Warning alert for ministers and ushers

[wcknight]

Last Sunday while ushering at Our Lady’s shrine in DC, a young lady went up to communion, walked away with the host and instead of eating it, looked at it curiously and went back to her pew.

I approached her and told her she had to eat it right away. She refused so I told her she had to give it back. Thankfully she gave it back without further incidence. Who knows what she was planning to do with it, but odds are she is not Catholic. She gave me a glare afterwards, but I just ignored her and went about my business.

I wanted to give her a piece of my mind later but just let it go. I think she was embarassed enough after having been confronted. I suppose there should be some notices about non-Catholics not receiving Communion and especially not taking the host away.

 

[PaixGioiaAmor]

More than likely she was just ignorant as to what we believe. She may have thought it would be interesting to get an “artifact” from a Catholic mass, just as some people take things from other places of worship or sacred ground that are foreign to them.

I wouldn’t “give her a piece of my mind”. I’d educate her as to what we believe. Either way, no harm, no foul.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

I’m glad you were alert! Whatever her reasonfor wanting Him, she needed to follow procedure.

And thank goodness! You might have stopped the Blessed Sacrament from making another appearance on eBay!

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Last Sunday while ushering at Our Lady’s shrine in DC, a young lady went up to communion, walked away with the host and instead of eating it, looked at it curiously and went back to her pew.

I approached her and told her she had to eat it right away. She refused so I told her she had to give it back. Thankfully she gave it back without further incidence. Who knows what she was planning to do with it, but odds are she is not Catholic. She gave me a glare afterwards, but I just ignored her and went about my business.

I wanted to give her a piece of my mind later but just let it go. I think she was embarassed enough after having been confronted. I suppose there should be some notices about non-Catholics not receiving Communion and especially not taking the host away.

After Mass would have been the proper time to introduce yourself and explain why you asked her for to consume the Blessed Sacrament or give the Host back. It could have been very well her first time at a Catholic Mass and was seeking out an understanding of the Catholic faith, just didn’t know how to go about it.

 

[Sr_Sally]

Last Sunday while ushering at Our Lady’s shrine in DC, .

Was this for the Archdiocese pilgrimage? I was there Saturday for the Arlington pilgrimage. We sat near the front and were blessed to receive communion from the Bishop!

 

[agapewolf]

As a music director, at funerals and weddings, I often see confused people trying to receive communion. Once as a young girl (teens or early 20s) start walking back to her seat with a host.
I whispered as she was approaching where I was (fingers glued to the piano), to consume it (better in her than taken home or in the trash).

One other funeral, the mother of the 40something deceased man decided to just hold the host in her hand as she hugged the people that passed her. In between songs (again, my hands glued to the piano), I’;m trying to discreetly whiper for her to consume it, someone told me she had trouble swallowing, and I said, give it to someone else.

After the funeral, barely after I get done wiht the last song, trying to do my personal thanksgiving, a girl waits for me to yell at me about how I embarrassed this woman and I should be ashamed and I disrespected her. I explained that we trully believe this is the body of Christ, what do you think I should do? she said let it go. I said, no way, our Lord can’t be disrespected.

I warned my pastor he might hear about it, and he said I did the right thing and I should continue. Thank goodness.

 

[Katie1723]

I occasionally attend an out of state church. There they have two gentlemen who stand off to the side but in view of those receiving communion. I am assuming they are there to make sure no one walks off with the host in hand.

Kathy

 

[THurifer2]

Yet another reason for not recieving in the hand.

I agree with Mother Theresa who said of all the things in the world that caused sadness for her…seeing people recieve Jesus Christ in the hand made her the saddest of all…(pretty significant coming from a lady who saw lots of hunger,poverty and meek people in her days.)

 

[Tomster]

Last Sunday while ushering at Our Lady’s shrine in DC, a young lady went up to communion, walked away with the host and instead of eating it, looked at it curiously and went back to her pew.

I approached her and told her she had to eat it right away. She refused so I told her she had to give it back. Thankfully she gave it back without further incidence. Who knows what she was planning to do with it, but odds are she is not Catholic. She gave me a glare afterwards, but I just ignored her and went about my business.

I wanted to give her a piece of my mind later but just let it go. I think she was embarassed enough after having been confronted. I suppose there should be some notices about non-Catholics not receiving Communion and especially not taking the host away.

Good job!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Years ago I met a good Catholic woman, who told me of how she was raised by parents who were members of a Satanic cult. She said that the members would go to Catholic Masses and receive Communion on the tongue or in the hand, it didn’t matter to them, in order to take it to one of their rituals to desecrate the Sacred Host.

It always concerned me because the town my parish is in, has six lakes. As a result, we have many vacationers visiting and as a result, we have many people we don’t know, receiving Communion. So far, I’ve only noticed a couple times, people going up to receive and not apparently, having a clue about what they were doing. However, they all consumed the Host from what I could see. One time a young boy went up and started to walk away with the host in his hand, and the pastor stopped him and instructed him to receive the host. He then asked to parents to meet with him after Mass.

Jim