Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion questions

[Petergee]

I would say if you don’t know the circumstances…then I wouldn’t judge. It could have been that the host got dropped…and needs to be taken care of or some other explanation that you don’t know.

Or could be as in our parish the priest consecrates a large rather crumbly mad Host which is broken up and the pieces all have to be consumed at that Mass as they won’t keep. The EMHCs are instructed to administer all the pieces of the large Host first, then use the small Hosts which last a long time. Perhaps on this occasion after giving the last person Communion, the EMHC noticed that there was still one piece of the large Host remaining in the ciborium along with the small Hosts, and so she ate it (as she was probably instructed to do if this circumstance ever arose.).

 

[Evan]

The only reason I ask is because I seen an EMHC give themselves a host after everyone was done with communion. After this was the rest of the hosts were taken over to the tabernacle for Fr. to put away after he collected the other 6 cups or so from the EMHC’s. I can understand them drinking the wine, but I didn’t know they were allowed to give themselves a host. They already got communion from the priest before coming down to give to everyone else.

The EMHC is still not giving himself a host. The ciborium was given to him by the priest which contained hosts. He then transfers a host from the ciborium to his mouth. Similar to the way many people receive: Receive the host from the priest in their hands, then transfer the host from the hands to the mouth. It is not giving yourself communion, it is simply ingesting what you have been given.