Received blessing instead of Holy Communion at mass after daughter's baptism

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heether13

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My daughter was baptized yesterday at our parish. After her baptism when it came time for Holy Communion, both my husband and I only received a blessing and were not allowed to partake in Communion. Is this the norm? I don’t recall this when my older son was baptized in 2011. The church staff I called earlier today did not have an answer for me.
 
The only reason a priest would withold communion would be if he knew you were outside of communion with the church, you acted like you had no idea what you were doing when you went up for communion (making him think u weren’t ready to recieve) OR …you went up with your arms crossed over yourself like you were giving yourself a big hug…that’s a sign that you know you are unable to recieve communion and are instead asking for the priests blessing.

For yourself…to recieve communion :

1 You have to be a catholic in good standing
2 You must be in the state of grace…not knowingly in the state of mortal sin (a serious sin in which it pertains to serious matter, you fully knew what you were doing was wrong and had full control of your will when you did it).
3 Have observed the 1 hour fast prescribed by the church to prepare yourself to recieve the sacrament.
 
heether13 said:
my husband and I only received a blessing and were not allowed to partake in Communion. Is this the norm? I don’t recall this when my older son was baptized in 2011.
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Hmm… are you saying that the priest who distributed Communion deferred giving you the Eucharist, but rather blessed you?

What’s different between then and now? Different parish? Different priest? Perhaps it has to do with your marital status – are you “married in the eyes of the Church”?
 
Well I went up like I always do. I could not hold my hands out as I was holding my daughter but every other time the priest has placed the host in my mouth for me. I am not committing any mortal sin (we are married in the Catholic church) and am a Catholic in good standing.
 
This is our regular parish but it was a new priest. We were married in 2008 through the Catholic church, although a different one from where we go now as we moved. He obviously knew we were Catholic (or at least that one of us was since we had our daughter baptized at mass). I went through the required preparations to have my daughter baptized including meeting with church staff to complete paperwork prior to the mass.

Yes he blessed me just like he would bless someone who is going through RCIA or a child who has yet to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion.

I thought it was very strange and also quite upsetting. I almost feel like complaining to the diocese about this.
 
No, i wouldin’t. It sounds like an honest mistake to me by a priest who didn’t know u.
 
heether13 said:
I almost feel like complaining to the diocese about this.
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Well why not simply **ASK **the priest? What is this deal with just assuming motives on the part of the priest and complaining about him without even talking to him?

You say you wanted to receive communion on the tongue, maybe that was not obvious to him for some reason.
 
heether13 said:
He obviously knew we were Catholic (or at least that one of us was since we had our daughter baptized at mass).
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OK – so, you’re both Catholic… you’re both parishioners at this parish… you’ve received communion there – and from him – previously?
I went through the required preparations to have my daughter baptized including meeting with church staff to complete paperwork prior to the mass.
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Was there anything said that might have made them think that one of you isn’t Catholic? That your marriage wasn’t in order?
I thought it was very strange and also quite upsetting. I almost feel like complaining to the diocese about this.
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It does sound odd – there has to be something else in play, here. And yes, I can understand why it would be so upsetting for you!

OK – you’ve asked the staff, but they didn’t know. Wouldn’t it make sense to (respectfully) approach the priest and ask him? (“Father, I was confused yesterday when you offered us a blessing rather than Communion at my daughter’s baptism. Could you help me understand why?”)
 
I’m just very confused by this. He didn’t know anyone else who was attending the mass with us either (as they all go to different parishes) but they received Communion without a problem. It was just my husband and I who were denied…right after he performed our daughter’s baptism.
 
heether13 said:
Well I went up like I always do. I could not hold my hands out as I was holding my daughter but every other time the priest has placed the host in my mouth for me. I am not committing any mortal sin (we are married in the Catholic church) and am a Catholic in good standing.
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Ahh…! OK – maybe this makes sense.

Has your parish recently instituted any changes in the way they distribute Communion, in light of the current flu season?

Is it possible that they’re not distributing on the tongue, but only in the hand, while the flu is being spread?
 
Thank you. I will try getting in contact with him about this.
 
heether13 said:
I’m just very confused by this. He didn’t know anyone else who was attending the mass with us either (as they all go to different parishes) but they received Communion without a problem. It was just my husband and I who were denied…right after he performed our daughter’s baptism.
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For heaven’s sake, just ASK him.
 
1ke said:
You say you wanted to receive communion on the tongue, maybe that was not obvious to him for some reason.
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Perhaps it is so uncommon to the priest for a parishioner to receive on the tongue that the thought didn’t even occur to him. Did your husband also attempt to receive on the tongue?
 
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