Should we even have EMHC's?

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

I feel we should keep having EMs distribute the hosts and wine. This was one of the many changes with Vatican II to bring the Mass closer to the people. An active lay presence at mass encourages the parish. It keeps a divide forming between the clergy and the laity, which was one of the reasons Vatican II changed the mass formats from TLM to NO.

I couldn’t disagree with this more. There is a divide between the clergy and the laity - an ontological one. Extraordinary Ministers are not to be used to encourage participation (RS 151). And it was not one of the motives for the new missal being promulgated. In fact it didn’t occur until after the new missal was promulgated.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

Yes, that is why I said that it was my opinion. Cardinal Arizne is also of this opinion. Not that he agrees with me, I agree with him.

Cardinal Arinze also had this to say - he gave a general figure of about 1000 people for a Priest and a Deacon until it could be contemplated to use an extraordinary minister. He wasn’t clear whether they were both distributing the Hosts (which means 500 per Minister) or if the Priest was distributing the Hosts and the Deacon the Precious Blood (seeing as he is the ordinary minister of the Cup) (which means 1000 per Minister).

He also said that the laity should not think that they have a right to be an extraordinary minister. He said that if you want the right to distribute the Eucharist - go to the seminary.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

I wonder if you will have the same opinion if you ever become ill or elderly and unable to go to church and would like to receive communion but a priest or deacon is available to visit only a few times a year while an EMHC can come weekly.

Will you be willing to give up the graces that come from receiving our Lord because you wouldn’t want an EMHC bringing Him to you?

I don’t think anyone will be so stubborn at his dying bed saying that he is not going to receive the Communion unless a priest shows up.

Why would a Priest or Deacon not be able to go to them?

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

I belong to a small parish, where our pastor, serves in two parishes. Even though we only can fit about 170 people in our church at each Mass, there is plenty of need for EMHC.

Our pastor says the 8AM Mass, then has to drive across town to say the 9:30 AM Mass, then drive back to my parish and say the 11AM Mass. We have one Deacon, and he serves at one of the 3 Masses, at which time, we only have ministers of the cup.

Other parishes in my area, have the similar levels of strain on the priest.

There is a definite need for EMHCs.

Jim

What kind of additional strain would be put on the Priest in the absence of the EMHC’s?

 

[Brendan]

Our deacons are part-timers so they only have time to hit the hospitals but they do run the RCIA. Our pastor runs the motorcycle relays.

What exactly do you mean by ‘part timers’? I presume you mean that they are not full time on the parish staff? The same is true for ours.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

As a side note: many here have mentioned the need to have EHMC’s to be able to distribute the Precious Blood. And I agree that we should recieve both Species. There is a simple solution for this, and it is one that even reduces the risk of catching communicable diseases (this is a big concern, especially coming into cold & flu season):
**
INTINCTION!!!**

 

[Brendan]

And who is more qualified to make the decision as to when they are needed? The pastor or the person sitting in the pew?

The pastor, of course, with guidance from the Vatican.

For example, in a parish with two priests, does the one who is not celebrating come out to assist with Communion? If not, why not?

The Vatican guidelines state that EMHC’s are to be used in cases of ‘true necessity’; is the pastor being honest with himself and not substituting ‘convienience’ for ‘true necessity’. What would happen if no EMHC’s came forward during a Mass? Or only half as many as normal? Would everyone still be able to recieve in time for the next Mass to start?

 

[Brendan]

Hello,

As a side note: many here have mentioned the need to have EHMC’s to be able to distribute the Precious Blood. And I agree that we should recieve both Species. There is a simple solution for this, and it is one that even reduces the risk of catching communicable diseases (this is a big concern, especially coming into cold & flu season):
**
INTINCTION!!!**

that’s what we use at our parish.

 

[Sir_Knight]

You’re right about many attending Christmas and Easter. That’s when all the C&E Catholics come out of the woodworks. But seeing how they don’t attend Sunday Masses normally and most of them won’t have gone to Confession, they shouldn’t be going up for Communion anyway.

We need to be careful about judging “C&E Catholics who come out of the woodworks for Christmas and Easter”.

I live over an hour and a half drive from my church. That three hours of traveling (90 minutes each way) to attend a one hour mass. Other parishioners see me there about once a month or less and However, I attend Sunday mass EVERY week at a local church that is only about 15 minutes away and I also go to confession weekly but the priests at my parish haven’t seen me in the confessional in YEARS.

 

[Lovemyfaith]

Pray for vocations; encourage vocations, it can not be said enough.
Could we at least have a rule about limiting the number of EMHC’s at a parish, based on number of parishioners?

 

[Sir_Knight]

Could we at least have a rule about limiting the number of EMHC’s at a parish, based on number of parishioners?

Can we trust the pastor to make that decision? After all, he has the training and experience to know what is best for his parish.

 

[Brendan]

Can we trust the pastor to make that decision? After all, he has the training and experience to know what is best for his parish.

Sir Knight, as I’m sure you are aware of, far too many of us have been ‘bitten’ by some of the liturgical decisions that pastors come up with.

So yes, it is the pastors decision, using the Vatican instructions on the matter as a guide. But we can, and should regularly encourage him to examine his use of EMHC’s compared to the Vatican

 

[Brenda_V]

. What would happen if no EMHC’s came forward during a Mass? Or only half as many as normal? Would everyone still be able to recieve in time for the next Mass to start?

At my Parish, yes it would. We also have a large number of people going to Confession frequently so you can’t say that people are going unworthily. We have confessions twice a day Monday-Saturday and right before the evening Mass on Sundays.

Brenda V.

 

[KatieD]

I don’t mind the use of EMHC’s when the church is very crowded; what I do mind is irreverent EMHC’s. And we have plenty of them. We are in the process of sending out guidelines - again - about the reverent reception of Holy Communion, including bowing before one receives. EMHC’s sometimes forget that they are an example before everyone. I believe if they are more reverent, others may learn from their example. My other concern with them is the actual training and formation they receive. I was recently trained, and there was absolutely no instruction about reverence or the importance of what I was doing. It was all about where to stand, etc. Quite disappointing.

As far as daily Mass, where we have about 60 people, there is no need for EMHC’s, yet we have 3 every day.

 

[Sacristan]

I belong to a small parish, where our pastor, serves in two parishes. Even though we only can fit about 170 people in our church at each Mass, there is plenty of need for EMHC.

Our pastor says the 8AM Mass, then has to drive across town to say the 9:30 AM Mass, then drive back to my parish and say the 11AM Mass. We have one Deacon, and he serves at one of the 3 Masses, at which time, we only have ministers of the cup.

Other parishes in my area, have the similar levels of strain on the priest.

There is a definite need for EMHCs.
Jim

170 people receiving Holy Communion? That’s the celebrating priest plus one person ministering the chalice – at most.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Sir Knight, as I’m sure you are aware of, far too many of us have been ‘bitten’ by some of the liturgical decisions that pastors come up with.

Please clarify how a Parishioner is “bitten” if a pastor decided to use more EMHCs than the Parishioner thinks is needed?

So yes, it is the pastors decision, using the Vatican instructions on the matter as a guide. But we can, and should regularly encourage him to examine his use of EMHC’s compared to the Vatican

Again, as a pastor who has experience & training in this area, which those sitting in the pews do not have, should we trust his judgment to be more informative as to what is needed or not?

 

[Lovemyfaith]

Again, as a pastor who has experience & training in this area, which those sitting in the pews do not have, should we trust his judgment to be more informative as to what is needed or not?

I don’t try to second guess my pastor, but at my parish (where there are three priests) on any given Sunday Mass there are seven EMHC’s. The two priests not Celebrating Mass only come over to distribute Communion if an EMHC doesn’t show, and even then only if they are in the Sacristy. The saddest thing will be when one of the priests is in the Sacristy will come out to count how many EMHC’s come forward, note there are the seven and go back to the Sacristy. Even sadder is the pastor on the altar sitting as Communion is being distributed.
Our EMHC’s have also taken over much of the responsibility of visiting the sick and nursing homes.

 

[Sir_Knight]

We have four priests and three deacons. At each mass we usually have two priests, one deacon and six EMHC. Our EMHC’s also have also taken over the responsibility of visiting the homebound and nursing homes. The deacons do the hospitals.

However, who am I to say how the priest’s time should be spent. They do not answer to me. With 3500+ families (that FAMILIES – not members), they could be hearing confessions, giving last rights, etc.

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

We need to be careful about judging “C&E Catholics who come out of the woodworks for Christmas and Easter”.

I live over an hour and a half drive from my church. That three hours of traveling (90 minutes each way) to attend a one hour mass. Other parishioners see me there about once a month or less and However, I attend Sunday mass EVERY week at a local church that is only about 15 minutes away and I also go to confession weekly but the priests at my parish haven’t seen me in the confessional in YEARS.

I am not judging any individual. But I do make a moral judgment against the so-called practice of C&E Catholicism - that is not going to Church ever except on Christmas and Easter. Needless to say that this group makes little or no effort to develop a prayer life and doesn’t partake of Confession. A person choosing to follow this despicable practice is placing themselves on the slippery road to hell.

Now, I don’t know everyone in my Parish to know who are regulars and who are not (nor do I make an attempt to know). Nor do I look around on those sacred Feasts and try and guess who is a sinner - on the contrary, I am engrossed in the Mysteries being celebrated. But, given the gross difference in attendance statistics from even just a cursory visual glance and seeing the parking lots swell - not just at my Parish but at every Parish I see - there is no one who can tell me that there isn’t a disgustingly high proportion of these so-called C&E Catholics.

 

[Joannm]

I don’t mind the use of EMHC’s when the church is very crowded; what I do mind is irreverent EMHC’s. And we have plenty of them. We are in the process of sending out guidelines - again - about the reverent reception of Holy Communion, including bowing before one receives. EMHC’s sometimes forget that they are an example before everyone. I believe if they are more reverent, others may learn from their example. My other concern with them is the actual training and formation they receive. I was recently trained, and there was absolutely no instruction about reverence or the importance of what I was doing. It was all about where to stand, etc. Quite disappointing.

As far as daily Mass, where we have about 60 people, there is no need for EMHC’s, yet we have 3 every day.

I have a question. In your diocese how are EMHCs trained? In our diocese they have to go to a two day session (a total of 8 hours) and then get parish specific training (where to stand, info about scheduling, when they will be commissioned, and other information). At the diocesan part they get a one hour presentation on the Liturgy of the Eucharist, a presentation on the theology and spiritualyity of Eucharist and then a basic “how to” with questions and answers. The second day is completely devoted to homebound and hospital ministry to the sick.