Host on the floor behind altar

  • Thread starter Thread starter TepeyacTraveler
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

TepeyacTraveler

Guest
I was an extraordinary minister of Holy Communication this morning. After I received the Blood of Christ I noticed a host on the floor. I don’t know if it was consecrated or not. It could have been dropped right then, most likely, or possibly during a EM training. Anyway, I bent down, picked it up, and whispered to Father that it was on the ground. He looked surprised and concerned. Has this happened to anyone else? It made me think of 2015 when the new President if Poland left his seat at an outdoor mass and picked up a host that had blown out of the Priest’s ciborium. He saved it from blowing away. It was a pretty cool video.
 
Last edited:
A few years ago, the RC church near me had a letter from the (now former) pastor re Hosts that were left in the pews, on the floor and in the missalettes. 😫😖😱😤😠

Seriously, this is why I’m afraid to go there. I love their adoration chapel but I’m scared to go in the church.
 
Last edited:
Really - no EMHC? I can’t think of a single OF Mass I’ve seen that didn’t have EMHCs.
 
Last edited:
It’s sacrilege. This is one of the reasons why Our Lord asked for reparation to His Holy Face. In particular, making an hour of adoration on Tuesdays in reparation to His Holy Face for all the outrages He endures in the Blessed Sacrament.
 
At the Divine Liturgy, Father gives both Species with a golden spoon from the Chalice.
 
Have you had the same pastor for many years? That seems extraordinary too!
 
Our pastor has been at our parish for 15+ years. We had our Golden Anniversary last year too.
 
He sounds great, and you sound very wise to appreciate the gift from God that your parish has!
 
Yes, unfortunately, it can and does happen from time to time, to the best of priests in the best of circumstances. In the event it does happen (and always error on the side of presuming it is consecrated), the host should be consumed, if possible, or Father can dissolve it if it’s not in a state of possible consumption.
 
I’m honestly not sure. He went back to the alter then we all went down to the congregation. His back was turned to me. We normally have 4 EM’s along with the Priest and a Deacon.
 
That is sad. My stomach dropped when I saw the Host on the floor.
 
Jen95 said:
At the risk of sounding cliched, this is the advantage of EF Mass. All the hosts are under the control of one priest who has an altar server with a paten right there handy.
Click to expand...
That’s how it works at the OF I attend at my parish Church.
 
It can happen and just needs to be handled reverently. It happened recently at my church. The deacon saw it, and reverently picked it up and consumed it. He then made sure there wasn’t a crumb left and quietly told the priest. It isn’t a horror…not intentional, they weren’t being careless, but we are all prone to accidents. What matters is no disrespect was intended.
 
Last edited:
Kindnessmatters said:
It can happen and just needs to be handled reverently. It happened recently at my church. The deacon saw it, and reverently picked it up and consumed it. He then made sure there wasn’t a crumb left and quietly told the priest. It isn’t a horror…not intentional, they weren’t being careless, but we are all prone to accidents. What matters is no disrespect was intended.
Click to expand...
Indeed. I see no need for the anguished shouts of '‘It’s sacrilege’, and '‘outrage’.

I, like many EMHCs I suspect, have experienced seeing the Host fall off someone’s tongue, but there was no need for anguish or drama. No irreverence was intended, no irreverence committed.

If what seemed to be a consecrated Host was behind the altar, I think it wold be more likely to have fallen off a too-full bowl of unconsecrated altar breads when they were being taken across the sanctuary to the credence table before Mass. I can’t imagine any EMHC or priest not noticing a consecrated Host falling, without picking it up, and certainly nobody in that role would actually throw one to the floor on purpose.
 
Last edited:
paperwight said:
If what seemed to be a consecrated Host was behind the altar, I think it wold be more likely to have fallen off a too-full bowl of unconsecrated altar breads when they were being taken across the sanctuary to the credence table before Mass.
Click to expand...
There’s no telling when it could have fallen or from where. It could have fallen when a full ciborium of consecrated hosts was being transported from the tabernacle to the alter, when the priest or deacon was transferring consecrated hosts from one ciborium to another, or under a situation you describe. It’s better to play it safe and set the fallen host on the alter so the priest could take care of it just in case it was a consecrated host.

Just my thoughts on the matter.
 
jvickers said:
40.png
paperwight:
If what seemed to be a consecrated Host was behind the altar, I think it wold be more likely to have fallen off a too-full bowl of unconsecrated altar breads when they were being taken across the sanctuary to the credence table before Mass.
Click to expand...
There’s no telling when it could have fallen or from where. It could have fallen when a full ciborium of consecrated hosts was being transported from the tabernacle to the alter, when the priest or deacon was transferring consecrated hosts from one ciborium to another, or under a situation you describe. It’s better to play it safe and set the fallen host on the alter so the priest could take care of it just in case it was a consecrated host.

Just my thoughts on the matter.
Click to expand...
Oh, absolutely I agree with you. And not knowing the layout of the church in question is another factor.

The point I am emphasising is that there is no need to panic and get upset and cry ‘Sacrilege’ when the most likely explanation is an accident.
 
paperwight said:
I, like many EMHCs I suspect, have experienced seeing the Host fall off someone’s tongue, but there was no need for anguish or drama. No irreverence was intended, no irreverence committed.
Click to expand...
This is a general question, I am only quoting your post because that brought it to mind. If it is not uncommon that hosts fall off a communicant’s tongue, I have to wonder why we don’t bring back the practice of using a paten to prevent them falling in the floor.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top