Who is qualified to give communion?

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My mother is ill in the hospital, but a lady came into her room saying she represented the Catholic faith and asked her if she would like to receive communion. My mother declined and instead asked for a prayer. The woman was dressed in normal clothing and did not appear to be a Nun.

My question is who has rights to offer communion, Priest, Nun, Deacon, anyone else???
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An extraordinary minister of Holy Communion is allowed to do so, but your mother doesn’t have to receive from one. You could contact your parish priest and ask for a hospital visit.
 
Splagchnizomai said:
An extraordinary minister of Holy Communion is allowed to do so, but your mother doesn’t have to receive from one. You could contact your parish priest and ask for a hospital visit.
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It is certainly appropriate to ask for a pastoral visit, and even anointing, while hospital confined. However, I feel that to ask for a priest to bring you communion solely because of a personal preference not to receive from a layperson is disrespectful of the priest’s time in this setting and in the presence of a hospital ministerial staff who give their time for this ministry. Laypeople do not roam hospital halls willy-nilly giving out Communion; it is reasonable to assume that such are duly authorized Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion attached to the chaplain’s office, or in some cases, parish representatives visiting members from that parish.
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
It is certainly appropriate to ask for a pastoral visit, and even anointing, while hospital confined. However, I feel that to ask for a priest to bring you communion solely because of a personal preference not to receive from a layperson is disrespectful of the priest’s time in this setting and in the presence of a hospital ministerial staff who give their time for this ministry. Laypeople do not roam hospital halls willy-nilly giving out Communion; it is reasonable to assume that such are duly authorized Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion attached to the chaplain’s office, or in some cases, parish representatives visiting members from that parish.
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Good points.
 
I might be off my rocker but I recall many times having communion with a Nun. Especially in mass.
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
It is certainly appropriate to ask for a pastoral visit, and even anointing, while hospital confined. However, I feel that to ask for a priest to bring you communion solely because of a personal preference not to receive from a layperson is disrespectful of the priest’s time in this setting and in the presence of a hospital ministerial staff who give their time for this ministry. Laypeople do not roam hospital halls willy-nilly giving out Communion; it is reasonable to assume that such are duly authorized Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion attached to the chaplain’s office, or in some cases, parish representatives visiting members from that parish.
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Yes - great points!
In our Archdiocese, the lay people who bring Holy Communion to the hospitals, nursing homes and the home-bound are not just EMHC’s, but they are EMHC’s who are also trained and commissioned as Ministers of Care. Part of their training includes providing “pastoral care” to fellow Catholics.

Then, it is also true in our Arch, because it is so large, that many parishes share in the work of providing coverage for the various hospitals. So you might ask for your pastor to come, but if his day for the beeper is Friday, you will either get another priest or have to wait.
 
The largest hospital in the area where I live is within the boundaries of my parish. There is a team of extraordinary ministers who give their time to bringing communion to the patients. When I was a patient myself I received a visit and communion daily from one of these dedicated volunteers.

Because we have only one priest in the parish he cannot cover all the hospital visits himself. The priests of the various parishes in the area rotate days to cover people who need Anointing of the Sick on an emergency basis.

I consider the patients here to be quite fortunate. I have witnessed patients in other hospitals where communion was not available for the sick.
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
It is certainly appropriate to ask for a pastoral visit, and even anointing, while hospital confined. However, I feel that to ask for a priest to bring you communion solely because of a personal preference not to receive from a layperson is disrespectful of the priest’s time in this setting and in the presence of a hospital ministerial staff who give their time for this ministry. Laypeople do not roam hospital halls willy-nilly giving out Communion; it is reasonable to assume that such are duly authorized Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion attached to the chaplain’s office, or in some cases, parish representatives visiting members from that parish.
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Very well said. The host within the Pyx is no less Jesus regardless of whether administered by a Priest or Extraordinary Minister. It may be the policy of your parish priest to have them do this. Keep in mind that they are taking their personal time to do this as well.
 
How would a Catholic in hospital wanting to receive Communion know that someone claiming to be an EMHC is indeed an authorised EMHC. Do they carry some specific ID from the parish?
 
thistle said:
How would a Catholic in hospital wanting to receive Communion know that someone claiming to be an EMHC is indeed an authorised EMHC. Do they carry some specific ID from the parish?
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Usually the hospitals have a vetting process and require ID. I suppose someone who wasn’t a Eucharistic minister could pose as one and walk around with unconsecrated hosts, giving them out to people… I can’t imagine why one would do that. They could simply call the desk and say “So and so is here, claiming to be a minister” and the hospital could verify. I think that might seem a bit rude and scrupulous though.
 
thistle said:
How would a Catholic in hospital wanting to receive Communion know that someone claiming to be an EMHC is indeed an authorised EMHC. Do they carry some specific ID from the parish?
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In my experience being on the receiving end of hospitalized Communion numerous times, the EMHC’s either wear a hospital photo ID on a lanyard, or have a “Visitor” ID received at the security desk after security staff’s cross-checking the hospital’s master list of authorized parish Eucharistic volunteers.
 
Generally speaking, I’m pretty sure none of the vetting for ID and security measures are taken here in the Philippines.
 
I work out of the Pastoral Care office at a local hospital. I am one of a few lay ministers of communion working with a priest and sister. (Others in the Pastoral Care office are A Protestant chaplain and a rabbi.) We communion ministers are given a Catholic census list and are expected to visit each person on the list if possible. We have a key to the tabernacle located in the hospital chapel. Although the chapel is ecumenical, mass is celebrated most days and broadcast on the hospital cable station to whoever would like to watch. This is our practice. It could be different from place to place.
In addition to bringing communion we visit and chat with the sick and if they request an anointing or counseling, we contact the priest.
 
thistle said:
How would a Catholic in hospital wanting to receive Communion know that someone claiming to be an EMHC is indeed an authorised EMHC. Do they carry some specific ID from the parish?
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In our archdiocese we give a card to all mandated Ministers of Care. It is for a three year period with a starting and ending date. The card is easily carried in a wallet or purse.
A Minister of Care is required to attend many hours of training, 2/3 times that required for a EMHC.
 
We have a very large hospital in our parish boundaries and in an average day EMHCs can visit between 80-100 patients. Not all receive communion, but the ministers also ask if they have an spiritual needs for a chaplain. There is a priest chaplain but he usually is only called upon for anointing or confession. There are lay chaplains who would come and talk with patients. As others have said, EMHCs who go to the hospital or nursing facilities must complete additional training in pastoral care. Lay chaplains now must have a MA in theology in order to be certified as chaplains along with Clinical Pastoral Education credits.
 
A hospital patient may also wish to be annointed and/or make a confession, both of which would require a priest to visit.
 
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