OK for Extraordinary Ministers to remove hosts from Tabernacle?

[Journeyman]

At our parish, not enough hosts are consecrated for those receiving communion at most Masses. The usual procedure is for a layperson to take the hosts from the tabernacle to the altar as other EMHC’s and the priest and deacon (if present) are distributing communion. The layperson, who is also an EMHC, is ready to take hosts in her/his hand, put them in a ciborium in case anyone runs out of hosts, and then give them to the minister of Holy Communion. Is it proper for a layperson to remove hosts from the tabernacle? Is it proper for a layperson to handle hosts to move them into a ciborium? If not or it so, please give include documentation. Thanks!

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Journeyman:

At our parish, not enough hosts are consecrated for those receiving communion at most Masses. The usual procedure is for a layperson to take the hosts from the tabernacle to the altar as other EMHC’s and the priest and deacon (if present) are distributing communion. The layperson, who is also an EMHC, is ready to take hosts in her/his hand, put them in a ciborium in case anyone runs out of hosts, and then give them to the minister of Holy Communion. Is it proper for a layperson to remove hosts from the tabernacle? Is it proper for a layperson to handle hosts to move them into a ciborium? If not or it so, please give include documentation. Thanks!

I don’t have documentation here in front of me. I can supply it later if necessary.

The priest or deacon should go to the tabernacle. A lay person could if the priest is physically unable to do so. Any transfer of the Blessed Sacrament should take place at the altar on the corporal and should be done by the priestif done during Mass. In the past at another parish I would sometimes be required to transfer the Blessed Sacrament from one ciborium to another so that the other could be cleaned and polished. I would place a corporal on the altar, place both ciboriums on it and carefully transfer the Hosts from one to the other. Place the Ciborium back in the tabernacle and carefully fold the corporal. I would then rinse the other ciborium, pour the water into a chalice and drink it. Then give both the ciborium and chalice to the person cleaning them.

Jesus is not popcorn or potato chips and should not be treated as such.

 

[Journeyman]

Br. Rich SFO:

The priest or deacon should go to the tabernacle. A lay person could if the priest is physically unable to do so. Any transfer of the Blessed Sacrament should take place at the altar on the corporal and should be done by the priestif done during Mass. In the past at another parish I would sometimes be required to transfer the Blessed Sacrament from one ciborium to another so that the other could be cleaned and polished. I would place a corporal on the altar, place both ciboriums on it and carefully transfer the Hosts from one to the other. Place the Ciborium back in the tabernacle and carefully fold the corporal. I would then rinse the other ciborium, pour the water into a chalice and drink it. Then give both the ciborium and chalice to the person cleaning them.

Jesus is not popcorn or potato chips and should not be treated as such.

Thanks for the reply Br. Rich. One problem at our parish is that the tabernacle is located in a small, separate chapel. So as communion begins, a EMHC goes to the chapel, removes the holy communion from the tabernacle, and then brings the prior consecrated hosts to the altar, then handles them to transfer to a ciborium if needed by a priest, deacon or EMHC. So it is possible to a layperson to transfer hosts to several ciboriums if needed. I would love to see some sort of documentation on this issue regarding the transfer of the hosts (by hand), and removal and return of the hosts to the tabernacle.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Journeyman:

Thanks for the reply Br. Rich. One problem at our parish is that the tabernacle is located in a small, separate chapel. So as communion begins, a EMHC goes to the chapel, removes the holy communion from the tabernacle, and then brings the prior consecrated hosts to the altar, then handles them to transfer to a ciborium if needed by a priest, deacon or EMHC. So it is possible to a layperson to transfer hosts to several ciboriums if needed. I would love to see some sort of documentation on this issue regarding the transfer of the hosts (by hand), and removal and return of the hosts to the tabernacle.

It’s in the GIRM. I just don’t have one handy to give you the paragraph numbers.

It is possible but that does not mean that it is allowed.

 

[C_S_P_B]

The “Catholic Faith Community” I am a member of sounds very similar to Journeyman’s. Tabernacle is disconnected from the “worship space”. EM’s do the same things and it all happens out of sight in the sacristy.

I feel this makes it hard for the people to feel the Real Presence and reverence is not all that strong.

 

[TAS2000]

ok worse for you- I had been told the same thing, no EMHC’s should go in the tabernacle, but at a recent (just a couple of months ago) workshop put out by the diocese they were told it was ok in our diocese, specifically when this point was asked about. And not just by some poor guy conned into giving the workshop, but by one of the main men from the diocese. Apparently the GIRM isn’t enough, or this is one of the things left to the Bishop to dictate.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

TAS2000:

ok worse for you- I had been told the same thing, no EMHC’s should go in the tabernacle, but at a recent (just a couple of months ago) workshop put out by the diocese they were told it was ok in our diocese, specifically when this point was asked about. And not just by some poor guy conned into giving the workshop, but by one of the main men from the diocese. Apparently the GIRM isn’t enough, or this is one of the things left to the Bishop to dictate.

I would love for this main man form the diocese to show me where the documents allow the Bishop to determine this? I don’t find any options open to the local Bishop. Maybe I’m missing something.

 

[MrS]

Br. Rich SFO:

I would love for this main man form the diocese to show me where the documents allow the Bishop to determine this? I don’t find any options open to the local Bishop. Maybe I’m missing something.

It is not you missing something… it is the Bishop hoping that his actions :tsktsk: will be missed.