Hospital EMHC: consuming extra hosts?

[Marauder]

Clearly, finishing off the hosts is not the same thing as consuming the remaining Blood of Christ, as this distinction clearly indicates. Again - personally, I return all remaining hosts, but I want to address this issue if it is being incorrectly taught …

I took the archdiocese training class before RS came out. But even after RS, sometimes EMHCs may be requested to finish off hosts after a Mass where hosts can not be returned to the Tabernacle. But usually only when there are a very large number of hosts to consume.

I saw it done once at a field Mass by a Bishop and I wasn’t for one going to say, “No your excellancy, I will ignore your request.”

 

[Fergal]

Since you are ‘officiating’ over the rite of Holy Communion, you as an EMHC, can receive the last few hosts if there are some left over as part of the ceremony along with the person being visited. I had to do this a couple of times when I was an EMHC. Please remember that it is mandated that any other individuals who are present for the Rite may also receive Holy Communion at this time and you are one of them!!

On your ultimate call you should know if you are going to have some Hosts left over. Therefore, I would engage in the Rite also as a participant and prepare well to receive the remaining Hosts. I think I would be happier with one or two left over any more than this I would return them to the tabernacle.

 

[fud24682000]

I see this is an old thread but would like to add to it.
Along with three other EMHCs I take Holy Communion to a non-Catholic hospital. The others go on weekdays and I go on Sundays.
A big problem is that on a given day I do not know in advance how many patients are Catholic, Then, though the patient population average is about 30% Catholic, many been away from the Church for years and cannot receive. I don’t know this unless and until I go into the room and ask . I may have Hosts remaining when I go to the last couple of rooms, only to find the patients cannot take anything by mouth, are asleep or unconscious, or there are infection dangers and precautions that make communion too risky to attempt…So, I can’t consume the Hosts as part of the ritual with the last patient because I don’t know if that IS the last patient!
Thus I invariably have Hosts left over and our pastor has directed they be consumed by the EMHC. I never have more than 4 left.
Sorry, I note the periods and commas I’m typing are faint and hardly visible–I must need a new computer!
Ray Mac

 

[nannymar]

Actually, I meant the host falling during communion at the church. Although it DID actually happen to me a few weeks ago at the hospital - a blind and deaf elderly dying woman took the host into her mouth, and then spit it back out (bless her heart). Luckily I had one pyx that was already empty, so I placed it in there until I could dispose of it properly back at the sacristy. (I have heard of a ‘heroic act’ on the part of a priest who consumed just such a host immediately, but … well, I just didn’t go there.) My priest friend also said that it would have been proper (if I didn’t have an extra empty pyx) to wrap it up in a tissue until I returned to the church.

Needless to say, my parish has done less than a stellar job in training - and as our liturgical director has ‘left’ the parish, I am considering offering to take over this aspect (of training and getting together the correct rules for at least this specific ministry). My first and foremost concern is the fact that all the other (mostly quite elderly and set-in-their-ways) EMHCs have been improperly trained and are doing things incorrectly (and thus disrespectfully) with respect to the Body and Blood of Christ. Things have been quite ‘loosey goosey’ here for quite some time in these regards …

Thanks for all the comments! If anyone has an actual church document, though - I would appreciate it. I will not be able to point out - let alone enforce - any changes based upon what you or I think … it’s going to have to be based upon an ‘official’ document, if you know what I mean …

I am sorry but how to you equate “incorrectly” with “disrespectfully” when it is the Lord who knows the heart. I can not imagine an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharistic doing something with the Consecrated species that would not be done respectfully even though the possibility of error be present.