Keeping the Host at home

[PaperTrail]

Hi, I was hoping you all could help me with a question.

I live and attend Mass in a rural area, and because of my proximity to a Hospice patient, my church asked me if I would be willing to become a Eucharistic minister and bring Communion to this woman. I agreed and had a 30-minute training on a recent Sunday for my first time ever as an EM. At the training, I noted that it would probably Tuesdays or Wednesdays when I’d be able to bring the Host to the Hospice patient. I was given a Host by the trainer that Sunday.

This past week, I brought the Host to the woman, and all went well. Yesterday, I told my mom about it, figuring she would be interested since she’s been bringing Communion to nursing homes and other elderly/sick people for three decades. Then she caught me off-guard. She was appalled that I kept the Host at home for 2-3 days after Sunday Mass. When she asked where I kept the Host, I told her next to a rosary and Bible in an armoire by my bed. She was even more unnerved since I didn’t have a votive candle next to the Host, or at least a light shining on all day and night.

This was a surprise to me. I wasn’t told this by my church during training, even though I specifically mentioned to my church I wouldn’t be going to see the Hospice patient right after Mass on Sunday (prior obligations). My church told me simply not to carry the Host around with me too much or to take the Host while grocery shopping or stopping for gas, etc., because that would be irreverant.

Did I do wrong by keeping the Host at home the way I did (in armoire next to the Bible)? I have a house with several animals, so open flames for a votive candle are not possible. Even keeping a light on the Host throughout the night would mean keeping the Host in perhaps an awkward corner of the house that would seem more irreverant than what I did. Help! Thoughts? Suggestions? Insight? I want to do this right, but I’m not even sure if my mom’s understanding or my church’s understanding is more accepted in Catholicism.

And, just to give perspective on why I didn’t go to the church to get a Host directly before seeing the patient, my church is about 35 minutes away, and the hospice patient is about 25 minutes in a different direction.

Thank you!

 

[lizaanne]

This is not your fault, you were not properly trained. 30 minutes is embarrassing. My aunt and grandmother received two weeks training from their parish in Arizona before they were ever allowed to take Holy Communion to the hospital.

Yes - what you did was wrong. The Eucharist should go from point A (the tabernacle) to point B (the recipient). Period.

Call your Diocese and see if they have proper training for you.

~Liza

 

[sedonaman]

…

Did I do wrong by keeping the Host at home the way I did (in armoire next to the Bible)? I have a house with several animals, so open flames for a votive candle are not possible. Even keeping a light on the Host throughout the night would mean keeping the Host in perhaps an awkward corner of the house that would seem more irreverant than what I did. Help! Thoughts? Suggestions? Insight? I want to do this right, but I’m not even sure if my mom’s understanding or my church’s understanding is more accepted in Catholicism.
…

I used to be a EM and have received communion in the hospital. I don’t recall anything about transporting the hosts from church to the point of reception, because it’s not always possible. My mother-in-law used to receive communion in assisted living, and I don’t think the host went from church to her room immediately. Once while I was visiting her, the EM had left the host in its container in the sun visor of her car and asked me to retrieve it.

There are lots of more irreverent things going on with the host. My last parish had to conduct refresher training for the whole community because they noted that some mothers were giving pieces of their hosts to their babies. There were hosts being used as bookmarks for hymnals, and some were found in the grass in front of the church.

I don’t think you did anything wrong because you asked the trainer, and you made an attempt to be reverent.

 

[TheDoctor]

My dear friend. What you did seems on the surface to be objectively wrong, as the Eucharist is not be reposed outside of the tabernacle unless it is going as directly reasonable to someone. It is not a sin on your part nor anything you are guilty of as you were following the training you were given.

Rather than ask strangers on the internet, place a call to your parish Priest (not the person who trained you or the person who asked you to be an Extraordinary Minister) and explain the situation to him then follow his advice.

 

[Joannm]

You didn’t do anything wrong because you didn’t know it was wrong and was told it was OK. Well, the person training you obviously does not know that no one can keep the host in their home. the priests in our parish do not keep the Eucharist in their home.

You should receive the host at the end of Mass and bring it directly to the person. If that is impossible, then you go to the rectory and ask for a host to bring to the sick. In our parish they give the EM the tabernacle key when they ask and the EM retrieves the host and brings the key right back to the rectory, then goes directly to the homebound person.

 

[SanAgustin]

My last parish had to conduct refresher training for the whole community because they noted that some mothers were giving pieces of their hosts to their babies. There were hosts being used as bookmarks for hymnals, and some were found in the grass in front of the church.

Wow, I’ve never heard of that before!!!

 

[Bookcat]

Communion is to be brought directly from the Church --to the person who is to receive. No keeping the Eucharist in ones home…or even for that matter…no going to a movie…or out to dinner etc…

 

[AntalKalnoky]

Exactly as the above. The Eucharist directly to the recipient. If Can’t do, ask THE PRIEST, not Anyone Else. You may not be qualied as EM right now. The Eucharist Is Christ. The Priest only can decide, answer, no ‘teacher’. God Bless You, your Mom.

 

[PaperTrail]

Everyone, thank you so much for the feedback!

I do intend to go to the priest and see what he has to say. We are a small church with a priest, deacon and two staffers, and I had to assume that the priest is aware of what is being taught. I wanted to get a greater understanding of the official church teaching so that I would be well prepared to ask the right questions to him and make sure that the priest himself is following the church’s teaching, too (we all know that sometimes they don’t). That was the basis for my post.

Part of the reason I was asked to be EM in this situation is because the priest went to visit the woman once and never went back again. I’m not going to speculate on why he didn’t go back, but the patient noted that the priest commented more than once during his lone visit that it was “a really far drive” for him.

Again, thank you for shedding the light on the right way to be an EM! I appreciate it whole-heartedly

 

[Bookcat]

Everyone, thank you so much for the feedback!

I do intend to go to the priest and see what he has to say. We are a small church with a priest, deacon and two staffers, and I had to assume that the priest is aware of what is being taught. I wanted to get a greater understanding of the official church teaching so that I would be well prepared to ask the right questions to him and make sure that the priest himself is following the church’s teaching, too (we all know that sometimes they don’t). That was the basis for my post.

Part of the reason I was asked to be EM in this situation is because the priest went to visit the woman once and never went back again. I’m not going to speculate on why he didn’t go back, but the patient noted that the priest commented more than once during his lone visit that it was “a really far drive” for him.

Again, thank you for shedding the light on the right way to be an EM! I appreciate it whole-heartedly

Call the Catholic Answers apologist line …they can hook you up with the relevant documents (not really something that is open to variant approaches)

 

[jmcrae]

And, just to give perspective on why I didn’t go to the church to get a Host directly before seeing the patient, my church is about 35 minutes away, and the hospice patient is about 25 minutes in a different direction.

Thank you!

The correct procedure would have been to stop by the Church to pick up a Host from the tabernacle on your way to the hospice to visit the patient, so that it was in your possession for the least amount of time possible, even with the extra driving. No matter who takes the Host to that patient, it looks like it would be an hour’s drive. (Is there no Catholic Church closer to the hospice than that?)

If they are made aware of the situation, the Church staff will accommodate you, even if the Church would normally be closed at that time.

 

[PaperTrail]

(Is there no Catholic Church closer to the hospice than that?)

In Southwest Virginia, being Catholic means being in the minority. Unfortunately, it’s the closest.

 

[Evan]

If you are to keep a host in your home, you would need a tabernacle, and the permission of the Bishop, and a regular mass.

From therealpresence.org/archives/Eucharist/Eucharist_031.htm

Places For Reserving The Blessed Sacrament

Canon Law clearly distinguishes between places where the Blessed Sacrament must be reserved, and where the reservation is merely permissible. As a general principle, the Eucharist must be kept in the Cathedral Church, in the principle church of an Abbey or Prelacy nullius, and of a Vicariate or Prefecture Apostolic, in every parochial or quasi-parochial church, and in a church attached to a house of exempt religious whether of men or women. It may be kept, with the permission of the local Ordinary, in collegiate churches and in the principal oratory, public or semipublic, of a pious or religious house, or of an ecclesiastical college conducted by secular clerics or religious. **An apostolic indult is needed to reserve the Blessed Sacrament in other churches and oratories; the local Ordinary may grant this permission for a just cause and for a given occasion, but only to a church or public oratory. **However the permission is valid as long as the justifying reason continues, say, for the whole period during which a parochial church is being repaired.

In all the foregoing provisions, the law requires that someone be appointed as guardian of the tabernacle, who may be a layman, without implying that he is also custodian of the tabernacle key. Moreover, a priest must regularly say Mass at least once a week, as a conditio sine qua non for reservation, even if there is no need of renewing the consecrated hosts.

No one is allowed to keep the Blessed Sacrament in his house or, with the exception of the Roman Pontiff, to carry it with him while traveling. On the other hand churches in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, especially parochial churches, should remain open to the faithful at least a few hours daily.

Canon Law clearly distinguishes between places where the Blessed Sacrament must be reserved, and where the reservation is merely permissible. As a general principle, the Eucharist must be kept in the Cathedral Church, in the principle church of an Abbey or Prelacy nullius, and of a Vicariate or Prefecture Apostolic, in every parochial or quasi-parochial church, and in a church attached to a house of exempt religious whether of men or women. It may be kept, with the permission of the local Ordinary, in collegiate churches and in the principal oratory, public or semipublic, of a pious or religious house, or of an ecclesiastical college conducted by secular clerics or religious. An apostolic indult is needed to reserve the Blessed Sacrament in other churches and oratories; the local Ordinary may grant this permission for a just cause and for a given occasion, but only to a church or public oratory. However the permission is valid as long as the justifying reason continues, say, for the whole period during which a parochial church is being repaired.

In all the foregoing provisions, the law requires that someone be appointed as guardian of the tabernacle, who may be a layman, without implying that he is also custodian of the tabernacle key. Moreover, a priest must regularly say Mass at least once a week, as a conditio sine qua non for reservation, even if there is no need of renewing the consecrated hosts.

No one is allowed to keep the Blessed Sacrament in his house or, with the exception of the Roman Pontiff, to carry it with him while traveling. On the other hand churches in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, especially parochial churches, should remain open to the faithful at least a few hours daily.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

In Southwest Virginia, being Catholic means being in the minority. Unfortunately, it’s the closest.

Definately speak to your priest as you planned. Once solution for the distance issue is that you commit to taking communion to the hospice once or twice a month instead of every week. Since you now know the church’s regulations on this, you will be prepared for the long drive on the days that you commit to going. God bless you.