Extraordinary Ministers Of Communion

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palmas85

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Why are there extraordinary ministers of communion when you have more than one priest at a Mass? I can understand or at least accept them if you have one priest and a huge congregation, even though receiving communion really doesn’t take that much time, and the Priests in Novus Ordo Masses really aren’t on their feet that much anyway. But I have seen times where you would have several priests, and six to eight extraordinary ministers for congregations of maybe a hundred or so tops. I mean are they really needed or are they just something to give the laity more participation in the Mass? Just wondering.
 
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palmas85:
Why are there extraordinary ministers of communion when you have more than one priest at a Mass? I can understand or at least accept them if you have one priest and a huge congregation, even though receiving communion really doesn’t take that much time, and the Priests in Novus Ordo Masses really aren’t on their feet that much anyway. But I have seen times where you would have several priests, and six to eight extraordinary ministers for congregations of maybe a hundred or so tops. I mean are they really needed or are they just something to give the laity more participation in the Mass? Just wondering.
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Paraphrased, the official rubric that deals with this says that EMC’s are only to be used if there are not enough Ordinary Ministers of Communion (clergy) so as not to overburden the faithful with an extra long time spent during the time of the reception of communion. In effect, the use of EMC’s apart from this rubric is a liturgical abuse.
 
The number of EMHC (Extraordinary Ministrs of HOLY Communion) is left to the discretion of the Pastor. There may be other circumstances of which you are not aware. It would be better and more productive to discuss this with him, rather than on the internet.
 
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Mysty101:
The number of EMHC (Extraordinary Ministrs of HOLY Communion) is left to the discretion of the Pastor. There may be other circumstances of which you are not aware. It would be better and more productive to discuss this with him, rather than on the internet.
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Actually I was hoping someone could tell me exactly why they are needed. I have read about in case of emergencies, too many in the congregation only in extraordinary circumstances, but I have yet to hear or see a reply that seems to justify them except as a convenience to both the Priest and the congregation. Since I attend both types of Masses, I can tell you that it really doesn’t take a lot longer to receive with just the Priest giving Holy Communion, than with the Extraordinary Ministers. And I honestly cannot understand why you need to get Holy Communion over with in such a big hurry anyway. So it takes five minutes more of your time, is it really so hard?

Not trying to criticize, just understand.

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I’m just saying that is what the rubric says. It is specifically for the speedy and organized reception of communion.
 
I would like to point out that in times, when there are to many parishners, they should be used…
The parish I started attending has filled their 1,500 person church every mass it seems…There are 2 Priests there, which is a rarity in my diocese… 1 Deacon/Seminarian but he is away at a Mission, but he was there for 1 week.
The Priests seem to switch days for Masses, and I’ve never seen them both at the same Mass, assuming at least one is attending to others needs in our community…
Now, let say we have 1,000 people in the Mass… The 1 Priest hands out the Eucharist… Now, let’s give 30 seconds for reverence sake, though some people may take longer… That’s an additional 8 hours to hand out the Eucharist… Sure, I would wait in that line, but that becomes a LARGE Inconvience to not only the Mass attenders, but also to all other services that day…
So, 8 hours for 1 Mass, we’ll just group the whole registered 3,000 families (not parishoners) attend 1 Mass… With both Priest… So 1,500 people per line, that is about 13 hours for Communion…
Now for the week with the Deacon, that would be about only 8 hours to recieve communion.
Even if we rushed through the Eucharist in 5 seconds and did not give Jesus any respect or reverence, that mass would take around 2 1/2 hours total with 1000 people, and that would run into another Mass, so add another 1 1/2 or so…

Now, is that 5 more minutes of our time? I hope that justifies it for you…
And note, my parish uses 7 Eucharist Ministers… 3 Ministers + the Priest distrubite the Bread, and 4 Ministers distribute the Wine
(Couldn’t think how to say them apart since I know both are the Body and Blood, so I refered to them by their accidents)
Our Communion Procession then will usually will take maybe 20 minutes…
 
I’ve never seen a Priest anywhere spend 30 seconds on one communicant. Sorry but the math doesn’t add up. But yes I would imagine with 1500 people at one Mass the Priest would need some help, however, you must belong to a huge parish. Where is it? I would love to see 1500 people at an ordinary Sunday Mass. And I imagine your church has several Sunday Masses doesn’t it? It must be a great feeling to ba a parishner at such a Church.
 
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CatholicCid:
And note, my parish uses 7 Eucharist Ministers… 3 Ministers + the Priest distrubite the Bread, and 4 Ministers distribute the Wine
(Couldn’t think how to say them apart since I know both are the Body and Blood, so I refered to them by their accidents)
Our Communion Procession then will usually will take maybe 20 minutes…
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You could say Host or Body & Precious Blood or even distribute the Cup. (some get hysterical if you say cup rather than Chalice) For some reason I usually only refer to the Priest’s Chalice as the Chalice, and I call the other Chalices the cup—just my quirk.
 
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CatholicCid:
Now, let’s give 30 seconds for reverence sake, though some people may take longer…
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CatholicCid, take out a watch with a second hand and see just how long 30 seconds is. Try this: Say the words, “The Body of Christ. Amen,” and time it. I found that to do this at a fairly unhurried pace takes about 3 seconds. That’s 20 people per minute, a hundred in 5 minutes. A thousand could be covered by the priest alone in about an hour, leaving time for those who would genuflect or kneel and take a bit longer. Two people could do it in 30 minutes, four in 15 minutes. It’s not a matter of rushing through and not giving Jesus any reverence. That happens in each communicant’s heart after reception. So fifteen minutes for Communion allows each communicant EITHER extra time for loving preparation as they wait to receive, or extra time for thanksgiving if they receive at the beginning, or some of each for those in the middle of the line. A multiplicity of ministers is what makes Communion rushed and irreverent.

I agree with the original poster who intimated that having a large number of EMHCs is often to give the laity something to do. And this is specifically forbidden in Redemptionis Sacramentum.

Betsy
 
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baltobetsy:
CatholicCid, take out a watch with a second hand and see just how long 30 seconds is. Try this: Say the words, “The Body of Christ. Amen,” and time it. I found that to do this at a fairly unhurried pace takes about 3 seconds. That’s 20 people per minute, a hundred in 5 minutes. A thousand could be covered by the priest alone in about an hour, leaving time for those who would genuflect or kneel and take a bit longer. Two people could do it in 30 minutes, four in 15 minutes. It’s not a matter of rushing through and not giving Jesus any reverence. That happens in each communicant’s heart after reception. So fifteen minutes for Communion allows each communicant EITHER extra time for loving preparation as they wait to receive, or extra time for thanksgiving if they receive at the beginning, or some of each for those in the middle of the line. A multiplicity of ministers is what makes Communion rushed and irreverent.

I agree with the original poster who intimated that having a large number of EMHCs is often to give the laity something to do. And this is specifically forbidden in Redemptionis Sacramentum.

Betsy
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O.O
I just timed myself going through the action… I took 22 seconds… I must be extremely slow or something then.
 
At my parish, that uses an altar rail still, it takes about 8 minuites or so for 2 priests to distribute communion to 400 communicants. It takes about 2 seconds per each communicant to recieve communion, thats it.
 
Our bishop wants both species to be offered at every mass. I think if there is only one ordinary minister (the presiding priest) there, then the only way to move everyone through the lines in time to clear the parking lot for the next mass would be to have intinction, as our Eastern brethren do, and possibly increase the time between masses.

If there were always going to be three ordinary ministers there, you could do that successfully by having one host person and two precious blood persons and having the ushers alter how they control who goes up when. It would still take about 3 times longer, though, because it would be 4 stations reduced down to 1 station.

I think the lines would be confused if there were only one cup to go with the one ciborium. Either that or we’d have to traipse too close to the altar. That could be fixed by lining up at a non-existant altar rail, but then I’m not sure how the cup could be optional for some. There would have to be some agreed up sign so the cup person would pass you by.

When I look at my parish, I don’t think we really need 8 people (to cover 4 stations), but that is what we have. It could be done with two stations and an alteration of the lines and larger cups and of course taking twice as long. But my priest seems a fine sort, and it is his call, not mine.
 
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CatholicCid:
I would like to point out that in times, when there are to many parishners, they should be used…
The parish I started attending has filled their 1,500 person church every mass it seems…

Wow, a church that has 1500 people at every Mass?. I would love to go there. Whre is it??
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Pug:
Our bishop wants both species to be offered at every mass. I think if there is only one ordinary minister (the presiding priest) there, then the only way to move everyone through the lines in time to clear the parking lot for the next mass would be to have intinction, as our Eastern brethren do, and possibly increase the time between masses.

If there were always going to be three ordinary ministers there, you could do that successfully by having one host person and two precious blood persons and having the ushers alter how they control who goes up when. It would still take about 3 times longer, though, because it would be 4 stations reduced down to 1 station.

I think the lines would be confused if there were only one cup to go with the one ciborium. Either that or we’d have to traipse too close to the altar. That could be fixed by lining up at a non-existant altar rail, but then I’m not sure how the cup could be optional for some. There would have to be some agreed up sign so the cup person would pass you by.

When I look at my parish, I don’t think we really need 8 people (to cover 4 stations), but that is what we have. It could be done with two stations and an alteration of the lines and larger cups and of course taking twice as long. But my priest seems a fine sort, and it is his call, not mine.
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The problem with this is that it is not lawful for an EMC to intinct. Only an Ordinary Minister of Communion (Bishop, Priest, Deacon) can do this.
 
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CatholicCid:
O.O
I just timed myself going through the action… I took 22 seconds… I must be extremely slow or something then.
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What exactly did you do that took 22 seconds?

Betsy
 
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mosher:
The problem with this is that it is not lawful for an EMC to intinct. Only an Ordinary Minister of Communion (Bishop, Priest, Deacon) can do this.
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Sorry, I was unclear! I’ll try again.😃 I meant that the one single priest could do the intincting and give communion that way. No EMHC in sight.

I think the Eastern half of the Church does intinction by giving communion with a spoon somehow, but I’ve never attended the other rites (the ones that aren’t the Latin rite), so I can’t quite envision it. My knowledge is fuzzy here.
 
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