Questions on Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

[AnthonyJ]

I discovered that the closest Syro-Malabar Catholic parish to me has moved into a church building that will only be 17 miles from my house. I am hoping to sometimes attend the Holy Qurbana there. Is Holy Communion administered by intinction? I ask because it is in the Syro-Malankara Catholic parish I have been to. I do notice in the bulletin they list Eucharistic Ministers and there are female names in the altar server list. Is this common in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church? I ask just out of curiosity, as it wouldn’t prevent me from visiting. Thank you.

 

[SyroMalankara]

I discovered that the closest Syro-Malabar Catholic parish to me has moved into a church building that will only be 17 miles from my house. I am hoping to sometimes attend the Holy Qurbana there. Is Holy Communion administered by intinction? I ask because it is in the Syro-Malankara Catholic parish I have been to. I do notice in the bulletin they list Eucharistic Ministers and there are female names in the altar server list. Is this common in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church? I ask just out of curiosity, as it wouldn’t prevent me from visiting. Thank you.

They are a mixed bag, most are latinized to varying degree

 

[Vico]

I discovered that the closest Syro-Malabar Catholic parish to me has moved into a church building that will only be 17 miles from my house. I am hoping to sometimes attend the Holy Qurbana there. Is Holy Communion administered by intinction? I ask because it is in the Syro-Malankara Catholic parish I have been to. I do notice in the bulletin they list Eucharistic Ministers and there are female names in the altar server list. Is this common in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church? I ask just out of curiosity, as it wouldn’t prevent me from visiting. Thank you.

I have seen that the Syro-Malabar Divine Eucharist is given by intinction (at least some places).

 

[SyroMalankara]

One Assyrian/Chaldean traditional practice, disconcerting to some Latins, is to give Eucharist in the hand and the communicant intincts into the chalice that the deacon holds out.
Some Syro-Malabar parishes do this too, don’t be scandalized.

 

[Thomas48]

I discovered that the closest Syro-Malabar Catholic parish to me has moved into a church building that will only be 17 miles from my house. I am hoping to sometimes attend the Holy Qurbana there. Is Holy Communion administered by intinction? I ask because it is in the Syro-Malankara Catholic parish I have been to. I do notice in the bulletin they list Eucharistic Ministers and there are female names in the altar server list. Is this common in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church? I ask just out of curiosity, as it wouldn’t prevent me from visiting. Thank you.

This is an interesting question, from experience I can tell you that every Syro Malabar (Knanaya) Church I have been to the adherents self-intinct. From my knowledge self intinction is the norm for our Church. The server will hand you the bread and you dip it yourself into the wine. However some adherents wish to receive by tongue, so in which case the priest will intinct for them. For the most part the majority of our churches have self-intinction.

In example at my Church we have an object I believe called the dual-species, which is basically a large paten with a chalice molded in the center. The dual-species helps self intinction and for those who wish to receive by the tongue, intinction by the priest, all at the same spot. However I have yet to see Syro Malabar patrons drinking from the chalice like at the Latin Church. If you get the chance to go, I would say your best bet is to self-intinct. However self-intinction could be the norm of Kottayam Archdiocese (we’re one of the least Latinized) and Knanaya Catholics brought the traditions to our parishes here in America, I cannot say for other Syro Malabar Parishes I have actually never in my life been to a Syro Malabar Qurbana at a Non-Knanaya Church before.

 

[Thomas48]

I do notice in the bulletin they list Eucharistic Ministers and there are female names in the altar server list. Is this common in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church?

We have altar girls (children/teens), female gospel readers, and female Eucharistic Ministers, the names you saw were most likely the youth altar servers. Yes this is quite normal for our Church no matter what the diocese. The youth altar severs don’t really serve a purpose in the Syro Malabar Qurbana, they literally just stand facing the same direction of the priest with liturgical text in their hands. When he turns Ad Orientem they do as well and vice versa. We don’t have the position of adult altar server but we the temporary deacons (usually two or more) who do everything you would see an altar server and a deacon do.