that in some cases, whether at your parish or at a visiting parish, this has become more of a production and accepted as a norm ???
 
KnightforChrist said:
That is an excellent point you have made that goes “in hand” with the current abuse topic !!!

I remember when I was younger that you didn’t have both species at each and every mass like many parishes do now…(I know, not all do this)

Do any of you also see that in some cases, whether at your parish or at a visiting parish, this has become more of a production and accepted as a norm ???
Click to expand...
On Sundays my parish only offers under both species at 1 Mass. At the rest of the Masses, only 1 species is offered.

Most parishes I go to only offer both species at daily Mass not Sunday Mass.
 
KnightforChrist said:
That is an excellent point you have made that goes “in hand” with the current abuse topic !!!

I remember when I was younger that you didn’t have both species at each and every mass like many parishes do now…(I know, not all do this)

Do any of you also see that in some cases, whether at your parish or at a visiting parish, this has become more of a production and accepted as a norm ???
Click to expand...
I remember when I was going through RCIA, someone asked me (I am not sure why me) about this question. I did not know. I did some research on the internet and came back with a handful of information, basically saying that the US bishops wanted it, they pressured the Vatican who did not want to give it, but finally capitulated with a lot of caution. Once the permission was granted, it became widespread (pretty much ignoring the cautions) very quickly. Very much like the altar girl issue.

Mark Wyatt
www.veritas-catholic.blogspot.com
 
Well get use to it. With the shortage of priest, it won’t be too long that here in the US, we’ll be having communion services led by lay presiders instead of priest.

We’re heading for some difficult times I’m afraid to say.

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Well get use to it. With the shortage of priest, it won’t be too long that here in the US, we’ll be having communion services led by lay presiders instead of priest.

We’re heading for some difficult times I’m afraid to say.

Jim
Click to expand...
Jim:

That may be so for a short period. If the Vatican truly cleans house and refocuses on the west, coupled with bringing the SSPX back in and allowing freer access to the indult (maybe even if the SSPX is not brought back in), we may actually see a phase change scenario where young people are attracted to the Church again. Clearly, the anything goes type scenario did not work. That is already available outside the Church (in a much stronger form), what differentiates the Church?

I am not claiming that all the problems can be solved in the liturgy, but it is a very important issue. Nor am I claiming that only by returning to the Tridentine can we solve the problems- but it certainly will not hurt, and in my view will help.

(Sorry for diluting the thread).

Mark Wyatt
www.veritas-catholic.blogspot.com
 
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