Precious Blood spilled on my daughter's jeans

[jacie]

Does anyone here have a clue what to do if the Precious Blood spills on your pants while receiving Holy Communion? I know there is a special way they wash the altar linens, with the water draining into a special drain run directly into the ground at the church. What should I do with them?

 

[Revs96]

Things that contact the Eucharist are washed by hand and the water is then poured into the sacrarium, a sink that drains into the ground instead of the sewer system. If no sacrarium is available, then the water is poured into the ground. So while I don’t know how the Precious Blood got on your daughter’s jeans (and a part of me doesn’t want to know how He got on her jeans, but it might have been a simple accident), then you can just wash them by hand and pour the water directly into the dirt outside.

PS, come to think of it, all blessed things are disposed of by putting them in the ground (in the sacrarium if possible). Holy Water will eventually get old (there’s not chlorine in it so it will eventually get algae growing in it (trust me it will), then it is poured into the sacrarium or into the dirt outside. If anything is poured into the dirt, it is obviously poured onto a spot that won’t get trampled.

 

[Lady_Kikyo]

You need to discuss this with a priest. From my understanding, when the Blood spills onto the carpet, the part of the carpet containing His Blood is cut out and properly “disposed” of. I would do the same with the jeans, and give it to the priest to dispose of. If he’s half-hearted about it, you should bury it.

I don’t know how this spill happened, but if it was the result of the extraordinary Eucharistic minister, it should be taken up with the priest. These sort of mishaps are inexcusable.

 

[Catholic90]

You need to discuss this with a priest. From my understanding, when the Blood spills onto the carpet, the part of the carpet containing His Blood is cut out and properly “disposed” of. I would do the same with the jeans, and give it to the priest to dispose of. If he’s half-hearted about it, you should bury it.

I don’t know how this spill happened, but if it was the result of the extraordinary Eucharistic minister, it should be taken up with the priest. These sort of mishaps are inexcusable.

This seems a bit extreme. Washing carpet is different than washing jeans. You was linens, which have touched the blood. Wash jeans the same way.

 

[kage_ar]

You would rinse the jeans in clear water - in a bowl or tub - and empty the water onto the ground. Or you could take the jeans outside and use the hose to run wather through the spill and directly onto the ground.

Do this until the water runs clear.

Then, launder the jeans as normal.

 

[jacie]

Well to answer your questions, of course it happened while she was receiving communion. She’s 11 years old, and didn’t tell me about it until later, so I have no idea which Eucharistic minister it was or whether it got onto the carpet. I’m sure my daughter was just clumsy when she took the chalice. But when I explained the problem to her, she was so aghast when it finally sunk in that this was indeed our Lord’s blood, she folded the pants up and asked me to leave the room so she could put them in her “special place” where she keeps her rosary, some holy cards, an old plastic crucifix and some other sacred memorabilia.

Anyway, I like the idea of washing them out by hand and disposing of the water in the ground. Maybe near where we’ve buried some pets. They were brand new, hate to lose them. But I will contact our priest to let him know and see what he says. I just wanted to get some other opinions before hearing what he has to say about it. You never know if your priest is going to take these things seriously enough.

Thanks.

 

[JRKH]

Well to answer your questions, of course it happened while she was receiving communion. She’s 11 years old, and didn’t tell me about it until later, so I have no idea which Eucharistic minister it was or whether it got onto the carpet. I’m sure my daughter was just clumsy when she took the chalice. **But when I explained the problem to her, she was so aghast when it finally sunk in that this was indeed our Lord’s blood, she folded the pants up and asked me to leave the room so she could put them in her “special place” where she keeps her rosary, some holy cards, an old plastic crucifix and some other sacred memorabilia. **

Anyway, I like the idea of washing them out by hand and disposing of the water in the ground. Maybe near where we’ve buried some pets. They were brand new, hate to lose them. But I will contact our priest to let him know and see what he says. I just wanted to get some other opinions before hearing what he has to say about it. You never know if your priest is going to take these things seriously enough.

Thanks.

I was struck by your daughters reaction to this. Of course I hope that she knows it would be inappropriate to “keep them” that way and that they need to be properly cleaned in a reverent manner.

Peace
James

 

[jacie]

Well of course I explained to her that we would have to find out how best to clean them. They’re just in a temporary place.

 

[malphono]

Well to answer your questions, of course it happened while she was receiving communion. She’s 11 years old, and didn’t tell me about it until later, so I have no idea which Eucharistic minister it was or whether it got onto the carpet. I’m sure my daughter was just clumsy when she took the chalice. But when I explained the problem to her, she was so aghast when it finally sunk in that this was indeed our Lord’s blood, she folded the pants up and asked me to leave the room so she could put them in her “special place” where she keeps her rosary, some holy cards, an old plastic crucifix and some other sacred memorabilia.

What I’m curious about is the other person involved. I’ll presume it was an EMHC, but even so, they are supposed to be instructed in what to do when such accidents happen. I frankly don’t see how it’s possible for an accident like that to happen and not be noticed by the person administering.

Anyway, I like the idea of washing them out by hand and disposing of the water in the ground. Maybe near where we’ve buried some pets. They were brand new, hate to lose them.

Yes, kage_ar was quite right earlier in the best way to do it.

But I will contact our priest to let him know and see what he says. I just wanted to get some other opinions before hearing what he has to say about it. You never know if your priest is going to take these things seriously enough.

Please do the washing whether you do contact him or not, and even if he says “don’t bother.”

 

[jacie]

Yes, of course I’ll do the washing either way. That’s why I contacted you guys first. And I’m notifiying him as well so he can hopefully take it up with whoever trains the Eucharistic Ministers. Thanks again for all the great info.

 

[Marie5890]

Your daughter’s reaction of reverence should definitely be commended and what an opportunity to teach.

Which is what the Lord would do. Teach. Not condemn.

“Suffer the little children to come unto me”

A reverential reaction is appropriate.

Definitely bring it up to your pastor.

 

[Lady_Kikyo]

This seems a bit extreme. Washing carpet is different than washing jeans. You was linens, which have touched the blood. Wash jeans the same way.

I doubt any Saint would say that’s “extreme,” even if not necessary in this particular case: the Precious Blood went where It was not supposed to, soaked where It was not supposed to. What are a pair of jeans (or a carpet) compared to the Blood of Christ? St. Lawrence picked up the Eucharist with his tongue after a possessed person vomited It to protect It from further desecration. Not the same situation, but many would label what he did as “extreme.” Anyway, the issue’s being dealt with so I guess this thread is over.

 

[Lady_Kikyo]

Your daughter’s reaction of reverence should definitely be commended and what an opportunity to teach.

That was sweet.

Which is what the Lord would do. Teach. Not condemn.

Exactly…we should never condemn ignorance. She knows now, so Blessed be God!

 

[japhy]

By now, I’d imagine the Precious Blood has dried, so it no longer has the appearance of wine. However, it would still be wise and reverent to wash the jeans with water and pour the water directly into the ground; after that, the pants can be washed normally. And although your daughter’s intent may be laudable, not to put too fine a point on it, but the jeans aren’t a “relic” or something to that effect: when the appearance of wine ceases, the Real Presence ceases.

 

[Revs96]

she was so aghast when it finally sunk in that this was indeed our Lord’s blood, she folded the pants up and asked me to leave the room so she could put them in her “special place” where she keeps her rosary, some holy cards, an old plastic crucifix and some other sacred memorabilia.

This is pretty smart and very commendable. Fr. Corapi once had a Holy Hour in a sacristy because somebody did not clean the chalice throughly after Communion and there were particles of the Precious Blood dried along the inside of the chalice.

 

[jacie]

So I’ve never heard that the wine becomes only wine again once it dries? Can anyone confirm this?

 

[japhy]

So I’ve never heard that the wine becomes only wine again once it dries? Can anyone confirm this?

To be technical about it, the consecrated wine (the Precious Blood of Christ) does not “become wine again”, because as long as the Precious Blood has the appearance of wine, it is actually the Precious Blood. Once the appearance of wine ceases (and by “appearance” I mean “accidents” – the physical qualities, properties, characteristics), the Eucharistic presence ceases, and that means what remains is not wine, but the residue of what happens to wine when it is, say, diluted with water, or dried up, or whatever.

Catechism 1377: “The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist.”

Pope Gregory XI reiterated the belief that the Real Presence continues as long as the appearances of bread and wine remain, even if the Sacrament is profaned, whether dropped, thrown out, or even eaten by animals. (Cf. Ep. Cardinalium Inquis., Pope Gregory XI, 8 August 1371 (Denz. 1101-1103))

 

[malphono]

So I’ve never heard that the wine becomes only wine again once it dries? Can anyone confirm this?

To expand a bit on what japhy wrote, it’s a little more complicated than that. In it’s simplest terms, it’s the stain, which is most noticeable when red wine is used, but the principle applies equally to white.

If, for example, a chalice tips and there is a spill on a stone floor, the spill is to be mopped-up with a purificator as soon as possible. Once the purificator is rinsed in the sacrarium, the matter is closed. But if it was a carpeted floor, other steps need to be taken. Once the spill itself is removed as above, the area of the carpet must be cleaned with clear water, which is to be absorbed into another purificator in order to eliminate as much residue as possible. That purificator would then also be rinsed in the sacrarium. (The purificators are then laundered normally.)

Anyway, what’s left when the carpet dries, whether the spill was attended to not? A stain. If the spill was properly attended to, it’s just a stain, and the carpet should subsequently be shampooed to remove it (just as the jeans should be laundered normally). If, however, the spill was not properly attended to, the stain becomes problematic. As long as the nature of the “accident of wine” (in Western terms) remains, the Real Presence remains too. When the nature of the “accident of wine” changes (if, for example, the wine sours and turns to vinegar) it is no longer wine and thus it no longer contains the Real Presence. (Wine does indeed sour, and it’s one reason why the Sacrament is not reserved in that form.) Admittedly, with a dried stain it’s a bit more difficult to tell the status of the “accident of wine” but it is always preferable to err on the side of caution and treat the dried stain as if it were still fresh.

Hope that helps a bit and hasn’t added to the confusion.

 

[jacie]

Thank you all. Very informative. I’ve certainly learned a lot here. And it all makes perfect sense.