No Communion Services Allowed

[midori]

I’m in the Diocese of Fort Worth. I’ve been here long enough to be on my third bishop, but have lived in other Texas diocese (Dallas, Austin, Galveston-Houston) and in diocese in other states as well.

I’m in the habit of going to lunchtime Mass in a certain church when I do errands in that city. Previously, when the priests were unavailable during the week (ie, all the priests in the diocese are called on a retreat at the same time), we would do a communion service. But the last few times that situation occurred, I noticed they opted to do a Liturgy of the Hours prayer service, and that was it.

Today, our priest told us that our Bishop wanted to reemphasize that communion services weren’t allowed. Except for extreme circumstances (ie, if you’re very sick and have communion brought to you at home, or if the priest can’t make Saturday Vigil), communion only takes place within the context of a Mass. Aha! That made the other parish’s change make sense.

I had never encountered that before. Are communion services that out-of-the-ordinary? Are they that controversial? Obviously, the Mass is far better than a communion service, and is preferable whenever possible for the 99% of the time it’s available. But it seemed like an odd thing to just do away with wholesale, especially when the times I’ve encountered them, it’s because every priest in the diocese has been called on retreat, or another parish has borrowed our priest for a penance service, rather than a priest being unwilling to serve the usually-scheduled Mass.

 

[IrishAm]

Interesting. I am anxious to hear authoritative replies; we are having the same experience in the Diocese of Richmond (Virginia) within the past year. I’m guessing there may have been some new directives or discussion through the US Bishops . . .

 

[dmftx]

I’m in the Diocese of Fort Worth. I’ve been here long enough to be on my third bishop, but have lived in other Texas diocese (Dallas, Austin, Galveston-Houston) and in diocese in other states as well.

I’m in the habit of going to lunchtime Mass in a certain church when I do errands in that city. Previously, when the priests were unavailable during the week (ie, all the priests in the diocese are called on a retreat at the same time), we would do a communion service. But the last few times that situation occurred, I noticed they opted to do a Liturgy of the Hours prayer service, and that was it.

Today, our priest told us that our Bishop wanted to reemphasize that communion services weren’t allowed. Except for extreme circumstances (ie, if you’re very sick and have communion brought to you at home, or if the priest can’t make Saturday Vigil), communion only takes place within the context of a Mass. Aha! That made the other parish’s change make sense.

I had never encountered that before. Are communion services that out-of-the-ordinary? Are they that controversial? Obviously, the Mass is far better than a communion service, and is preferable whenever possible for the 99% of the time it’s available. But it seemed like an odd thing to just do away with wholesale, especially when the times I’ve encountered them, it’s because every priest in the diocese has been called on retreat, or another parish has borrowed our priest for a penance service, rather than a priest being unwilling to serve the usually-scheduled Mass.

I am in the same diocese. What bothers me the most is the importance of the Eucharist to our faith. It seems as though “business” is taking becoming too much of a priority. With so many Catholics leaving the faith, I would like to see a renewed effort to make daily mass and communion available to more people, not less.

I am a little surprised by how few evening masses are offered during the week in our area (maybe one weeknight mass). I do not want to disrespect anyone who is able to attend daytime worship but the majority of adults work. We need to offer MORE to build a culture in the church that will help to foster prayer, faith, and participation. People will turn to the Church when they need us - we just need to be available, JMO.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

Our Archdiocesan Director of Liturgy (a very well respected, reverent priest with a reputation for advising other dioceses around the country) wrote an article about this a while back.

If I recall, basically Communion Services were (are) intended for parish communities without a resident priest, where Sunday Mass may not occur regularly. However, many parishes adopted this service for weekdays whenever the priest was off or unavailable. The concern then became that people would not distinguish between Mass and Communion Service, treating them equally or perhaps even showing a preference for the Service. In an effort to safeguard the laity from misunderstanding and to preserve the proper reverence for the Mass, LOTH is now encouraged instead.

That’s my poor paraphrasing; I’m still digging for the actual article…

 

[Corki]

The document that first gave guidance for Communion Services in the place of Mass was called “Sunday Celebrations in the absence of a priest”. So from that time on there has been debate as to whether that could be expanded to weekday services. But they had become fairly common in many dioceses.

Fairly recently the USCCB issued a new document that seems to really limit the times when such a celebration is appropriate.

usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/frequently-asked-questions/weekday-celebrations-in-the-absence-of-a-priest.cfm

It sounds like your new bishop is interpreting the documents narrowly, which is not a bad thing.

 

[dmftx]

Shaking my head in sadness…how could anyone NOT understand the difference between a communion service and mass? We seem to be offering less and less when, in these last days, we should be offering so much more.

 

[Brendan]

Shaking my head in sadness…how could anyone NOT understand the difference between a communion service and mass? We seem to be offering less and less when, in these last days, we should be offering so much more.

It’s happened. There have been threats on this site that entailed people wondering why some lady was saying Mass at their parish.

When they described it, it was actually a Communion service.

So yes, it does happen.

Personally, I prefer the intent that Cor and Cor described above. The purpose of the Communion Service was exactly as described, to allow a mean for Holy Communion to be offered on Sundays at parishes where regular Mass was not possible.

Some bishops chose to expand that, as it their right to do so, but others have restricted it to it’s original intent, and that is not a bad thing.

I wish it would be more common just to take the time and spend it quietly with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration.

 

[Antegin]

I’m confused. Here in Southern MD we almost always have mass. One time Father got called away unexpectedly. A communion service was carefully laid out. There was such an uproar about this one service in this one Church, it was crazy. Are you guys saying this happens all the time?

 

[jeannetherese]

It’s happened. There have been threats on this site that entailed people wondering why some lady was saying Mass at their parish.

When they described it, it was actually a Communion service.

I’m guessing that ‘threats’ is a typo and ‘threads’ was the intended word.

Having been to a scheduled Mass in which Father was absent due to illness and a lady dressed in white robes provided a communion service in place of the Mass, I can testify to the confusion which may arise.

May the efforts of our bishops to catechize their flocks bear much good fruit.
Amen.

 

[dmftx]

I’m confused. Here in Southern MD we almost always have mass. One time Father got called away unexpectedly. A communion service was carefully laid out. There was such an uproar about this one service in this one Church, it was crazy. Are you guys saying this happens all the time?

I am aware that this happened in the Northeast, fairly often, in the absence of a priest. We have not lived there in a while so I cannot attest that it is still common. Trust me, no one would think it was a mass but what a wonderful way to offer the faithful an important sacrament!

I am just in shock. We have lay Eucharist Ministers that serve the sick…it never crossed my mind that we would not offer Communion Services.

 

[ProVobis]

I am just in shock. We have lay Eucharist Ministers that serve the sick…it never crossed my mind that we would not offer Communion Services.

Not of much good if none are disposed for the reception of communion. I believe this just highlights the shortage of priests more than anything else.

 

[phil19034]

I personally think the Bishop is doing the right thing. The use of Communion Services can be confusing to the un-Catechized and the casual non-Catholic attendee.

Not offering communion for just one rare, canceled Daily Mass should not hurt anyone. Daily Mass is optional and people who often attend Daily Mass (I’m one of them) are already receiving Communion far more than the average practicing Catholic who only attends Sundays and Holydays.

Alternatively, most parishes do not have a public Liturgy of the Hours, and if they do, it’s usually not a solemn version. Praying the hours, lead by a Deacon or Lay person when a priest is absent could actually help spread the devotion, leading more people to pray the hours. While having a communion service in place of a daily mass seems to me like people are not trusting in God’s mercy enough, that they must receive communion every day in order to stay in Grace.

Trust me, I love to receive communion as much as possible too… But not enough that I feel like I must receive it outside of mass if I’m not home or hospital bound.

God Bless

 

[Antegin]

I am aware that this happened in the Northeast, fairly often, in the absence of a priest. We have not lived there in a while so I cannot attest that it is still common. Trust me, no one would think it was a mass but what a wonderful way to offer the faithful an important sacrament!

I am just in shock. We have lay Eucharist Ministers that serve the sick…it never crossed my mind that we would not offer Communion Services.

When we serve the sick and homebound, we use a service that can be modified according to how ill the person is. I just can’t think of these services being used in lieu of mass except that one time.

 

[MSSheBear]

I’m confused. Here in Southern MD we almost always have mass. One time Father got called away unexpectedly. A communion service was carefully laid out. There was such an uproar about this one service in this one Church, it was crazy. Are you guys saying this happens all the time?

In the diocese I live the weekday Communion Services happen all the time. Sometimes it was because the priest couldn’t make it and sometimes because a priest wasn’t available. Otherwise the parishioners would have to go to another parish or skip daily Mass because of the timing. I live in an urban area so a weekend Communion Service makes no sense.

I was once in the boondocks of Northern California and the parish had a regularly scheduled weekday Communion Service.

 

[mlz]

. I believe this just highlights the shortage of priests more than anything else.

That was what came to my mind also. Let us be diligent to pray for holy vocations.
mlz

 

[Sunbreak]

Communion Services were originally allowed when a priest wasn’t available on Sunday to celebrate Mass. Somehow, it expanded into an everyday thing that went far beyond the original purpose or even in some places got transformed into a service where a lay person acts like they are playing priest. A communion service just isn’t necessary unless it’s Sunday and no priest is available. In many big cities, even that isn’t a necessity since a person can go to another parish.

 

[Phemie]

Communion Services were originally allowed when a priest wasn’t available on Sunday to celebrate Mass. Somehow, it expanded into an everyday thing that went far beyond the original purpose or even in some places got transformed into a service where a lay person acts like they are playing priest. A communion service just isn’t necessary unless it’s Sunday and no priest is available. In many big cities, even that isn’t a necessity since a person can go to another parish.

I’ve lived in a city where our ethnic community had a Communion Service on Sundays if neither our chaplain or another priest was available, this even though most of us had to drive past at least one if not three or four churches to get to our location. That made no sense to me so, although I would read or be EMHC if I was on the roster, the children and I would always go somewhere else to attend Mass.

I later came across the original Canadian document on these services that proclaimed that it was more important to worship as a community, even if there was no Mass, than to break up the community to go to another parish to attend Mass. Of course that was corrected in the later released rite “Sunday Celebration of the Word and Hours,” but the damage had already been done and that’s why people thought it was more important to have a French Liturgy of the Word in an auditorium than to go 1/4 mile down the street to attend Mass in English at Holy Martyrs.

 

[Joan_M]

Shaking my head in sadness…how could anyone NOT understand the difference between a communion service and mass? We seem to be offering less and less when, in these last days, we should be offering so much more.

Many people are not well catechized and Communion Services are, unfortunately, far too like Mass - really, only the Eucharistic Prayer is omitted. I have heard people saying " I really like Sister X’s Mass"!! It is too easy for people to mistake a Communion Service for Mass.

 

[ProVobis]

We have lay Eucharist Ministers that serve the sick.

Not to berate these ministers but recently I was laid up in a hospital bed for almost a week. The first two days I was denied anything to eat. I was not properly disposed for the rest. Why was it so difficult for these people to understand this? Only one actually offered prayers and to be truthful, I appreciated this much more than the snotty reaction of the others.

 

[corsair]

One of our “old” parishes that we used to go to had a communion service about once a month. generally it was when our priest was ill and couldn’t get a retired priest to come in for a day or two.

The wife and I tried to avoid the service because a Mass wasn’t available.