Priest eating extra Eucharists after communion

[InLight247]

I was at daily Mass yesterday and the priest and deacon both ate extra Eucharists after everyone went up for communion. I had seen them do this before, but I was just wondering if anyone knew if there is a rule behind this or if they were just trying to make it easier for all of the Eucharists to fit into one ciborium.

Often times if there are broken pieces of Eucharist, the priest will pick them up and eat. Also if some consecrated hosts fall to the ground, priest will consume them also.

 

[paperwight66]

Often times if there are broken pieces of Eucharist, the priest will pick them up and eat. Also if some consecrated hosts fall to the ground, priest will consume them also.

Yes, I was going to suggest that. Sometimes fragments accumulate at the bottom of the main ciborium, and it’s good practice to transfer whole ones to a new ciborium and consume the fragments and crumbs which then come to light.

 

[TimothyH]

Now that I think of it, I do recall a parish I sometimes attended that would regularly do this at daily Mass. People would put hosts in the ciborium as they walked in the back of the Church, but there were always people who put in a few extra to cover those who came late or forgot to put one in. So there were generally a few extra that the priest would generally consume after Communion was distributed. I can understand that. Adding a few extra consecrated hosts to the ciborium every day is going to make it much more difficult to gauge how old the hosts in the tabernacle are.

That’s just me speculating, though.

This is likely the correct answer. I see it often.

Hosts are in a basket and those coming in for Mass will use tongs to place one onto a paten or into a ciboria if they intend to receive at that Mass. In locations where the tabernacle is in a side chapel and walking out of the sanctuary to reserve the remaining consecrated hosts is impractical, or where Mass is in a chapel while the tabernacle is in the main Church, the priest will simply consume any extra.

It is not a big deal.

-Tim-

 

[Phemie]

My parish is another that uses the ‘put your host in the ciborium’ method of making sure enough bread is consecrated. It’s more hygienic than you’d think. Both the container of hosts and the ciborium are covered with a pall and the bread is picked up with tongs.

The GIRM does address the practice of consuming the Hosts after Communion.
GIRM 163. When the distribution of Communion is over, the Priest himself immediately and completely consumes at the altar any consecrated wine that happens to remain; as for any consecrated hosts that are left, he either consumes them at the altar or carries them to the place designated for the reservation of the Eucharist.

 

[Joe_5859]

My parish is another that uses the ‘put your host in the ciborium’ method of making sure enough bread is consecrated. It’s more hygienic than you’d think. Both the container of hosts and the ciborium are covered with a pall and the bread is picked up with tongs.

The GIRM does address the practice of consuming the Hosts after Communion.
GIRM 163. When the distribution of Communion is over, the Priest himself immediately and completely consumes at the altar any consecrated wine that happens to remain; as for any consecrated hosts that are left, he either consumes them at the altar or carries them to the place designated for the reservation of the Eucharist.

I knew it was probably in the GIRM somewhere, but I was having trouble finding it. Thanks!

Yeah, I forgot about the tongs. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone to that parish, so I forgot that part of the equation. That does make it more hygienic.

 

[InThePew]

Calculating the required number of hosts for any sort of decent sized congregation is far from an exact science - especially at funeral masses or any other sort of special occassion! Add to that the need to retain sufficient hosts in the tabernacle for taking to the sick and housebound as well as for any other unforeseen requirements. So given this, it not really that surprising that most parishes keep a ciborium in the tabernacle and try to “rotate through” the hosts contained in it. Granted it’s always preferable (as the GIRM says) for communicants to receive hosts consecrated at that mass (what I like to call “fresh Jesus” ) but sometimes that’s just not really practicable and so only the celebrant and concelebrants have to receive from hosts consecrated that that mass.

When there’s hosts left over afterwards, more often than not these are placed in the ciborium to be reserved but again, sometimes (like on a camp or retreat) this isn’t an option. There are also times, for example when there’s only a very small number remaining, when it’s just easier for the celebrant to consume the remaining hosts rather than reserve them.

 

[agw123]

I was at daily Mass yesterday and the priest and deacon both ate extra Eucharists after everyone went up for communion. I had seen them do this before, but I was just wondering if anyone knew if there is a rule behind this or if they were just trying to make it easier for all of the Eucharists to fit into one ciborium.

Sometimes also done to prevent management of the ciboriums in the tabernacle. If you have a left over and they wont fit in the ciboriums, your choices are to jam them in, eat them or use another one (if you had one).

 

[Porknpie]

The OP didn’t say if this was in a regular parish church or chapel or some other location. I have been to Newman Centers, for example, where one chapel is shared by multiple groups and there is no tabernacle. The hosts are not reserved in a place like that but would either be consumed or transported to another location. I wonder, too, if the number of remaining hosts is small if they might consider it preferable to consume them at Mass rather than add them to the ciborium.

Similarly, our Parish has a secondary location that does not have a tabernacle. Depending on who has been pastor, we either transport the hosts to the main church or consume them after Mass. The current practice is to consume them after Mass if any remain.