Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion process question

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KimberlyAnn0218

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Hello 😉

It has been a year since my EOMHC training and this hasn’t come up yet and it makes me nervous…what as a layperson should I do when a child is with an adult in the communion line? Are there “rules”–obviously I cannot make the sign of the cross on them like the priest does 🙂 I recall a very vague reference to this in training.

Kim
 
KimberlyAnn0218 said:
Hello 😉

It has been a year since my EOMHC training and this hasn’t come up yet and it makes me nervous…what as a layperson should I do when a child is with an adult in the communion line? Are there “rules”–obviously I cannot make the sign of the cross on them like the priest does 🙂 I recall a very vague reference to this in training.

Kim
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Hello Kimberly,

Here is a document from Rome on that issue:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=543513

In short, you should not be offering any sort of blessing or action for the child. A communion line is a line to receive communion, not for blessings.

Watch out, others will try to tell you otherwise, but it should not be done.
 
I just went through EHMC training a few weeks ago, and they said that if someone comes up for a blessing, we’re not to touch them or make any type of action that would appear like a blessing. They preferred that we just smile and nod at them, to acknowledge that we did see them there, but to try to make it clear that we weren’t going to bless them. The lady who did our training said we could say something like “Pray for Jesus to be with you in your heart” if someone was very insistent and wouldn’t move along, but not to make it appear like any sort of “official” blessing.
 
Please don’t discuss whether or not blessings should be given in the communion line. Please stay on topic. Thank you all.
 
powerlinemom said:
I just went through EHMC training a few weeks ago, and they said that if someone comes up for a blessing, we’re not to touch them or make any type of action that would appear like a blessing. They preferred that we just smile and nod at them, to acknowledge that we did see them there, but to try to make it clear that we weren’t going to bless them. The lady who did our training said we could say something like “Pray for Jesus to be with you in your heart” if someone was very insistent and wouldn’t move along, but not to make it appear like any sort of “official” blessing.
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I think this is good advice.
 
KimberlyAnn0218 said:
Hello 😉

It has been a year since my EOMHC training and this hasn’t come up yet and it makes me nervous…what as a layperson should I do when a child is with an adult in the communion line? Are there “rules”–obviously I cannot make the sign of the cross on them like the priest does 🙂 I recall a very vague reference to this in training.

Kim
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If this takes place in most Eastern Catholic parishes you should ascertain from the adult if the child is to receive Holy Communion.
 
1ke said:
nothing.

The adult receives and moves on.
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This is what we do also. Many parents bring their young children up through the line with them because they don’t want to leave them sitting alone. Unless a child actually stops and shows that he/she is ready to receive (ie has made a sign of reverance - bow, etc.), we are taught to basically ignore them. (That sounds harsh, but communion really would take forever if every pre-communion child was acknowledged.)

In the case that a child is receiving but appeared young or doesn’t make any sign of reverence, the parents usually say something quietly, nod, or otherwise let you know.

I have never seen any commotion in the communion procession over this.
 
I am glad 2 people clearly said “nothing” because that was my plan 🙂
 
This is really interesting. I’m in college and was trained as an EM here. I’m now the EM coordinator so I train EMs, and want to make sure I’m doing it right. What I was told in training (and what I’ve been telling people) is that they can’t make the sign of the cross on anyone, but they can give them a blessing (what the training manual that I got from previous coordinators said is that they can say something along the lines of “May God bless you on this day”) And our priest blesses all the small children (thought there are only a handful of them at each Mass since we are at a college after all). And all of my friends who were going through RCIA were told to go up for a blessing. Plus I’m an international student and back home, before my first communion, we’d all go up for a blessing too. I’m just so confused – if this is actually forbidden, I have a hard time imagining that everyone, at every parish I’ve ever been to, does it.
 
Mangaartist said:
I’m just so confused – if this is actually forbidden, I have a hard time imagining that everyone, at every parish I’ve ever been to, does it.
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Don’t be surprised. Receiving Holy Communion in the hand was forbidden too, but widely practiced, before it was eventually permitted. Female altar servers were also forbidden, but widely in use, before they were eventually permitted.
 
KimberlyAnn0218 said:
Hello 😉

It has been a year since my EOMHC training and this hasn’t come up yet and it makes me nervous…what as a layperson should I do when a child is with an adult in the communion line? Are there “rules”–obviously I cannot make the sign of the cross on them like the priest does 🙂 I recall a very vague reference to this in training.

Kim
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Ask your pastor. He will know what the Bishop recommends in your diocese.
 
In our diocese we are asked to pray like this when someone asks for a blessing:

“May the Lord bless and keep you.”

We are not giving a blessing, but asking for one.
 
If someone wants a blessing from me I just smile:) and quietly say, “Sorry, but I’m not a priest.” That has always worked quite well.
 
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