OK for lay women handling the "Blessed Sacrament"?

[Harsalter]

I asked this question last night, hoping to wake up this morning and read some answers, but the thread mysteriously disappeared.

I recently attended what I thought was going to be a Mass at a different parish other than my own, but it was actually only a communion service totally administered by a lay woman, including a homily. This made me feel very uncomfortable.

Last night, a lay woman in the absence of our priest, went to the tabernacle and brought out the “Blessed Sacrament” for adoration, then took it back afterwards.

And at a lot of parishes including my own, you will see a lay woman handing out the Holy Eucharist at Masses.

Are all these instances permissible?

 

[jaaraf]

I don’t think so… All the lay ministers at least in my country are men. And the priest always distributes communion with them.
In my all girls high school though, the female lay teachers also helped distribute communion, I think for logistic reasons since there was just the preist, a few nuns and about 3,000 female students receiving communion at a mass celebrated in an open quadrangle.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I asked this question last night, hoping to wake up this morning and read some answers, but the thread mysteriously disappeared.

I recently attended what I thought was going to be a Mass at a different parish other than my own, but it was actually only a communion service totally administered by a lay woman, including a homily. This made me feel very uncomfortable.

Last night, a lay woman in the absence of our priest, went to the tabernacle and brought out the “Blessed Sacrament” for adoration, then took it back afterwards.

And at a lot of parishes including my own, you will see a lay woman handing out the Holy Eucharist at Masses.

Are all these instances permissible?

If a priest is not available to celebrate Mass a Deacon may conduct a Communion service. This should be generally limited to Holy days of Obligation and Sundays as there is no obligation for the faithful to attend Mass on weekdays. If a Deacon is not available, an instituted Acolyte, if an instituted Acolyte is not available, a Male Religious, Female Religious, Lay man, or Lay woman in that order, may conduct a Communion service with the Bishops and pastors permission. Same with Adoration which I believe, may take place on any day at any time.

 

[Harsalter]

Thank you Bro. Rich, this answers my question.