Quitting as an EMHC

[JuanCarlos]

Hello all,

I want some advice- currently I serve as an EMHC at my Church. However recently I’ve come to the conclusion that ideally Communion should be the domain of only consecrated hands. At the same time, we currently use 6 EMHCs for Hosts and it still takes a good 10-15 minutes for distributing.

So should I quit, or does this seem like an OK reason to stay? I know that they are often pressed in terms of EMHC (too few), and so my quitting would put additional strain on the ministry.

I really don’t know what to do.

 

[CathMass]

If you feel moved to quit because you feel unworthy, then quit. I too feel that distributing communion is only for consecrated hands. I am sure God will not be be angry.

I highly encourage you in fact to quit if this is what you feel is right. I do acknowledge the Church has approved this practice. However, I don’t want to start a debate or go on a tangent.

If you feel that the parish has enough ministers, then quit. Even if you quit, someone is bound to take your place. However, if in good conscience you cannot continue, then quit. It is a good thing. I feel we should only have priests and deacons distribute.

If we must have a layperson, it should be a male since only men can be priests. It also started that way according to a certain person I talked to. (I don’t guarantee the credibility but I believe it.) The original EMHC was a male in an alb at large crowds.

 

[Conservative]

Hello all,

I want some advice- currently I serve as an EMHC at my Church. However recently I’ve come to the conclusion that ideally Communion should be the domain of only consecrated hands. At the same time, we currently use 6 EMHCs for Hosts and it still takes a good 10-15 minutes for distributing.

So should I quit, or does this seem like an OK reason to stay? I know that they are often pressed in terms of EMHC (too few), and so my quitting would put additional strain on the ministry.

I really don’t know what to do.

Bravo for your decision (in my humble opinion). I agree that only the consecrated hands of a priest should handle the Blessed Sacrament. It takes a few extra minutes to distribute Communion? Maybe it’s good time for meditation. Has anyone bothered to try? I know I’m guilty of getting antsy but isn’t it amazing - if we’re watching a good movie or sports game how we hate to see it end. The Mass? Church? Too many minutes - with so many prayers we could be saying…

Color me as guilty as all the rest of the rushing-out congregation - but if you truly believe that consecrated hands should be touching the Host - that should be your main objective.
God bless you -

 

[Sarabande]

Hello all,

I want some advice- currently I serve as an EMHC at my Church. However recently I’ve come to the conclusion that ideally Communion should be the domain of only consecrated hands. At the same time, we currently use 6 EMHCs for Hosts and it still takes a good 10-15 minutes for distributing.

So should I quit, or does this seem like an OK reason to stay? I know that they are often pressed in terms of EMHC (too few), and so my quitting would put additional strain on the ministry.

I really don’t know what to do.

Do what your concience and what you believe God is telling you to do. If you truly do not feel right being an EMHC any longer, don’t go against your concience.

 

[universalindult]

The answer to your question was given by the Vatican ten years ago, see the area in bold:

vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/laity/documents/rc_con_interdic_doc_15081997_en.html
INSTRUCTION

ON CERTAIN QUESTIONS REGARDING
THE COLLABORATION OF THE NON-ORDAINED
FAITHFUL IN THE SACRED MINISTRY OF PRIEST

LIBRERIA EDITRICE VATICANA
VATICAN CITY 1997

…

Article 8

The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
…

§ 1. The canonical discipline concerning extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion must be correctly applied so as to avoid generating confusion. The same discipline establishes that the ordinary minister of Holy Communion is the Bishop, the Priest and the the Deacon.(96) Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are those instituted as acolytes and the faithful so deputed in accordance with Canon 230, § 3.(97)

A non-ordained member of the faithful, in cases of true necessity, may be deputed by the diocesan bishop, using the appropriate form of blessing for these situation, to act as an extraordinary minister to distribute Holy Communion outside of liturgical celebrations ad actum vel ad tempus or for a more stable period. In exceptional cases or in un foreseen circumstances, the priest presiding at the liturgy may authorize such ad actum.(98)

§ 2. Extraordinary ministers may distribute Holy Communion at eucharistic celebrations only when there are no ordained ministers present or when those ordained ministers present at a liturgical celebration are truly unable to distribute Holy Communion.(99) They may also exercise this function at eucharistic celebrations where there are particularly large numbers of the faithful and which would be excessively prolonged because of an insufficient number of ordained ministers to distribute Holy Communion. (100)

This function is supplementary and extraordinary (101) and must be exercised in accordance with the norm of law. It is thus useful for the diocesan bishop to issue particular norms concerning extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion which, in complete harmony with the universal law of the Church, should regulate the exercise of this function in his diocese. Such norms should provide, amongst other things, for matters such as the instruction in eucharistic doctrine of those chosen to be extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, the meaning of the service they provide, the rubrics to be observed, the reverence to be shown for such an august Sacrament and instruction concerning the discipline on admission to Holy Communion.

To avoid creating confusion, certain practices are to be avoided and eliminated where such have emerged in particular Churches:

— extraordinary ministers receiving Holy Communion apart from the other faithful as though concelebrants;

— association with the renewal of promises made by priests at the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, as well as other categories of faithful who renew religious vows or receive a mandate as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion;

— **the habitual use of extraordinary ministers **of Holy Communion at Mass thus arbitrarily extending the concept of “a great number of the faithful”.

 

[kleary]

I applaud your decision to quit. The use of lay people distributing Holy Communion at Mass is still being greatly abused. As with Communion in the hand it was born as an abuse in disobedience and disregard of Church authority.

I was even told that the reason for “Extraordinary Ministers” is “To show our own priesthood and to get the lay people more involved with the liturgy.” Shame they did not read one single document in this regard, and they did not even bank on this Internet thing to come along to allow any run of the mil Catholic to READ the actual history of this entire issue and the actual law in this regard.

I have been in protest of this whole issue, rightfully as a Catholic, by avoiding the line for the EM and going to the priest instead. I have hoped others like yourself would have done some research and found the truth as to why we have them and why they are being used during Mass no matter what.

Ken

 

[universalindult]

I was even told that the reason for “Extraordinary Ministers” is “To show our own priesthood and to get the lay people more involved with the liturgy.”

I long for the day when “Extraordinary Ministers” are as common in our dioceses as the “Extraordinary Rite” is at present.

 

[water]

Hello all,

I want some advice- currently I serve as an EMHC at my Church. However recently I’ve come to the conclusion that ideally Communion should be the domain of only consecrated hands. At the same time, we currently use 6 EMHCs for Hosts and it still takes a good 10-15 minutes for distributing.

So should I quit, or does this seem like an OK reason to stay? I know that they are often pressed in terms of EMHC (too few), and so my quitting would put additional strain on the ministry.

I really don’t know what to do.

If you don’t want to help during mass, think about helping with the Nursing Home. There are shortage of priests and deacons as you know, and there are so many souls who are hunger for the Eucharists.

Maybe at the end of your life, you would know what it is like to be in the shoes of those hungers.

 

[universalindult]

think about helping with the Nursing Home. There are shortage of priests and deacons as you know, and there are so many souls who are hunger for the Eucharists.

That is excellent advice. If there is a proper role for “Extraordinary Ministers,” it is in bringing the Holy Eucharist to shut ins and nursing home residents who otherwise would not be able to receive.

However, “Extraordinary Ministers” cannot hear confessions, so priests must also fulfill their duties to these forgotten members of our parishes.

 

[kleary]

And don’t feel guilty either.

My pastor broke his foot last year. He said Holy Mass supported by crutches and distributed Holy Communion up and down the communion rail while being pushed in a wheel chair.

And even with bringing Holy Communion to the sick…these priests want more to life than being a priest. God forgive some of them who have communion services twice a week in order to have two days off from their vocation a week. They are probably out playing slots at the Taj in Atlantic City while you are giving Holy Communion to someone in the hospital.

Ken

 

[water]

That is excellent advice. If there is a proper role for “Extraordinary Ministers,” it is in bringing the Holy Eucharist to shut ins and nursing home residents who otherwise would not be able to receive.

However, “Extraordinary Ministers” cannot hear confessions, so priests must also fulfill their duties to these forgotten members of our parishes.

Yes, we have a retired priest who loves to celebrate mass at Nursing Home. I don’t know how often he hear confessions though. As a matter of fact, I and few others will be visiting a Nursing Home on Christmas day. It is amazing to see how good they remember their prayers although they can’t remember their own names.

 

[kleary]

If you don’t want to help during mass, think about helping with the Nursing Home. There are shortage of priests and deacons as you know, and there are so many souls who are hunger for the Eucharists.

Maybe at the end of your life, you would know what it is like to be in the shoes of those hungers.

How many nursing homes are in one parish? How long does it take to bring Holy Communion to someone who is on their death bed? The priest shortage does indeed makes the priest’s job tougher…but these liberal changes make the priesthood unnatractive to many young men. The vocations in the FSSP and SSPX are booming! Three seminarians ordained from my Mission church alone since our inception- two of them went to the FSSP and only one stayed in the Diocese.

Oh, and one more is studying for the priesthood, FSSP. THAT MAKES FOUR vocations since the inception of Mater Ecclesiae in 2000.

There may be others I do not know about also.

Ken

 

[sphilomena]

Please listen to what you are hearing internally. I went through the same thing a number of years ago. After renewing my consecration to the Blessed Mother, I experienced a great deepening of reverence for Jesus in the Eucharist along with some other spiritual changes. I became convinced that as Pope John Paul II said, “to touch the Sacred Species is a privilege of the ordained”. That is why the priests’ hands are consecrated. Yes, the Church provides for EMHC, but we all know they are used way too much.

 

[Sarabande]

Oh, and one more is studying for the priesthood, FSSP. THAT MAKES FOUR vocations since the inception of Mater Ecclesiae in 2000.

Oh! Mater Ecclesiae in Berlin, NJ? I’ve attended mass there a few times when I can get down there. They have wonderful masses and the devotion and reverence is inspiring.

 

[water]

How many nursing homes are in one parish? How long does it take to bring Holy Communion to someone who is on their death bed? The priest shortage does indeed makes the priest’s job tougher…but these liberal changes make the priesthood unnatractive to many young men. The vocations in the FSSP and SSPX are booming! Three seminarians ordained from my Mission church alone since our inception- two of them went to the FSSP and only one stayed in the Diocese.

Oh, and one more is studying for the priesthood, FSSP. THAT MAKES FOUR vocations since the inception of Mater Ecclesiae in 2000.

There may be others I do not know about also.

Ken

For our parish, we visit 2 nursing homes, about 1 hospital and those who stay at home. For 1 nursing home alone (about 30 elders) , it would take about 4 hours for one person to visit. We don’t just come in, give Communion and go. We come to talk to them, pray with them and read the Gospel to them ( sometimes fixing their broken statues of Virgin Mary, massage their legs when they have cramps)

Have you ever thought about doing a Nursing Home volunteer work?

 

[JuanCarlos]

Thank you all for your advice; and thank you very much for the respectful manner in which you replied.

I think I will send in my resignation soon. What should I say? I think “making a stand” will have little to no effect on them other than think I’m being a rebellious 17-year old.

 

[water]

I’m being a rebellious 17-year old.

Why would you consider yourself rebellious? Would your decision making makes you and/or others right or wrong?

How did you decide to become EMHC?

 

[JuanCarlos]

I wouldn’t consider myself rebellious- just trying to follow God’s Will. Even if it may seem to others being rebellious.

I decided to be an EMHC whne I was 16 and freshly confirmed, because I thought it was a good ministry. I wasn’t familiar with the tradition of priests only for touching Communion.

 

[water]

I wouldn’t consider myself rebellious- just trying to follow God’s Will. Even if it may seem to others being rebellious.

I decided to be an EMHC whne I was 16 and freshly confirmed, because I thought it was a good ministry. I wasn’t familiar with the tradition of priests only for touching Communion.

Nothing’s wrong with being an EMHC if you don’t abuse it. This is a good ministry if you know your purpose of being part of it. As I mentioned earlier, you could try helping to take Communion to the Nursing Home.

If you read my previous posts, I had mentioned about it.

 

[kleary]

Thank you all for your advice; and thank you very much for the respectful manner in which you replied.

I think I will send in my resignation soon. What should I say? I think “making a stand” will have little to no effect on them other than think I’m being a rebellious 17-year old.

Make it known in your letter the documents and official Church teaching that they are ignoring. Make it known that they are abusing the indult of allowing lay people to distribute Holy Communion. Make sure you have your sources correct. You can even go further and tell them that you feel that the Church should have NEVER allowed lay people to distribute Holy Communion at Holy Mass to begin with, and that the priests should bone up and get on fire to fight this vocation crisis by DOING THEIR JOB.

Ken