How do I properly dispose of a consecrated host?

[angelica3]

I went forward for Communion today, and the female EMHC who handed me the host was wearing a ton of perfume. When she handed me the host and I placed it in my mouth, it was loaded with her perfume from her hands. I felt like gagging and pretended to cough, with hands covering mouth, and I spit it out and placed it in my purse when I returned to my seat. Now, back at home, I am wondering how to properly dispose of it it. Can I just dissolve it in water and pour it into the flower bed?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Yes, you can dissolve the host in water, and then pour the water directly into the earth (a flower bed will do). But you should never have taken the host home. Instead you should have given it to a priest, deacon, or EMHC after Mass. I recommend contacting the parish and letting the pastor know what happened—making sure to tell him precisely how you will dispose of the host. He will want to know so that he can instruct the EMHCs to be careful about wearing scents when distributing Communion.