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Policy and Guidelines for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

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Policy and Guidelines for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion SECTION ONE DIOCESE OF HARRISBURG POLICY AND GUIDELINES FOR EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION Revised July 2008 GENERAL NORMS 1. The only minister who can confect the Sacrament of the Eucharist in persona Christi is a validly ordained Priest.” Hence the name “minister of the Eucharist” belongs properly to the Priest alone. Moreover, also by reason of their sacred Ordination, the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion are the Bishop, the Priest and the Deacon, to whom it belongs therefore to administer Holy Communion to the lay members of Christ’s faithful during the celebration of Mass. In addition to the ordinary ministers there is the formally instituted acolyte, who by virtue of his institution is an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion even outside the celebration of Mass. If, moreover, reasons of real necessity prompt it, another lay member of Christ’s faithful may also be delegated by the diocesan Bishop, in accordance with the norm of law. This function is to be understood strictly according to the name by which it is known, that is to say, that of Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and not “special minister of Holy Communion” nor “extraordinary minister of the Eucharist” nor “special minister of the Eucharist,” by which names the meaning of this function is unnecessarily and improperly broadened. (Redemptionis Sacramentum, April 2004) 2. Those who are chosen to be Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion must be at least in their senior year of high school, known for a good Catholic manner of living and for service to the parish and the community. Ordinarily, they should be persons who have resided in their parish of registration for some time and, therefore, are known to the pastor and people of the parish. Those who have been appointed to be extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion are necessarily to be duly instructed and should distinguish themselves by their Christian life, faith and morals. Let them strive to be worthy of this great office; let them cultivate devotion to the Holy Eucharist and show themselves as examples to the other faithful by their piety and reverence for this most holy Sacrament of the altar. Let no one be chosen whose selection may cause scandal among the faithful. (Adapted from Immensae Caritatis, January 23, 1973 by the Sacred Congregation for the Discipline of the Sacraments, Part 1.) 3. A listing of current Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion will be requested with the annual Spiritual Report 1 FORMATION AND TRAINING 4. In a parish the pastor must speak with each candidate personally to ask whether he/she is willing to serve as an Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Communion. To confirm the pastor's judgment and to indicate the seriousness of this ministry, the names of the new candidates are to be published in the parish bulletin on two consecutive Sundays. The wording of this announcement should be: The following parishioners are being considered for service as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. If anyone knows of a reason why any of the candidates should not serve in this capacity, please call the pastor by the end of the week. 5. In non-parish settings, the following processes should be used. a. In a hospital, the chaplain must speak with each candidate personally to ask whether he/she is willing to serve as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. In order to confirm the chaplain's judgment he must, as a matter of courtesy, first check with the pastor of those candidates who will receive a mandate. Names of these candidates are to be published in the bulletin of the candidate's parish of registration on two consecutive Sundays. It is not necessary that the hospital Extraordinary Minister also serve in his/her parish as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. b. In a high school the principal must speak with each candidate personally. The candidate's pastor must also be contacted. It is not necessary that the high school candidate serve in his/her parish as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. A separate mandate is necessary if the high school student is also to serve as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion in his/her parish. c. On a college campus the campus minister must speak with each candidate personally. It is not necessary to contact the candidate's pastor, since the chaplain will be able to make a proper judgment based on his association with the prospective candidate. d. The publishing of names of prospective candidates is to be adapted accordingly for a high school or campus setting, e.g., bulletin board, weekly bulletin. 6. After the names of prospective candidates have been published, the application forms are to be submitted to the Office of Worship. 7. The number of candidates recruited should be sufficient to meet parish or institutional needs. In determining the number of candidates, provision should be made for the occasional distribution of communion under both species or possible absence of ministers due to sickness, vacation or other reasons. However, the number of ministers is not to be multiplied without necessity. 8. Training sessions for new Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are held throughout the year. All those to be mandated must attend one of these sessions. It is required that the parish or institution also hold a practice session subsequent to this diocesan training session. 2 MANDATES 9. At the end of the diocesan training session mandates will be distributed to each candidate to be taken to his/her pastor, signed by him and kept on file at the parish/institution. A copy of the signed certificate of completion and mandate should be given to the Extraordinary Ministers for their records. A commissioning ceremony is to be held in the parish or institution at one of the principal Masses. 10. The mandate of the Bishop continues in force until decided otherwise by the pastor, or the Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, or the person leaves the parish or institution which would then end the mandate. The mandate for a high school senior is for the current school year. 11. The mandate is effective only for the parish or institution designated. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion may function both in a parish and/or institution, but only with the proper mandate from the Bishop for each location. Nursing homes and hospitals which are ministries of a particular parish are included in the mandate for that parish. 12. Religious women with motherhouses in the Diocese of Harrisburg who are mandated by the Bishop as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion in a parish or institution of the Diocese of Harrisburg are also mandated for liturgies at their motherhouses. SPECIFIC NORMS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MASS 13. Those ministers who serve in more than one ministry in the parish (e.g., Extraordinary Minister, lector, cantor, etc.) should perform only one ministry during the same liturgy. 14. In the dioceses of the United States of America, acolytes, altar servers, lectors, and other lay ministers may wear the alb or other suitable vesture or other appropriate and dignified clothing [General Instruction to the Roman Missal, third edition, 334]. In the Diocese of Harrisburg the garb to be worn by Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion during Mass in a church is a white robe or alb. 15. When more of the Precious Blood remains than was necessary for Communion, and if not consumed by the bishop or priest celebrant, the deacon immediately and reverently consumes at the altar all of the Blood of Christ which remains; he may be assisted, if needs dictate, by other deacons and priests. When there are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, they may consume what remains of the Precious Blood from their chalice of distribution with permission of the diocesan bishop. [USCCB Norms for the Distribution of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds, 52] Bishop Rhoades has granted this permission for the Diocese of Harrisburg. 16. Extraordinary Ministers may not purify the sacred vessels. The sacred vessels are to be purified by the priest, the deacon or an instituted acolyte [General Instruction to the Roman Missal, third edition, 279]. Liturgical Law directs that purification of the chalice is done with water alone or with wine and water, which is then drunk by whoever does the purification (i.e., the priest, the deacon or an instituted acolyte). 3 HOLY COMMUNION TO THE SICK AND THE AGED 17. The priest himself, as Ordinary Minister of the Eucharist and Holy Communion, must be faithful in continuing his sacramental ministry to all the sick and aged in his parish/institution. 18. There must be a real pastoral need for the Extraordinary Minister to supplement the priest's ministry (e.g., the sick person's desire for more frequent reception of Holy Communion). 19. The priest himself should ascertain whether the sick or aged person is willing to receive Holy Communion from an Extraordinary Minister and, if possible, he should personally introduce the minister before or on the occasion of the first visit. 20. The Rite of Communion Outside Mass must be followed by the Extraordinary Minister when Holy Communion is brought to the sick or aged. 21. Sunday is the most appropriate day for the Extraordinary Minister to visit, pray with and distribute Holy Communion to the sick and aged. Immediately following one of the parish Sunday Masses is the ideal time for Holy Communion to be taken to the sick and aged. 22. The Extraordinary Minister must be in contact with the priest or chaplain concerning the sick or aged person's state of health or desire for the sacraments of Penance or Anointing of the Sick.
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