Question--as an Extraordinary Minister, am I permitted to

[whatevergirl]

…take the Eucharist to my motherinlaw, who is relatively home bound? We went to visit her today, and she sometimes tries to make it to Sunday mass with my husband’s brother, who she lives with, but often times, she doesn’t attend mass. She is 83. My sisterinlaw knows that I am a Eucharistic Minister (Extraordinary Minister…I have seen it on here referred to in both ways) and would love to bring the Eucharist to her, if I’m permitted…

I was thinking of asking one of the nuns, who is responsible for the EM schedules…is this something that anyone else has faced? I know that there are EM’s who go up after the communion line is through, to receive the Eucharist for those who are homebound, or who are in assisted living facilities…so, there must be a way I could take this to my motherinlaw, in the same fashion…no?

Your advice is appreciated…thank you.

 

[puzzleannie]

…take the Eucharist to my motherinlaw, who is relatively home bound?

yes, that is one of the reasons you were commissioned as an extraordinary minister of holy communion. But you may not do this on your own initiative, opening the tabernacle on your own. simply explain to the priest and he will arrange for you, and the others who will be visiting the sick to receive a pyx with the consecrated Host right after daily or Sunday Mass, and bless you as you leave. You then go directly to the home of the person without stopping or speaking to anyone else or doing any other activity, administer the sacrament to them, and to any of their caregivers and family members present (if they are otherwise allowed to receive). There is a rite for administering communion to the sick, and you should have been taught how to do this during your training.

 

[whatevergirl]

yes, that is one of the reasons you were commissioned as an extraordinary minister of holy communion. But you may not do this on your own initiative, opening the tabernacle on your own. simply explain to the priest and he will arrange for you, and the others who will be visiting the sick to receive a pyx with the consecrated Host right after daily or Sunday Mass, and bless you as you leave. You then go directly to the home of the person without stopping or speaking to anyone else or doing any other activity, administer the sacrament to them, and to any of their caregivers and family members present (if they are otherwise allowed to receive). There is a rite for administering communion to the sick, and you should have been taught how to do this during your training.

thanks annie! i assumed i would have to arrange something with my parish priest…i did not know that i would need to head directly to my mil’s house, though…although, i would have, i didn’t realize that is a requirement…

again, thank you–i’ll let u know how it goes.

 

[FrCorey]

and I think there is a special rite the priest needs to do each time for you to be able to carry GOD with you.

 

[Michael_Welter]

Sharon, this is a great honor, and responsibility. It’s a vital ministry in any parish. In my parish, we have a ministry for the homebound. Members of that ministry receive the pyx at the end of Mass. They are blessed, and then leave before the Mass is over. This way, they can leave before they are interupted by other people wanting to chat.

See if your parish has an established ministry to the homebound. Perhaps they can assist you with the proper protocols for brining Jesus to your MIL.

 

[John_Lilburne]

and I think there is a special rite the priest needs to do each time for you to be able to carry GOD with you.

I am not aware of any rite for the Extraordinary Minister receiving the Body of Christ from the tabernacle.

But there is a ceremony for giving someone the Body of Christ outside of Mass. It is found in the liturgical book “Holy Communion and the Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass”. A small book which includes this ceremony is A Ritual for Laypersons, published by Liturgical Press, 1993, ISBN 0814621503.

In outline the ceremony has:
Introductory rites: greeting, penitential rite
Reading
Our Father
This is the Lamb of God …
Communion
Concluding Prayer.

 

[Sir_Knight]

and I think there is a special rite the priest needs to do each time for you to be able to carry GOD with you.

Sharon, this is a great honor, and responsibility. It’s a vital ministry in any parish. In my parish, we have a ministry for the homebound. Members of that ministry receive the pyx at the end of Mass. They are blessed, and then leave before the Mass is over.

But you may not do this on your own initiative, opening the tabernacle on your own. simply explain to the priest and he will arrange for you, and the others who will be visiting the sick to receive a pyx with the consecrated Host right after daily or Sunday Mass, and bless you as you leave. You then go directly to the home of the person without stopping or speaking to anyone else or doing any other activity, administer the sacrament to them, and to any of their caregivers and family members present (if they are otherwise allowed to receive).

I’m a litte bit confused here. I’m an EMHC ministering to the homebound (I don’t distribute at mass). When I was appointed/commissioned for this role, the priest outstretched his hands over me and said a lengthy prayer over me in Latin and blessed me. Then he showed me where the tabernacle key was and showed me how I was to open the tabernacle, take the hosts out and place them in the pyx.

I was told to contact the folks on my list and set up a schedule for bringing communion to them. Some are monthly. Some are weekly and some are on some other type of schedule. Whenever I am to make a communion delivery, I was instructed to go to the tabernacle myself and get however many hosts that I need and go make my visitations.

Is this incorrect procedures? If so, can someone provide me a church reference so that I can ask my priest about it. I don’t think that just going there and saying that I read on the internet that what he told me to do is wrong, is going to make much of an impression on him but a reference from a church document will.

There is a rite for administering communion to the sick, and you should have been taught how to do this during your training.

What training? I was given 8 pages to memorize. Then the parish nun went with me the first time to see if I did okay. Afterwards she said I did fine and that I was now on my own.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

…take the Eucharist to my motherinlaw, who is relatively home bound? We went to visit her today, and she sometimes tries to make it to Sunday mass with my husband’s brother, who she lives with, but often times, she doesn’t attend mass. She is 83. My sisterinlaw knows that I am a Eucharistic Minister (Extraordinary Minister…I have seen it on here referred to in both ways) and would love to bring the Eucharist to her, if I’m permitted…

I was thinking of asking one of the nuns, who is responsible for the EM schedules…is this something that anyone else has faced? I know that there are EM’s who go up after the communion line is through, to receive the Eucharist for those who are homebound, or who are in assisted living facilities…so, there must be a way I could take this to my motherinlaw, in the same fashion…no?

Your advice is appreciated…thank you.

Of course you could, speak with your Pastor.

 

[Marauder]

Is this incorrect procedures?

Everything you are doing is correct. What some people are listing is the preferred methods of receiving or the policies in their parishes.

It is preferred that you receive the Eucharist at Mass from the priest directly and then take it out to the homebound immediately after Mass, but it is not required.

In reality not everyone can be seen immediately after a Mass and not all parishes have this ceremony they are talking about or even priests that want you to approach them in the communion line with pyx.

An EMHC is allowed to open the tabernacle (except they aren’t supposed to during Mass) as long as he has been taught the proper procedures and uses the proper reverence and has the permission of the pastor. There are no regulations that prohibit this outside of Mass.

It is however a requirement that once you have the Eucharist you are to proceed directly to the person/people you are supposed to see. Limiting any interaction with other people to an absolute minimum. You shouldn’t be stopping and talking to your buddies on the way out of church or taking the Eucharist home for x amount of time before visiting the people.

I am no longer an EMHC at Mass but I have been taking the Eucharist to the homebound and hospital bound for several years, so if you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.

 

[Sir_Knight]

I am no longer an EMHC at Mass but I have been taking the Eucharist to the homebound and hospital bound for several years, so if you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.

Thank you. A PM is on it’s way

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I’m a litte bit confused here. I’m an EMHC ministering to the homebound (I don’t distribute at mass). When I was appointed/commissioned for this role, the priest outstretched his hands over me and said a lengthy prayer over me in Latin and blessed me. Then he showed me where the tabernacle key was and showed me how I was to open the tabernacle, take the hosts out and place them in the pyx.

I was told to contact the folks on my list and set up a schedule for bringing communion to them. Some are monthly. Some are weekly and some are on some other type of schedule. Whenever I am to make a communion delivery, I was instructed to go to the tabernacle myself and get however many hosts that I need and go make my visitations.

Is this incorrect procedures? If so, can someone provide me a church reference so that I can ask my priest about it. I don’t think that just going there and saying that I read on the internet that what he told me to do is wrong, is going to make much of an impression on him but a reference from a church document will.

What training? I was given 8 pages to memorize. Then the parish nun went with me the first time to see if I did okay. Afterwards she said I did fine and that I was now on my own.

It is important to remember that when visiting the homebound it is sometimes different than visiting the hospital.

You have to judge if they are able to participate in a FULL Communion service or require a shorter version, sometimes it may only be a quick Our Father and then Holy Communion. This however should not be the norm. The Full Communion service should be the norm when they are able to participate. Family members in the home at the time should also participate and can receive Holy Communion too.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Family members in the home at the time should also participate and can receive Holy Communion too.

Then would I have to bring extra hosts? But I was told to only bring the amount that I need.

How do I estimate this?

 

[Marauder]

Then would I have to bring extra hosts? But I was told to only bring the amount that I need.

How do I estimate this?

If you are going to the hospital/nursing home you usually have extra hosts anyway.

If you are going to homebound patients and there is someone else present you can just break their host into multiple pieces, just make sure all the particles are treated appropriatly. If someone looks at you funny, make sure they realize that a small portion of the host is just as much the full Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ as the entire host.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Then would I have to bring extra hosts? But I was told to only bring the amount that I need.

How do I estimate this?

When you visit before you actually bring Holy Communion you can find out how many people are Catholic in the house and want to receive. You do have to remind them sometimes that receiving from you does not excuse them for the Mass obligation, but they can receive again on the same day. I think you said this was a family member, so you would know who is normally there at the time you would be visiting. Just tell the priest that the person and their spouse or daughter, friend, nurse, caregiver, etc. Tell him all are Catholic and all three want to receive. He should not have a problem with that and give you or allow you to take the right number of hosts. Now if you don’t use all the Hosts you will need to bring the remaining back to the Church and out them back in the tabernacle. So I find it is better to take a few less and simply break one or two for the other people.

 

[Michael_Welter]

You have to judge if they are able to participate in a FULL Communion service or require a shorter version, sometimes it may only be a quick Our Father and then Holy Communion. This however should not be the norm. The Full Communion service should be the norm when they are able to participate. Family members in the home at the time should also participate and can receive Holy Communion too.

Hmmm . . . this brings up a question. I head up the Audio/Visual Ministry in my parish, and I have a dream. I want to stream our Masses over the Internet, so the homebound in our parish can participate in the Mass online prior to Communion being brought to them by an EMHC. If they participate online, would they still need a full Communion service when the EMHC arrives?