Serving multiple ministries at Mass

  • Thread starter Thread starter JC_Nixon
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JC_Nixon

Guest
As in many parishes, we have a shortage of people serving in ministries at Mass, specifically as EMHC and Reader. Consequently, there are times, more frequent than not, that some of us ‘double up’ during a specifc Mass and serve both as Reader and EMHC.

Recently, we were told that this is not correct and that you can only serve in one of these ministries at any given Mass. Is this true and if so, where can I find the documentation?

Thanks for any feedback!
 
JC Nixon:
As in many parishes, we have a shortage of people serving in ministries at Mass, specifically as EMHC and Reader. Consequently, there are times, more frequent than not, that some of us ‘double up’ during a specifc Mass and serve both as Reader and EMHC.

Recently, we were told that this is not correct and that you can only serve in one of these ministries at any given Mass. Is this true and if so, where can I find the documentation?

Thanks for any feedback!
Click to expand...
This is hogwash specifically because there is no document to cite in either direction.
 
Hello

This is true, but if there is a shortage then it has to be done. Try to get more people involved\committed it is hard I know.

God Bless
Saint Andrew.
 
Saint Andrew:
Hello

This is true, but if there is a shortage then it has to be done. Try to get more people involved\committed it is hard I know.

God Bless
Saint Andrew.
Click to expand...
I would be very pleased to be proven wrong … please cite me the liturgical text that mandates that a person is to only fill one role in mass (as a norm). This would an education for me if what you are saying is true.
 
40.png
mosher:
I would be very pleased to be proven wrong … please cite me the liturgical text that mandates that a person is to only fill one role in mass (as a norm). This would an education for me if what you are saying is true.
Click to expand...
The GIRM says:
  1. If only one minister is present at a Mass with a congregation, that minister may exercise several different duties.
Click to expand...
From which one might infer that if more than one minister is present then the duties ought to be performed separately. I do not know that this inference is correct.

tee
 
I understand the inference and I can see where you can gather that assumption. I was taught that it is specifically refering to the abolition of the necessity of having an altar server as was a previous necessity under older rubrics so as to inform the priest that he could celebrate a “private” mass per se. However, I think that this may need further investigation based on your inference.
 
So it does not specifically say that a minister CANNOT perform more than one duty at Mass. It does not matter what it INFERED, I am looking for specifics.
 
JC Nixon:
So it does not specifically say that a minister CANNOT perform more than one duty at Mass. It does not matter what it INFERED, I am looking for specifics.
Click to expand...
No, in fact it says that a minister CAN perform multiple duties. Specifically to your situation:

  • *]Who is telling you not to fill multiple roles?
    *]What do they want to happen when there is a shortage of ministers? Some things just don’t get done? Or what?
    *](Or are they just trying to make sure that no one “hogs” all of the ministries when there are other ministers present?)

    tee
 
What a great question. I am a sacristan, lector, EMHC, usher, janitor and whatever else is needed.

Our parish has an unwritten rule that no one is supposed to serve in more than two ministries. This rule is often ‘bent’, and I have done as many as four ministries at the same Mass, serving as sacristan, usher, lector and EMHC (whew!). There were no others willing to volunteer and it fell to me. Father never said anything, but I’m sure he would like to see more participation at Mass.

I would be very interested to see if I have actually ‘busted’ any of the ‘regs’ on this. I guess you do what you have to do, but perhaps if it was well known this is a rule, maybe more might volunteer to serve, than to ‘be served’.
 
Hmmm, at the Mass I go to we have neither readers nor EMHCs. The priest reads and distributes Communion and things work out just fine.👍 So in your case, why doesn’t the priest just read?
 
40.png
tee_eff_em:
No, in fact it says that a minister CAN perform multiple duties. Specifically to your situation:

  • *]Who is telling you not to fill multiple roles?
    *]What do they want to happen when there is a shortage of ministers? Some things just don’t get done? Or what?
    *](Or are they just trying to make sure that no one “hogs” all of the ministries when there are other ministers present?)

    tee
Click to expand...

  • Actually, it was brought up at a liturgy meeting by the music minister and our pastor concurred, yet neither could cite specifics, just said it was in the GIRM. Not having a copy with me, I couldn’t refute it and have been unable to come up with concrete verification since.

    No decision has been made what to do in case of shortages, so I made an ‘executive decision’ and if there is a shortage at any particular Mass, they will have to adjust. That should solve the problem, one shortage at a Mass should quickly reverse that ‘rule’.

    The problem is the pastor wants 7 EMHC at each Mass, plus we had a reader and commentator, requiring 9 Ministers for each Mass (we won’t even get in to Ushers and Altar Servers). When you only have a pool of 12 EMHC’s to choose from for a particular Mass, some of whom also are Readers, it makes it very difficult not to have them perform ‘double duty’.

    Honestly, I am becoming quite frustrated of late with all the personalities and idosyncracies and to add to it we recently had 2 new priests (Redepmtorists) assigned to us, how blessed we are, but of course, they are used to doing things their way and problems have arisen and gotten several ministers upset and nervous that they were doing things wrong. I am ready to throw in the towel. Guess I need to do some praying on this.

    Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut all of you!
 
From Redemptionis Sacramentum:
  1. For the good of the community and of the whole Church of God, some of the lay faithful according to tradition have rightly and laudably exercised ministries in the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy. It is appropriate that a number of persons distribute among themselves and exercise various ministries or different parts of the same ministry.
Click to expand...
The last sentence has a footnote to the GIRM n. 109:
  1. If there are several persons present who are able to exercise the same ministry, nothing forbids their distributing among themselves and performing different parts of the same ministry or duty. For example, one deacon may be assigned to take the sung parts, another to serve at the altar; if there are several readings, it is well to distribute them among a number of lectors. The same applies for the other ministries. But it is not at all appropriate that several persons divide a single element of the celebration among themselves, e.g., that the same reading be proclaimed by two lectors, one after the other, except as far as the Passion of the Lord is concerned.
Click to expand...
Coupled with tee_eff_em’s citation of the GIRM n. 110, it is clear that it is better to have one person per ministry, but that if this ideal/goal is not achievable, then it is allowed to double up.
 
JC Nixon:
As in many parishes, we have a shortage of people serving in ministries at Mass, specifically as EMHC and Reader. Consequently, there are times, more frequent than not, that some of us ‘double up’ during a specifc Mass and serve both as Reader and EMHC.

Recently, we were told that this is not correct and that you can only serve in one of these ministries at any given Mass. Is this true and if so, where can I find the documentation?

Thanks for any feedback!
Click to expand...
Technically if enough people are available no one should do double duty. However if there is a shortage of lay people to serve. Serving in two different functions is not “wrong”. What should happen is the needs should be evaluated and those persons available should first fill certain roles specific to the laity. If a certain person is trained to only fill one function then of course that function is where they must serve.
 
40.png
cargopilot:
What a great question. I am a sacristan, lector, EMHC, usher, janitor and whatever else is needed.

Our parish has an unwritten rule that no one is supposed to serve in more than two ministries. This rule is often ‘bent’, and I have done as many as four ministries at the same Mass, serving as sacristan, usher, lector and EMHC (whew!). There were no others willing to volunteer and it fell to me. Father never said anything, but I’m sure he would like to see more participation at Mass.

I would be very interested to see if I have actually ‘busted’ any of the ‘regs’ on this. I guess you do what you have to do, but perhaps if it was well known this is a rule, maybe more might volunteer to serve, than to ‘be served’.
Click to expand...
Have done all that you mentioned and more. At times there is just the pastor and me. I have been working on finding help and things are a little better now with more altar servers and lectors. Our bishop wants only one ministry per person, but as you say, if you are it, you are it!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top