Consecrated Hosts At My Parish Treated Disrespectfully

[jeffpugh]

[quote name='The Thurifer' date='20 May 2010 - 12:31 PM' timestamp='1274373116' post='2114197']
As a priest who has stopped people trying to walk away with a host, and as one who lives in an area where Satanic cults are known to exist, I take this sort of thing very seriously. If I ever discovered that my altar servers were playing a joke like that, even with unconsecrated hosts, they would be instantly dismissed and banned from serving. Our EEM's are trained to spot people attempting to steal a host, and they routinely encounter it. I once stopped a woman who had broken the host in half and put the half in her pocket. I stopped her and made her consume the other half, and afterward she told me that she was going to give it to her husband who had to work that Sunday. She didn't know that there was anything wrong with that. In almost every homily, I make at least some mention of the Eucharist being Christ's Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, and the necessity of receiving Him worthily, but I still get the impression (and I don't claim to be able to read souls) that some approach the altar as if I were handing out food samples at Costco. If Rome came out tomorrow and banned reception in the hand, I wouldn't shed a tear.
[/quote]
Out of plus ones today. Keep fighting the good fight, though!

[sr_betsy]

[quote name='tinytherese' date='16 May 2010 - 09:26 AM' timestamp='1274019973' post='2111404']
I went to the 8 a.m. mass today and Fr. announced that lately there have been what appear to be consecrated hosts found in missalets, the trash bin, and in other places in the church. I don't know if any of this was done deliberately or not, but we want to end this, so please pray.
[/quote]

This is sad. This happened at our cathedral - consecrated hosts left in the pews, the sidewallks....then all of a sudden,it stopped.

[BG45]

[quote name='sr_betsy' date='20 May 2010 - 03:48 PM' timestamp='1274384903' post='2114301']
This is sad. This happened at our cathedral - consecrated hosts left in the pews, the sidewallks....then all of a sudden,it stopped.
[/quote]

Do you all know why it stopped? Sorry, just curious. Was there a lot of prayer about it, announcements from the altar, etc?

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='The Thurifer' date='20 May 2010 - 11:31 AM' timestamp='1274373116' post='2114197']
If Rome came out tomorrow and banned reception in the hand, I wouldn't shed a tear.
[/quote]

Let us pray that the indult for Communion in the hand will be swiftly revoked.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='20 May 2010 - 02:35 PM' timestamp='1274387713' post='2114333']
Let us pray that the indult for Communion in the hand will be swiftly revoked.
[/quote]
Hope springs eternal.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='tinytherese' date='18 May 2010 - 10:52 AM' timestamp='1274197939' post='2112763']
My grandma's theory is that ignorant non-Catholics are doing this, in particular at the parish funerals. I agree with you Ed, it should be announced publically at every mass that only Catholics in a state of grace may receive.
[/quote]

I know I'm late in this response, sorry about that. I think this is an excellent idea. The priest may have mentioned something in his homily, but I think it would be helpful if he came out an explicitly said who was eligible to take communion. In non-Catholic congregations that practise "open communion," the pastor usually says this explicitly. Particularly at funerals and weddings, there may be people there who are unfamiliar with the Catholic church, and would actually feel more comfortable with an explicit explanation. Many times, non-Catholics feel uncomfortable in a Catholic church because they are afraid of "doing something wrong."

This still doesn't explain the hosts in the wastebasket etc. and we can only hope that it was a prank, and they were unconsecrated hosts.

But, the priest being explicit may help prevent other situations where the person honestly doesn't know that they shouldn't partake, particularly when everyone in their pew has had to walk over them, they might worry they are being rude by not partaking.

I don't close my eyes to more serious problems, such as Satanism, but I still try to give people the benefit of the doubt, and make it easier for guests to know what to do and what not to do.