Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion - How many is too many?

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GloriaPatri4

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Our parish has four wonderful priests but at the Sunday Masses we only have one priest distributing communion and sometimes as many as 8 to 10 extraordinary ministers. Even when our church is only half full (about 250 people) we still have about seven or eight extraordinary ministers. How many extraordinary ministers are too many?
 
How about a poll option that says the laity should trust the priest’s judgment in this matter, and not try to second-guess his decision as to how many EMHC’s are needed in order to properly balance the distribution of the Eucharist with the rest of the Mass?
 
4 priests!!! If only we all were so fortunate to have 4 priests in every parish!!!

This, to me, seems like a no brainer.

Having both species is recommended, but not required.

Using extraordinary ministers when ORDINARY ministers are available is wrong.

What should be happening is that the extra priests show up at communion time to distribute hosts, and no precious blood is distributed.

I find it interesting that a parish will take extraordinary means to acheive a politically-correct, unrequired recommendation. Yet, when a required, politicallyUNcorrect standard is set down, no ORDINARY means will be utilitzed to acheive THAT.

RIch
 
None of the answers is correct, eight might not be enough, it depends on the circumstances.

Many Sunday masses have hundreds and hundreds of communicants, receiving under both kinds. Some parishes might only have a single priest, the legion of EMs might be absolutely necessary to relieve the priest.
 
Additional EMHC should be used as necessary so that distribution of Holy communion does not take longer than 15 minutes. There should be two ministers of the Cup for each minister distributing the Body of Christ. It’s not based on the number but on the time.
 
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Catholic2003:
How about a poll option that says the laity should trust the priest’s judgment in this matter, and not try to second-guess his decision as to how many EMHC’s are needed in order to properly balance the distribution of the Eucharist with the rest of the Mass?
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No poll is needed. We should simply follow what the Church instructs – that the use of EMsHC be not employed except under extraordinary situations…
 
Br. Rich SFO:
Additional EMHC should be used as necessary so that distribution of Holy communion does not take longer than 15 minutes. There should be two ministers of the Cup for each minister distributing the Body of Christ. It’s not based on the number but on the time.
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And your suggested numbers are completely arbitrary…
 
Nota Bene:
And your suggested numbers are completely arbitrary…
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Yes…I don’t believe that it is necessary to use an army of EMHC so that we can get the distribution of Holy Communion under four minutes. I feel that 15 minutes maximum is a reasonable time with 10 being a good average.
 
Br. Rich SFO:
Yes…I don’t believe that it is necessary to use an army of EMHC so that we can get the distribution of Holy Communion under four minutes. I feel that 15 minutes maximum is a reasonable time with 10 being a good average.
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As long as the people have enough time to pray after receiving
 
Most people know that 90% of the EMHC in this country are female, so the first thing many priests get accused of if they fight for limiting EMHC is being anti-woman. Many parishioners are making it difficult for priests to do a LOT of things.

Rich
 
On Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-Ordained Faithful (1997)

§2. To avoid creating confusion, certain practices are to be avoided and eliminated where such have emerged in particular Churches:
  • extraordinary ministers receiving Holy Communion apart from the other faithful as though concelebrants;
  • association with the renewal of promises made by priests at the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, as well as other categories of faithful who renew religious vows or receive a mandate as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion;
  • the habitual use of extraordinary ministers ****of Holy Communion at Mass, thus arbitrarily extending the concept of “a great number of the faithful.”
 
Why do I get the impression that Rome made concessions to the feminists by approving them as Altar Servers and Eucharistic Ministers ?

How many other things did Rome either compromise/negotiate ?

I would say many if you compare the Roman Rite to the Eastern Catholic & Orthodox Liturgical practices.

james
 
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Catholic2003:
How about a poll option that says the laity should trust the priest’s judgment in this matter, and not try to second-guess his decision as to how many EMHC’s are needed in order to properly balance the distribution of the Eucharist with the rest of the Mass?
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If the laity could trust the priests to make correct judgements on liturgical issues Rome would not have had to release *Redemptionis Sacramentum. *

Believe me I wish I could trust our priests :o
 
So now time is the barometer we use when or when not we should involve the laity in handing out Our Lords body? Maybe a few more minutes on line reflecting on what they are about to receive from the PRIEST and not some old lady may actually be good for the church.
Br. Rich SFO:
Additional EMHC should be used as necessary so that distribution of Holy communion does not take longer than 15 minutes. There should be two ministers of the Cup for each minister distributing the Body of Christ. It’s not based on the number but on the time.
Click to expand...
 
Nota Bene:
And your suggested numbers are completely arbitrary…
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Have official numbers been released? The brother’s numbers, while arbitrary in the strict sense (depending on individual discretion), it seems to me that he has pretty ably applied the existing law. Twenty to thirty minutes for communion (which could in turn double the entire length of Mass) would seem to constitute an extraordinary situation; five to ten minutes would not.

Does anyone else see this post as being unnecessarily pointed?
 
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BulldogCath:
So now time is the barometer we use when or when not we should involve the laity in handing out Our Lords body? Maybe a few more minutes on line reflecting on what they are about to receive from the PRIEST and not some old lady may actually be good for the church.
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At least with an old lady you know she is not menstrating while giving our communion.
 
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katherine2:
At least with an old lady you know she is not menstrating while giving our communion.
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Oh…thanks for the visual. :bigyikes:
 
Windmill said:
On Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-Ordained Faithful (1997)

§2. To avoid creating confusion, certain practices are to be avoided and eliminated where such have emerged in particular Churches:
  • extraordinary ministers receiving Holy Communion apart from the other faithful as though concelebrants;
  • association with the renewal of promises made by priests at the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, as well as other categories of faithful who renew religious vows or receive a mandate as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion;
  • the habitual use of extraordinary ministers ****of Holy Communion at Mass, thus arbitrarily extending the concept of “a great number of the faithful.”
Click to expand...

Good post Windmill. The abuse of extraordinary ministers has been going on for too long. Most parishes have about 10 people get up to give out Holy Communion while priests are in the back of the church waiting to shake hands with everyone after Mass.
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Catholic2003:
How about a poll option that says the laity should trust the priest’s judgment in this matter, and not try to second-guess his decision as to how many EMHC’s are needed in order to properly balance the distribution of the Eucharist with the rest of the Mass?
Click to expand...
I trust my pastor’s judgment. We have no extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. The priests and deacon give Communion to the faithful. However, most priests are all too willing to let the laity do their job. There are too many lazy priests who don’t want to do anything, including being obedient to the Holy Father.
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Jadesfire20:
If the laity could trust the priests to make correct judgements on liturgical issues Rome would not have had to release Redemptionis Sacramentum.
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Exactly!
 
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EddieArent:
Oh…thanks for the visual. :bigyikes:
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You’re welcome. The people have a right to know that they are not receiving communion from a menstrating woman, right?
 
With respect to the author, the poll is somewhat redundant. The expression “Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Eucharist” contains the word “extraordinary”, which means it’s not supposed to be ordinary. This means that one EMHE is too many if the number of priests (and deacons) is sufficient. Also, the priest celebrant cannot abstain from distributing the Holy Eucharists if EMHE’s are to distribute unless he is impeded for serious reasons. Many people think it’s normal to receive from an EMHE or that they have a right to become one, but this is wrong.

In my church, when it comes to distributing the Holy Eucharist and the presiding priest(s) won’t suffice, other priests come out of the sacristy and help distribute, then go back to what they were doing before. I’m not sure if even temporary deacons haven’t assisted instead of distributing whenever we have had one.
 
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