Reception of Communion for lay ministers

[Secant]

My pastor recently informed my husband and myself that the Bishop requires that all lay ministers (musicians, lectors, altar servers, EMHC, ushers) only take Communion once a day. This has led us to three questions.

1. We thought the GIRM said we could take twice a day if we participated in the Liturgy and we thought leading the music counted as participation. Is this not so?
2. If the Bishop disagrees with the GIRM, do we listen to the Bishop or the GIRM?
3. A previous bishop taught that a Saturday night “anticipatory” Mass counts as a Sunday Mass (and so allows for the Sunday obligation to be fulfilled) and is to count as the same day. If we must can only go to one Mass a day, does Saturday night count as the same day as Sunday morning?

Thank you.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

My pastor recently informed my husband and myself that the Bishop requires that all lay ministers (musicians, lectors, altar servers, EMHC, ushers) only take Communion once a day. This has led us to three questions.

1. We thought the GIRM said we could take twice a day if we participated in the Liturgy and we thought leading the music counted as participation. Is this not so?
2. If the Bishop disagrees with the GIRM, do we listen to the Bishop or the GIRM?
3. A previous bishop taught that a Saturday night “anticipatory” Mass counts as a Sunday Mass (and so allows for the Sunday obligation to be fulfilled) and is to count as the same day. If we must can only go to one Mass a day, does Saturday night count as the same day as Sunday morning?

Thank you.

How strange.

No, the provision for receiving Communion is not based on the GIRM…it is based in Universal Law. The Bishop should not be making a particular law that is more restrictive than the norm in Universal Law…except, possibly, to say that a lay minister should only exercise his/her function once per day. (Without some dispositive text from your Bishop to examine, I am only speculating.)

The Code of Canon Law is explicit.

Can. 917 A person who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist can receive it a second time on the same day only within the eucharistic celebration in which the person participates, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 921, §2.

(Canon 921 deals with the administration of Viaticum and is not relevant to this topic.)

You could present the text of Canon 917 to the pastor and then, if that does not give satisfaction, seek clarification from the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese concerning the Bishop’s statement in view of the plain meaning of the text of Canon 917.

As far as the application of Canon 917 and the number of Communions, if your parish – for example – offers only the Saturday vigil Mass on Saturday and you are observing the Five First Saturdays of Our Lady of Fatima, your Saturday evening Communion would count for Saturday and you would receive on Sunday for Sunday, up to two times.

I prefer not to be more explicit as the additional details engenders needless debate on this forum. Certainly, for the purposes of counting Communions, if you are receiving on Saturday, you count it against Saturday and if you receive on Sunday, you count it against Sunday.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

My pastor recently informed my husband and myself that the Bishop requires that all lay ministers (musicians, lectors, altar servers, EMHC, ushers) only take Communion once a day…

If we must can only go to one Mass a day, does Saturday night count as the same day as Sunday morning?

There is quite a difference between the two statements.

 

[pianistclare]

In the years that I have been a Choir Director I attended every Mass, but only received at one. It made for more of a “flow” to the music, so I didn’t mind or feel restricted.
Maybe it is causing too many people to ask too many prying questions.

 

[tawny]

I serve as an EMHC at the 4P Mass every Saturday & I receive at that Mass. I also attend the CCD/RCIA Mass at 9:30 on Sunday & I receive at that Mass as well. There are times I am assigned to Lector a Mass on either Saturday or Sunday as well & I well receive at that Mass.

 

[Secant]

There is quite a difference between the two statements.

Very true, I misspoke. “If I can only receive Communion once a day, does Saturday count as a separate day?”

That should have been what was said.

Mr. Rugero, that you for showing me the Code of Canon Law. Apparently we were mistaken as it was not found in the GIRM but you gave us the passage we meant, thank you.

With this new information, I will change my question to

1. Given that Canon law states that I may receive twice in one day, do I follow my Bishop’s guidance or that of Canon Law? It is recommended that you never deny yourself the Eucharist when you can have it, but to disobey my shepherd (not Shepherd) is also wrong.
2. Does Saturday count as a separate day or since it isn’t the same celebration, does Saturday count as the same day for reception of Communion?

 

[dans0622]

…
With this new information, I will change my question to

1. Given that Canon law states that I may receive twice in one day, do I follow my Bishop’s guidance or that of Canon Law? It is recommended that you never deny yourself the Eucharist when you can have it, but to disobey my shepherd (not Shepherd) is also wrong.
2. Does Saturday count as a separate day or since it isn’t the same celebration, does Saturday count as the same day for reception of Communion?

Hello,

If I were you, I’d ask to see exactly what the bishop has said about this. With his precise words in hand, including his rationale, perhaps you can be more confident in whatever decision you make.

Dan

 

[thistle]

Very true, I misspoke. “If I can only receive Communion once a day, does Saturday count as a separate day?”

That should have been what was said.

Mr. Rugero, that you for showing me the Code of Canon Law. Apparently we were mistaken as it was not found in the GIRM but you gave us the passage we meant, thank you.

With this new information, I will change my question to

1. Given that Canon law states that I may receive twice in one day, do I follow my Bishop’s guidance or that of Canon Law? It is recommended that you never deny yourself the Eucharist when you can have it, but to disobey my shepherd (not Shepherd) is also wrong.
2. Does Saturday count as a separate day or since it isn’t the same celebration, does Saturday count as the same day for reception of Communion?

Just for your information Don Ruggero is a priest.

 

[Secant]

My apologies, Fr. Ruggero. I did not mean to call you by an incorrect title, but didn’t know you were a priest. Again, thanks for the quote from the Code of Canon Law.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

My apologies, Fr. Ruggero. I did not mean to call you by an incorrect title, but didn’t know you were a priest. Again, thanks for the quote from the Code of Canon Law.

Not to worry. Not every American has encountered the priest and saint, Don Bosco, or has encountered Don Matteo on your television sets – and I understood you meant no offense.

I generally smile when someone simply calls me “Don”.

You know, in Britain, Benedictine Nuns in perpetual vows have the title “Dame” (which has the same derivative origin as my title, which in Latin would be Dom and which is what is on any correspondence to me from the Holy See) and, over the years, I have known a number of the nuns.

We would always commiserate about when our titles get misused. Normally, the title is joined to the name, both for them and for me. One can use the title alone…as when answering a question by simply saying, “Yes, Dame.” You would, however, cause the nun to cringe if you were to try to get her attention by shouting at her: “Hey, Dame!” Better to yell, “Dame Margaret!” rather than “Dame!”

In any event, I hope your situation has a happy resolution. I am at a loss to understand what the bishop intended and I am hoping the priests of your diocese or someone in the chancery or even the bishop himself can sort out how to reconcile whatever it is he said/wrote with what is in canon law.

I assure you of my prayers.