Spilled Blood of Christ

[savedbygrace71]

On Sunday evening’s Mass, my son and I sat in the very front pew. He likes to watch the action. After I receive I pray for a few minutes and then normally raise my head but continue kneeling, and quietly end up watching the rest of the parish come through the line to receive communion too. Right in front of us was an extraordinary minister with the chalice of precious blood. Somehow, she got jostled, and the chalice splashed out and onto the cloth, and the floor. We have carpet in this part of the sanctuary. It was clearly splashed onto the carpet. She looked horrified but kind of frozen, and then the next person came along and she just went on with “the Blood of Christ,” I think she didnt’ know what else to do.
There were several drops on the carpet. I know she was aware of them, and I’m thinking she handled it after Mass instead of during communion. After her line was done she just finished up and sat down. But I just wonder how the Blood of Christ can completely come up out of the carpet? It made me sad. But at the same time, I know it was an accident, she wasn’t being careless at all.
Has this ever happened to anyone else? How do you clean it up?

 

[powerofk]

Unfortunately, this happens from time to time (and often, there will be some people that say that this is a reason why we either shouldn’t give the Blood to the congregation or that we shouldn’t have EMHCs or whatever - I think that’s a serious problem, especially with what we know about people with Celiac’s disease). But really, accidents happen from time to time. One time, an EMHC accidentally spilled some of the Precious Blood on my shoe (which happened to be a mesh-type running shoe - just about as hard to clean as carpet). After Mass, we tried to get as much out as possible with a paper towel, but still - the priest told us to be at peace, because there’s not a whole lot that can be done.

And so, that’s what I’ll tell you, as well. Be at peace. The EMHC probably handled it the best that she could. As for carpet - umm - that’s the reason most parishes have tile nowadays.

 

[EasterJoy]

catholic.com/quickquestions/what-is-the-correct-thing-to-do-when-the-precious-blood-is-spilled-during-distributio

If there is some reason the spill cannot be cleaned up immediately, at least cover it with a purificator and have someone prevent anyone else from walking in the area. To take up the spill, use a purificator or purificators to dab up the eucharistic species, then add water to the spot well in excess of what may possibly remain and dab that up, too. (I would personally repeat this more than once.) After Mass, I would ask Father, as he might want to take care of it from there.

If he left it to me, I’d find some suitable cloths and repeat the addition of water and pressing the water out of the spot until it was gone. (This is generally a good way to remove wine, for that matter.) Keeping in mind that you can hardly use up all the purificators and leave the parish short for the remaining Masses between that time and when the purificators can be cleaned and pressed, I would think it is OK to use finger towels once what was left was diluted beyond being recognizable as wine any more.

The main thing, however, is to dilute whatever might remain far beyond the concentration of wine that would be allowable for consecration. The idea behind dilution is to add so much water that the eucharistic species no longer subsist. At that point, you take care of it as for a sacramental such as holy water, all the same. If possible, I would restrict myself to cloths reserved for use with the sacred vessels. Otherwise, I would not return a cloth used for this to a profane use. I would dispose of it with purificators that are too worn for use (that is, by burning).

 

[LongingSoul]

Sometimes there is a fine line between the literal interpretation and the theological understanding of the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ in the host and wine. We should not be overly disturbed by such accidents or too sad for Christ.

When I was a kid we were told we could not chew the host of let it touch our teeth because this was the body of Christ. (I don’t ever remember the chalice being offered when I was a kid). I used to be so anxious about that and if I accidentally chewed it I worried about going to hell. I really thought that I had hurt the Lord by CHEWING HIS VERY BODY. I was one of the many sources of anxiety I experienced around the faith as a kid.

Submission to the laws of the Church does not mean that common sense is overridden but it is difficult for a person to fully understand the fine line. That is why it is always good to trust what your Priest of confessor advises you in these matters and not overly invest in your own interpretation. This was one of the legalistic trends that had creeped into the culture of the Church that prompted Pope John to call for Vatican II to address.

 

[EasterJoy]

Unfortunately, this happens from time to time (and often, there will be some people that say that this is a reason why we either shouldn’t give the Blood to the congregation or that we shouldn’t have EMHCs or whatever - I think that’s a serious problem, especially with what we know about people with Celiac’s disease). But really, accidents happen from time to time. One time, an EMHC accidentally spilled some of the Precious Blood on my shoe (which happened to be a mesh-type running shoe - just about as hard to clean as carpet). After Mass, we tried to get as much out as possible with a paper towel, but still - the priest told us to be at peace, because there’s not a whole lot that can be done.

And so, that’s what I’ll tell you, as well. Be at peace. The EMHC probably handled it the best that she could. As for carpet - umm - that’s the reason most parishes have tile nowadays.

Rather than using paper, I would treat the spill at least like holy water, using cloths that are dedicated to sacred use and burned when they are no longer in service. Otherwise, though, burn the paper, too. It should not be disposed of with the common trash.

 

[EasterJoy]

Sometimes there is a fine line between the literal interpretation and the theological understanding of the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ in the host and wine. We should not be overly disturbed by such accidents or too sad for Christ.

When I was a kid we were told we could not chew the host of let it touch our teeth because this was the body of Christ. (I don’t ever remember the chalice being offered when I was a kid). I used to be so anxious about that and if I accidentally chewed it I worried about going to hell. I really thought that I had hurt the Lord by CHEWING HIS VERY BODY. I was one of the many sources of anxiety I experienced around the faith as a kid.

Submission to the laws of the Church does not mean that common sense is overridden but it is difficult for a person to fully understand the fine line. That is why it is always good to trust what your Priest of confessor advises you in these matters and not overly invest in your own interpretation. This was one of the legalistic trends that had creeped into the culture of the Church that prompted Pope John to call for Vatican II to address.

If you read the GIRM, the Church takes this particular line quite seriously. I don’t mean that anyone ought to cross the boundaries of either charity or common sense, but it is not that difficult to calmly expand the norms for the care of the sacred vessels to cover this situation. You are right that it should not cause hysteria. It should, however, be seen as a situation that calls for the exercise of piety. That is not legalism, but reverence, which does not violate common sense.

 

[LongingSoul]

If you read the GIRM, the Church takes this particular line quite seriously. I don’t mean that anyone ought to cross the boundaries of either charity or common sense, but it is not that difficult to calmly expand the norms for the care of the sacred vessels to cover this situation. You are right that it should not cause hysteria. It should, however, be seen as a situation that calls for the exercise of piety. That is not legalism, but reverence, which does not violate common sense.

I should have quoted savedbygrace’s sentence regarding feeling sad to indicate I was talking only to that personal sensation that led people down legalistic tracks in their relationship to Christ in communion. The actual process of purification is of course necessary.

 

[GoGoDiego]

The least thing the parish could do is wash that mat and let the water go down the soil. No incidents like that happen here. If it would be under both species, it would be done by intinction.