Is this lawful to do?

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RyanK

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This morning I went to mass and we were supposed to have a new priest but when I went he wasn’t there, there were actually no priests present. A woman (I’m assuming some kind of EM) ran the entire thing. She didn’t go through the bread consecration, just the readings and prayers and then took pre-consecrated hosts from the tabernacle to distribute for communion. I’ve never seen anything like this done before and if it happens again I want to know what to do.
 
RyanK said:
This morning I went to mass and we were supposed to have a new priest but when I went he wasn’t there, there were actually no priests present. A woman (I’m assuming some kind of EM) ran the entire thing. She didn’t go through the bread consecration, just the readings and prayers and then took pre-consecrated hosts from the tabernacle to distribute for communion. I’ve never seen anything like this done before and if it happens again I want to know what to do.
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I don’t know the details, but I would guess that this was a Communion Service. They can be done in special circumstances

[Redemptionis Sacramentum](http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/c...0423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html#Chapter VII) #164-167 deals with some of this.

This Communion Service was not Mass, but it was a chance to hear the readings for the day and receive the Eucharist because (presumably) the priest was absent.

At least, that’s what I surmise from the information given.
 
It’s perfectly licit. It’s the liturgy of the word with the distribution of communion not a actual Mass. It’s done when there is no Priest present.
 
RyanK said:
Alright, that makes sense. Thank you very much!
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It’s no problem.

Now, this does not mean that the Communion Service was lawful to have. There are differences between diocese and parishes on when these can happen. If you’re particularly worried, ask your priest.
 
Of course she didn’t consecrate it, why would she? We’re not Episcopalians around here. 😃
 
Love_Divine said:
They don’t consecrate it either. They just like to think they do.
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Permission is not supposed to be easily given for Communion Services to be held. I don’t know the reason why she was leading a Communion Service during the week. But the OP has not given us any reason to believe that this woman had any thoughts other than to bring Communion to the faithful.
 
zab said:
Permission is not supposed to be easily given for Communion Services to be held. I don’t know the reason why she was leading a Communion Service during the week. But the OP has not given us any reason to believe that this woman had any thoughts other than to bring Communion to the faithful.
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Well, I’m not sure why the priest was gone or if he gave permission to do so. All I know is that they announced that he won’t be back until thursday of next week. So, I guess I’ll just have to ask him when he comes back
 
A Communion Service should only be conducted only in lieu of Sunday mass and there is no reasonably available mass in the vicinity.

On the other hand the custom has grown of offering it anytime a priest cannot make a scheduled mass. This is being phased out, but will take some time to correct.

The correct practice, which is being worked in, is to have just the Liturgy of the Word, or Morning Prayer [and maybe the Office of Readings] from the Liturgy of the Hours.
 
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