What to do?

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mystified

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Sunday as I was moving forward for Communion, there were two teenage boys, a mother and small child in front of me. I noticed the boys take the Hosts in their hands, and the EMHC stopped blessing the child long enough to tell one of the boys to put the Host in his mouth then presented the Body of Christ to the mother. She did not see that the other teenager hd not consumed the Host.
As soon as I had received (on the tongue), I signalled the usher. She smiled, watched as the boy put the Host in his poocket, nodded, but did nothing. The two boys went directly out of the church.
What more should or could I have done short of tackling the offender?
When I was an usher, some 20 years in another parish, one of the reasons for having an usher standing close by was to prevent this kind of disrespect for the Eucharist.
 
mystified said:
Sunday as I was moving forward for Communion, there were two teenage boys, a mother and small child in front of me. I noticed the boys take the Hosts in their hands, and the EMHC stopped blessing the child long enough to tell one of the boys to put the Host in his mouth then presented the Body of Christ to the mother. She did not see that the other teenager hd not consumed the Host.
As soon as I had received (on the tongue), I signalled the usher. She smiled, watched as the boy put the Host in his poocket, nodded, but did nothing. The two boys went directly out of the church.
What more should or could I have done short of tackling the offender?
When I was an usher, some 20 years in another parish, one of the reasons for having an usher standing close by was to prevent this kind of disrespect for the Eucharist.
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Was the mother with the teen boys? If so tell the mother, if not, attempt to stop him from leaving, by calling another usher or if possible stopping him yourself.

Myself, I wold have followed them out of he church and taken a few other people with me, if I could not stop them before they got out.

At this point I would make sure that the pastor knows what happened So he can instruct the usher that did nothing.
 
mystified said:
What more should or could I have done short of tackling the offender?
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Tell someone who’s not on the Internet. 😉

Seriously, I would have told an usher or the priest or someone exactly what was happening so that the boy wouldn’t leave the church with the Eucharist in his pocket.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
Was the mother with the teen boys? If so tell the mother, if not, attempt to stop him from leaving, by calling another usher or if possible stopping him yourself.

Myself, I wold have followed them out of he church and taken a few other people with me, if I could not stop them before they got out.

At this point I would make sure that the pastor knows what happened So he can instruct the usher that did nothing.
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I second this! 🙂
 
Maybe the usher didn’t know what you were trying to communicate? Maybe she thought you were trying to tell her something else and her smile was the correct response?

I probably would’ve followed them out… or possibly have done nothing, questioning whether I actually saw what I thought I saw?

Bottom line - We serve a Mighty God. I’m certain He can take care of Himself.
 
japhy said:
Although God can take care of Himself, there is a great chance for scandal and sacrilege.
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I agree with you - I wasn’t trying to miminize what had happened. But if the OP was worrying over it, or kicking himself (herself?) because he didn’t DO something, I wanted to comfort him with the reminder that God can take care of Himself.
 
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