After a parish school mass last week, an altar server passed in front of me while I was leaving. She was bustling to the sacristy holding the ciborium, which contained scattered fragments of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The vessel had not been purfied on the altar. The altar server was wading through people leaving mass to reach the sacristy. It upset me because it seemed a very casual way to treat Our Lord. On Sundays, our priest does not purfy any vessels on the altar but instead the vessels are placed on table behind altar until after mass. Remaining Precious Blood is consumed by each Extraordinary Minister of Eucharist following Holy Communion. Is the following allowed?
- Purification of vessels after mass in sacristy.
- Purification of vessels by someone other than priest or deacon. I’ve been told that our priest has celiac’s disease. We always have a deacon present at Sunday mass but there is no deacon present at school masses.
I’m not sure whether to approach our priest about this. But it is upsetting to see the ciborium on a back table ignored by all for a few minutes after mass. Could you please let me know the proper procedure. Thank you.
The best place for the purification is the credence table.
From the 2002 General Introduction to the Roman Missal (GIRM) which can be accessed from
romanrite.com/girm.html :
“The Purification
… 279. The sacred vessels are purified by the priest, the deacon, or an instituted acolyte after Communion or after Mass, insofar as possible at the credence table. …”.
The altar is also mentioned as an option, for example:
“163. … Upon returning to the altar, the priest collects any fragments that may remain. Then, standing at the altar or at the credence table, he purifies the paten or ciborium over the chalice then purifies the chalice, saying quietly, Quod ore sumpsimus (Lord, may I receive), and dries the chalice with a purificator.”
The sacristy is not mentioned as an option for this ritual purification. But it does have:
"334. The practice is to be kept of building a sacrarium in the sacristy, into which are poured the water from the purification of sacred vessels and linens (cf. above, no. 280). ".
And: “280. If a host or any particle should fall, it is to be picked up reverently. If any of the Precious Blood is spilled, the area where the spill occurred should be washed with water, and this water should then be poured into the sacrarium in the sacristy.”
Additional cleaning and polishing of the sacred vessels will take place in the sacristy and can be done by anyone. But I believe the ritual purification should not take place there.
Instead of a deacon, priest or bishop doing the purifications, they may be done by an instituted acolyte. A bishop may institute a man (not a woman) as an acolyte in a liturgical ceremony.
I have written more about purifications at
romanrite.com/purifications.html .
urification and I appreciate the information. I incorrectly referred to the EMHC as Extraordinary Minister of Eucharist. Your link clarified that for me as well. I believe the pastoral assistants (2 women) are purifying the vessels after the school mass, but I need to clarify. Thanks again.