EuchMinister breaks up hosts to have enough

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My wife and I went to Mass yesterday morning. For some reason we were in the last section to receive Communion. My wife was watching the Eucharistic Minister and saw that she was breaking up the hosts in her cup to have enough as it was near the end. My wife was trying to tell me but I could not understand what she was saying to me. I thought she saw someone take the Body of Christ and was breaking it into their own hand.

When we got up to receive, we were given a fragment of a host, about 1/8 normal size. I took it in stride but my wife was very upset about it afterward. She says she will only take Communion from the priest or the deacon from now on.

My question is what is the proper way to handle this situation when there are not enough hosts? Did this EM handle this situation properly? There must be some rules about this? Should we alert the pastor? I have never heard of this being done. credo
 
I personally have seen this done, and I think it is OK—I do not have any documentation if an EMHC is technically allowed to do this, but we know this is done with the consecration host.

We are instructed to do this, in the hospital, either if we run short, or if the person cannot consume an entire host.

It would be best to mention this to your Pastor, if you have any questions or concerns.
 
I think it’s preferred that the priest does the fractioning. It might also have been more proper for the EMHC to finish distributing what he or she had, and then obtain some reserved hosts from the tabernacle. But maybe as a practical matter it was decided that was necessary so there would be enough for everyone.

And don’t worry, you still received the Lord, body, blood, soul and divinity in the smaller-than-normal host, which is such a wonderful gift!
 
Why was your wife upset with this? Did she think she got less grace by receiving a smaller piece?

This practice is in accord with liturgical norms, and is the instruction from the priest to the EMHCs when it appears the number of recipients is greater than the amount of remaining hosts.
 
Weird, this just happened at my church for the first time too. Then the man who was teaching me how to take communion to shut-ins said sometimes he does this when someone is there who also wants to receive. The only problem I see is that a truly bed-bound, dehydrated or elderly patient could choke on those sharp edges.
 
What’s the big deal?

Occasionally there will be a wonderfully large crowd at our parish for Mass for no apparent reason (standing room only, and not on a major holy day), and because of this I’ve seen our priests break up the hosts on more than one occasion. In fact, our priest ran out of consecrated hosts once- this after distributing what was consecrated at Mass and what was in the tabernacle. All that was left was a half chalice of the Precious Blood that an EMHC had placed on the altar after he was finished distributing at his station. Father took that, and distributed it to the rest of the communicants. There was just enough for all, and he made an announcement after finishing the Eucharistic prayer that all who only received from the cup had still received the full Body and Blood of Christ.

Think of it as a re-enactment of the “loaves and fishes” miracle. All were fed by Christ. What does it matter if we are fed with a large or small piece?
 
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credo:
My wife and I went to Mass yesterday morning. For some reason we were in the last section to receive Communion. My wife was watching the Eucharistic Minister and saw that she was breaking up the hosts in her cup to have enough as it was near the end. My wife was trying to tell me but I could not understand what she was saying to me. I thought she saw someone take the Body of Christ and was breaking it into their own hand.

When we got up to receive, we were given a fragment of a host, about 1/8 normal size. I took it in stride but my wife was very upset about it afterward. She says she will only take Communion from the priest or the deacon from now on.

My question is what is the proper way to handle this situation when there are not enough hosts? Did this EM handle this situation properly? There must be some rules about this? Should we alert the pastor? I have never heard of this being done. credo
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Yes it is proper. The EM did exactly what he was supposted to do. However; this should not have happened. I would suggest talking to the priest because in my church, when one station is done, the EM goes to other stations and co-distriutes the hose until all are distributed. The EM’s need to help each other and make sure this does not happen. If you are really, really concerned, I would suggest you take the EM classes and help out.

Praise God for you concerns and understanding.
 
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credo:
My wife was watching the Eucharistic Minister and saw that she was breaking up the hosts in her cup to have enough as it was near the end.

…

My question is what is the proper way to handle this situation when there are not enough hosts? Did this EM handle this situation properly? There must be some rules about this? Should we alert the pastor? I have never heard of this being done. credo
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To adress you question directly, the proper way to handle this is to speak with your priest. RS 73 states:
  1. ***In the celebration of Holy Mass the breaking of the Eucharistic Bread—done only by the Priest celebrant, if necessary with the help of a Deacon or of a concelebrant—***begins after the exchange of peace, while the Agnus Dei is being recited. For the gesture of breaking bread “carried out by Christ at the Last Supper, which in apostolic times gave the whole eucharistic action its name, signifies that the faithful, though they are many, are made one Body in the communion of the one Bread of Life who is Christ, who died and rose for the world’s salvation” (cf. 1 Cor 10:17)…
(My emphasis added)

This has been interpreted differently in different churches. Some believe this only speaks to the the liturgical prayer others believe it also applies to the distribution of communion. This is an area my priest has decided to err on the side of protecting the Body of Chist.
 
the “fractioning” pertains to the action on the altar, not while distributing.

I’ve also been in situations where, lacking sufficient hosts, the so-called “advanced” Catholics were given a quick and discrete flick of the finger when we approached which we knew meant to proceed to the Cup and receive there only. .
 
In any case, the size of the host one recieves does not matter. From the smallest crumb to the largest piece, each particle is the whole, undivided Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.

There is no less Grace involved and one is recieving the whole Jesus no matter how small a physical particle one recieves.
 
This is (from what I understand) ok to do. The GIRM reference is specific to the fractioning, which takes place at the altar and is to be done solely by the priest. I have never heard it applied to the EMHC while distributing Holy Communion before. Of course, if a priest would prefer to err on the side of caution with this regard, I personally have no problem with it!! Really, I would rather go back to the communion rail and do away with the whole EMHC thing anyway.

But, returning to this particular matter, at our own parish this past Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the evening Mass had waaaaaaay more people than we expected and the EMHCs almost immediately started breaking the hosts in half per the direction of the priest. Even so there was very little left over.

Obviously this is not something that should be done on anything close to a regular basis…

Someone may wish to post this question over at the EWTN Q&A boards, under the Canon Law grouping, to see if we can get a more official response.

In any case, no one should feel “slighted” by only receiving a partial Host – Jesus is present in His entirety, Body Blood Soul and Divinity in every visible piece of the Host (or drop of the Blood). Those who do not understand this have not been properly instructed, sadly…

+veritas+
 
not only ok, but permitted, and preferred as opposed to going to the tabernacle for extra… :cool:
 
space ghost:
not only ok, but permitted, and preferred as opposed to going to the tabernacle for extra… :cool:
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Who knows, some may need extra!

😃
 
+veritas+:
But, returning to this particular matter, at our own parish this past Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the evening Mass had waaaaaaay more people than we expected ]

Praise God that there was a good crowd at your evening Mass! What a wonderful tribute to Our Lady and the teaching authority of the church. Sorry I got carried away. It’s OK to break the Host, if your pastor allows it.

God bless,
Deacon Tony
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credo:
My wife and I went to Mass yesterday morning. For some reason we were in the last section to receive Communion. My wife was watching the Eucharistic Minister and saw that she was breaking up the hosts in her cup to have enough as it was near the end. My wife was trying to tell me but I could not understand what she was saying to me. I thought she saw someone take the Body of Christ and was breaking it into their own hand.

When we got up to receive, we were given a fragment of a host, about 1/8 normal size. I took it in stride but my wife was very upset about it afterward. She says she will only take Communion from the priest or the deacon from now on.

My question is what is the proper way to handle this situation when there are not enough hosts? Did this EM handle this situation properly? There must be some rules about this? Should we alert the pastor? I have never heard of this being done. credo
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The EMHC did what is normally done. The situation should not happen again as more hosts should now be placed in the cibroium for Consecration.
 
just 4 him:
To adress you question directly, the proper way to handle this is to speak with your priest. RS 73 states:
  1. ***In the celebration of Holy Mass the breaking of the Eucharistic Bread—done only by the Priest celebrant, if necessary with the help of a Deacon or of a concelebrant—***begins after the exchange of peace, while the Agnus Dei is being recited. For the gesture of breaking bread “carried out by Christ at the Last Supper, which in apostolic times gave the whole eucharistic action its name, signifies that the faithful, though they are many, are made one Body in the communion of the one Bread of Life who is Christ, who died and rose for the world’s salvation” (cf. 1 Cor 10:17)…
(My emphasis added)

This has been interpreted differently in different churches. Some believe this only speaks to the the liturgical prayer others believe it also applies to the distribution of communion. This is an area my priest has decided to err on the side of protecting the Body of Chist.
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This only applies to the Fraction which is part of the Eucharistic prayer, where the main Host is broken before it is consumed by the celebrant. Many today also refer to the pouring of the wine before Consecration into several chalices as “Fractioning” the wine. This is also an incorrect use of the term “Fraction”.
 
we never run out …because we always have the MC running around the altar area, going from one EMHC to another, giving more Hosts when someone is running low… the reason that is always needed is that we never (i know, i know 😦 ) have enough Hosts consecrated during the Consecration… always having to use the Hosts in reserve in the tabernacle… kinda makes one wonder why there are always 2 or 3 ciboria full of consecrated Hosts…:hmmm: i know they always count the number needed at daily Mass…so there can’t be am excess there on a regular basis
 
I am an EMHC at my parish and this happened a few Sunday’s ago. At the last Mass on Sunday about 3x’s the normal came and there was an insufficient supply of consecrated Hosts. Even after breaking the Hosts we had a significant shortage. The priest was humiliated. No Precious Blood and no Hosts. About 100 communicants did not receive. The next Sunday I was told by another priest in our parish that there is a solution to this dilemma. The celebrating priest can do an “emergency Consecration” at that time. Of course, I never heard of this! Does anyone have knowledge of this consecration?
 
Bob Baran:
I am an EMHC at my parish and this happened a few Sunday’s ago. At the last Mass on Sunday about 3x’s the normal came and there was an insufficient supply of consecrated Hosts. Even after breaking the Hosts we had a significant shortage. The priest was humiliated. No Precious Blood and no Hosts. About 100 communicants did not receive. The next Sunday I was told by another priest in our parish that there is a solution to this dilemma. The celebrating priest can do an “emergency Consecration” at that time. Of course, I never heard of this! Does anyone have knowledge of this consecration?
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The only thing I know of that is similar is something that I saw in the GIRM about how if the priest discovers that there was no wine in the chalice (and therefore it was not validly consecrated) he can add the wine and quietly consecrate the Blood at that point before distributing.

I suppose it could be gathered that if something like that is allowed, it may also be allowed for a priest to say the words of consecration over more hosts if absolutely necessary and as part of the Mass. Does anyone else know any more about this? :confused:

+veritas+
 
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credo:
My wife and I went to Mass yesterday morning. For some reason we were in the last section to receive Communion. My wife was watching the Eucharistic Minister and saw that she was breaking up the hosts in her cup to have enough as it was near the end. My wife was trying to tell me but I could not understand what she was saying to me. I thought she saw someone take the Body of Christ and was breaking it into their own hand.

When we got up to receive, we were given a fragment of a host, about 1/8 normal size. I took it in stride but my wife was very upset about it afterward. She says she will only take Communion from the priest or the deacon from now on.

My question is what is the proper way to handle this situation when there are not enough hosts? Did this EM handle this situation properly? There must be some rules about this? Should we alert the pastor? I have never heard of this being done. credo
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With all honesty: it would be great for you to ASK YOUR Diocese officials about this, not some lay people on these threads who may be just giving what THEY beleive is liturgical law and permitted. CALL, or write the Liturgy office director in YOUR PARTICULAR DIOCESE!!! oR, AS cANON lAW ITSELF PERMITS YOU TO DO, WRITE TO YOUR bISHOP, NAMINING THE PARISH, AND DATE, AND MASS.
 
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