Ran out of Communion

[VeritasLuxMea]

@VeritasLuxMea, wow, your duties go far beyond the duties of any sacristan I’ve known. Our sacristan has no duties once Mass starts so could easily slip out and retrieve more altar bread from the sacristy.

Our sacristan is responsible for making sure the altar linens are clean, preparing the vessels and species for each Mass, making sure the Lectionary and Intercessions binder are set out with the markers at the appropriate pages, setting out the Roman Missal with the marker at the right day, setting up for baptisms if there is no one from the baptismal prep team available, making sure the sacred vessels are properly cleaned after each Mass. Of her own volition and since long before she became the sacristan, she also looks after the plants and flowers each week.

Well, I used to do those things also.

Do you know for a *fact * that that is true? Because I know parishioners used to think my role as a sacristan was “easy” too. I’m not trying to make a big deal of it but is it possible there’s more going on then you know? But yeah, I’m sure every parish is different.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

I am a sacristan and this has never happened to me however my pastor does not want too many consecrated Hosts left over after Mass. This means that there is a fine line between too many and not enough. Another problem is people coming in late. When I have expressed a preference for having too many than not enough, my pastor says if it gets low he will break them and if that is not enough Communion ends. There is also the. problem of people coming in late. Also after the gifts are brought up there is no adding to the number of unconsecrated hosts on the altar. And yes people continue to come in even after the epiclesis. If we ever do run out and the priest ends up ending Communion before everone receives, I realize people will assume it is my fault. The guidelines in my diocese however is to try to give peuople Hosts that are consecrated at the same Mass.

…this. All of this.

 

[Phemie]

Well, I used to do those things also.

Do you know for a *fact * that that is true? Because I know parishioners used to think my role as a sacristan was “easy” too. I’m not trying to make a big deal of it but is it possible there’s more going on then you know? But yeah, I’m sure every parish is different.

Oh, yes, I know it for a fact, I worked hand in hand with her for 5 or 6 years. I know what she does. The Liturgy coordinator is responsible for looking after the readers, altar servers and EMHCs. The ushers look after themselves and don’t do any actual ‘ushering’, they just take up the collection. She might look after the money after Mass but usually only if a member of the finance council is not present (sometimes I deal wtih it) and then only to hand put it in the bag and hand it to the priest to deal with. The EMHCs do the actual cleaning of the vessels after Mass.

 

[ProVobis]

At a guess, we have two or three hundred reserved in the tabernacle, and sometimes more if a funeral hasn’t had as many communicants as expected, for example, or it’s school holidays so the school chapel has been closed and their Hosts transferred to the church for safe keeping. Our Sacristans are expected to check and adjust what they put out if necessary.

That could work but Vatican II strongly suggested that communion received should be communion consecrated at that Mass.

I heard one parish had each person who wanted to receive drop a host into a ciborium as he or she entered the church. This ciborium would be brought up to the altar during the offertory and consecrated during Mass. I don’t know if they still do that, though.

 

[Cathryn]

That could work but Vatican II strongly suggested that communion received should be communion consecrated at that Mass.

I heard one parish had each person who wanted to receive drop a host into a ciborium as he or she entered the church. This ciborium would be brought up to the altar during the offertory and consecrated during Mass. I don’t know if they still do that, though.

This doesn’t sound very sanitary to me.

 

[paperwight66]

The only parish I know which tried this provided little tongs (sugar-tongs, I presume). They stopped it after a while. i don’t know why. Perhaps the numbers didn’t work out reliably, or perhaps people objected on sanitary grounds I know I saw children once or twice touching them without the tomgs.

 

[ProVobis]

This doesn’t sound very sanitary to me.

Can’t presume using hands only. Maybe they used a cloth or napkin? I don’t know, I wasn’t there but it seems this can work in a small chapel if an usher stands by, dropping the host in the ciborium himself as an option. Just a thought. Would increase meaningful participation, IMO.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

That could work but Vatican II strongly suggested that communion received should be communion consecrated at that Mass.

I heard one parish had each person who wanted to receive drop a host into a ciborium as he or she entered the church. This ciborium would be brought up to the altar during the offertory and consecrated during Mass. I don’t know if they still do that, though.

I know of many parishes that did this all the time. Most stopped, perhaps because it doesn’t really work well. A few still do for daily Mass where the numbers a usually low, but vary more than a normal Sunday Mass. Also, on Sunday, when there is more than one Mass, numbers of reserved hosts can be managed more easily.

 

[Catholic4Christ]

I would ask the OP, have you made an appointment to see your pastor about this mishap? Not to complain, but to maybe offer help in mass prep. There are so many humble and diligent people who would make incredible sacristans or servers and they don’t feel worthy to serve. These are the ones who turn out to be the most reliable and trustworthy; please consider this.

I live away from home, as I am in college. This was the last mass I attended at home before returning to school. So I didn’t really have time to address it. There are multiple Jesuit pastors there, but the one on this occasion was a visiting Jesuit, so IF this shortage was in any way attributable to him, it would be a one-time occurrence anyway. I think the issue was just the surprising number of congregants that day, which was a lot (this is one of the largest parishes in the area). I think that this was just a one-time foul up.

 

[Catholic4Christ]

(by the way, please don’t turn this thread into a discussion/argument over EMHCs )

Remember when I said that? I’d hoped it would work I apologize if I used the wrong terminology, my mistake.