How has H1N1 effected your parish?

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We’ve had no changes, but I am, personally, the first case that I am aware of in the parish. I’ll finish my five days of quarantine tomorrow afternoon. When I first felt symptoms of something coming on, I nodded the peace and skipped the Precious Blood.
 
Yay! Common sense direction from the Bishop of Pittsburgh. Highlights:
…it is a wise pastoral practice to remind parishioners that each person should be responsible for taking precautions as he or she sees fit. The decision whether or not to receive the Body and Blood under both species remains with the individual communicant. Christ is real and truly present under each species. Those uncomfortable receiving from the Cup during the flu season should not feel obligated to do so.
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Similarly, it would be good to remind parishioners that there is no single gesture required for the Sign of Peace. If during the flu season a handshake or an embrace raise concerns, a bow is a perfectly acceptable means – at any time of the year – to express our peace in Jesus Christ before we share the Eucharist.
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… Most of all, it is very important to remind parishioners that they are not bound by any obligation to attend Mass on Sunday if they are sick or have been exposed to the flu. They should return to church only when they are well.
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tee
 
The pastor at the church I worked at announced that starting next week, all parishes in our diocese will no longer be exchanging the sign of peace, nor receive the Precious Blood through the chalice. I think in regards to no longer exchanging the sign of peace, we will not be shaking hands or touching each other in any way. My parish never distributed the precious blood, that won’t be much of a difference. The bishops in our diocese determined it would be safer that way. The announcement was also made in the Catholic newspaper in the diocese. A few of our Catholic schools have been closed down for a week or so because of a few cases of the H1N1 flu.
 
We no longer have holy water at the doors.
Can someone explain how that differs from touching hymnals and missals?
:confused:
I can’t understand the reasoning. But I’m no expert in health matters either.
 
pyro_alchemist said:
So… How has the H1N1 (we dare not call it “Swine Flu” here in pork country) effected the liturgy in your parish? At my parish we no longer exchange the sigh of peace (probably a good thing, it was always very distracting anyway) and no longer partake in the Cup (which I miss very much).
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we still exchange the sign of peace but are asked not to shake hands or make any physical contact. i guess if its between family members the hugs and kisses are still okay. but with neighbors and strangers, no more handshaking. bowing and greeting other people and saying “Peace be with you” is good enough

there’s also some disinfectant gel near the holy water so people can clean their hands before dipping it in the holy water
 
The_Reginator said:
We no longer have holy water at the doors.
Can someone explain how that differs from touching hymnals and missals?
:confused:
I can’t understand the reasoning. But I’m no expert in health matters either.
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i think the virus lives longer in water. it is transferred via droplets in the air so if the virus resides in the holy water, it will stay there longer than the missals and hymnals
 
In our diocese we have had the following things changed:
  • No communion from the cup
  • No sign of peace
  • No receiving communion on the tongue
It should be noted that in our province (New Brunswick) has had no deaths from H1N1 and I don’t understand why communion has to be in the hand, H1N1 is spread more from sneezing than anything else (according to my Doctor). Wouldn’t communion in the hand increase the likelihood of spreading it?
 
Given that most posters here are from the United States of America, I would like to give my views on H1N1 and what’s happening here in Ireland.

Shortly after the initial outbreaks of H1N1, two dioceses announced that a handshake would no longer be given as the sign of peace. As far as I can tell, this has largely caught on - in the cathedral church where I normally attend Mass the people normally make a bow to one another, or sometimes the priest will just pause for a moment before beginning the Agnus Dei. It seems to me that most churches in the country had not been offering the Precious Blood to the congregation (except coeliacs), although my local cathedral is still offering the Precious Blood despite H1N1. Incidentally, I read recently - not in relation to swine 'flu specifically- a reply to a question on a reputable Irish medical website about the transmission of germs if receiving from a chalice. It stated that the health risks from a shared communion chalice are negligible - there were several reasons given for this answer, but it is too long to go into here. However, as has been stated several times already, it is not really a big deal if the Precious Blood is not offered to the Faithful since they receive Christ completely when they receive the Sacred Host.

It seems to me, from what I’m reading on CAF, that American dioceses take precautions annually to halt the spread of 'flu. In Ireland, generally there are no major extra precautions taken as we come into winter. I think we are getting a bit too hyped up about H1N1 over here at the moment though. People were shocked that four people had died in Ireland from swine 'flu - three had known medical conditions. However, there are hundreds of different airborne viruses which do the rounds each year, and you can bet that a lot more than four people die from them - yet we hear nothing major about them except for the yearly reminders for elderly and “at risk” people to get the 'flu shot.

I’m all for halting the spread of infections - swine flu or no swine flu. Ministers of Holy Communion, for example, should have been washing their hands all along, not just because of the threat of spreading H1N1. And I’m not entirely convinced by calls for receiving Communion in the hand - surely if Holy Communion is distributed properly, their is as much chance of the minister’s hand touching the communicant’s tongue as there is the chance of his hand touching their hand. The bottom line is that if you are displaying flu-like symptoms you should stay at home. The majority of the population is at no more risk than they are of catching any other strain of flu. After all, the various dioceses can implement all the precautionary measures they like, but the fact is that if there is one infected person in the church and they sneeze, the whole church could potentially be infected- just like what has been happening in every single church several times a year for several countless years…
 
Anyone else feel like the Eucharist is incomplete because of this absence? I undestand precautions, but removing denying the blood outright is an issue. I feel it should be a choice, and maybe that is bias considering my views on the “so called H1N1” threat. I have no fear, and walk the earth no differenlty. I have worked in social services for nearly a decade and have worked directly with individual’s who carry much more dangerous diseases, so being cautious is in the nature of the field. I know this is happening throughout the country and wanted to get other viewpoints on the matter. I have prayed and meditated on this the last couple of weeks since it has been removed from the service. Right now, only priests receive it. Would this be considered a partial communion? 🤷 I feel like I am missing a part of our LORD!
 
Blessed7,
Both species contain BOTH the Body & Blood of our Lord. You aren’t missing anything! For hundreds of years, Catholic people were never offered the Cup. It is only in recent years, since Vatican II, that we have been offered the Cup. So even though I feel as you do, that we should be given a choice anyway, we do receive our Lord completely.

At our church, we are also being asked to receive only in the hand (not on the tongue) which is a huge change for many people. My father, in particular, is quite upset about this, as he feels unworthy to touch the Host. As a child, if a nun even THOUGHT he had touched the Host with his teeth, he was taken to task, you see. We were taught as children that only the priest’s consecrated fingers could touch the Host.

Also, no touching during the passing of peace, only a nod of the head. I am wondering if they will get rid of the holy water fonts next!
 
The way I understand it - you receive ALL of Jesus whether you receive Body or Blood. Just as if you receive only a tiny part of the host - it is still all of Jesus. Amazing isn’t it. Even one little crumb of the host is All!
 
  1. Since either species contains the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, you are not missing out on the precious Blood. Communion is not incomplete without the cup.
  2. Offering the cup to the community is an option; usually the option is that of the priest. In some cases where there is an outbreak of infectious disease, the Bishop has made the decision. Prior to the flu frenzy, I have attended many Masses where the priest chose not to offer the cup for a variety of reasons.
  3. It is not a partial Communion to receive just the consecrated host (or just the cup, for that matter).
The fact that this keeps coming up seems to point to a severe lack of understanding of the Eucharist in our parishes.
 
Blessed7 said:
Anyone else feel like the Eucharist is incomplete because of this absence? I undestand precautions, but removing denying the blood outright is an issue. I feel it should be a choice, and maybe that is bias considering my views on the “so called H1N1” threat. I have no fear, and walk the earth no differenlty. I have worked in social services for nearly a decade and have worked directly with individual’s who carry much more dangerous diseases, so being cautious is in the nature of the field. I know this is happening throughout the country and wanted to get other viewpoints on the matter. I have prayed and meditated on this the last couple of weeks since it has been removed from the service. Right now, only priests receive it. Would this be considered a partial communion? 🤷 I feel like I am missing a part of our LORD!
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No, it’s not partial communion.

Whether you receive the Host alone, the Precious Blood alone, or both species, you have received Jesus completely – body, blood, soul, and divinity.

The priest must receive both species. It is optional to offer the Precious Blood to the laity. While most parishes I’ve been to offer both forms to the laity, it is not required.

Someone who knows history better than I do will be able to comment further. I believe that the Church stopped giving the laity the Precious Blood precisely to counter the idea you have – that if someone receives only the Host they have received an incomplete communion.
 
The cup was never offered at ordinary Masses prior to Vatican II; only on very special occasions, such as to the Bride and Groom at a Nuptial Mass. We’re very fortunate and blessed to be able to receive it under both species as a matter of course. Our diocese stopped offering the cup when the schools started closing due to swine flu last spring. It only lasted a few weeks. However, with flu season upon us, I wouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t taken away again. Now if they’d just do something about the grey holy water in the fonts…
 
Blessed7 said:
Anyone else feel like the Eucharist is incomplete because of this absence? …Would this be considered a partial communion? 🤷 I feel like I am missing a part of our LORD!
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You don’t have a full understanding of the Catholic Eucharistic.
 
There really is a lot of confusion here about Holy Communion. While receiving under both species does constitute a fuller sign, it is not required. Again, as I do everytime this subject pops up, I cite St. Thomas Aquinas, who, I believe, has the most succinct explanation I can find:
Here beneath these signs are hidden
priceless things, to sense forbidden;
signs, not things, are all we see.
Flesh from bread, and Blood from wine,
yet is Christ in either sign,
all entire confessed to be.
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The only one who needs to partake of both species is the celebrant. This is so that the Sacrifice will be complete.
 
I am wondering if they will get rid of the holy water fonts next!
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Depends on the diocese. In mine, we are in phase 2 of a 4 stage plan. No cup, no touching during the Sign of Peace, etc.

Stage 3 has things like draining the holy water fonts.

Stage 4 is cancel Mass.
 
At my fairly traditional (but not Traditionalist/TLM/EF) parish in the Diocese of Lexington the Cup is only offered a few times a year - Christmas, Easter, Holy Thursday, maybe a few others. So we haven’t noticed a change. In fact when I visit other parishes I find it a bit jarring seeing rows of chalices on the altar, and huge teams of EMHCs.

I don’t think our diocese has made any changes so far for the flu except encouraging use of hand sanitizer, encouraging people not to shake hands if they feel sick, etc. A lot of EMHCs in other parishes would be out of a job if the bishop banned the Cup to the laity!

On the other hand, in my parish lots of people - maybe half - receive on the tongue. I don’t know if it’s policy, but I’ve noticed that altar servers and our few (1 or 2 per weekend mass) EMHCs always receive on the tongue when serving. So if that was banned it would be quite strange for our parish.
 
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