Training For Extraordinary Ministers

[Nihil Obstat]

That makes it sound like it's supposed to be an exception to meet the needs of the faithful.  Unless a priest only comes around once a week, I have a hard time understanding how there would be a true necessity to have confessions DURING mass. 

 

I am not seeing that necessarily implied.

 

Promoting confession is a pretty meritorious goal all on its own. We should be taking every opportunity to increase the number of penitents going into the confessional.

[OnlySunshine]

800-1300 communicants could receive communion from two preists at an altar rail relatively quickly. If you remove the mindset that communion needs to take 5 minutes and mass should not go beyond an hour, the extra 5-10 minutes for 2 priests to distribute communion rather than 12 EMHC's can be used in quiet prayer - one of the traditional charisms of the latin rite liturgy.

 

Anything beyond two priests/priest and deacon at an altar rail is overkill unless you have a huge way long altar rail. There isn't the space for distribution beyond two ministers so nothing would realy speed up. One priest hear's confessions during mass until communion, comes out of the box with a stole and starts distributing. Wham bam. At solemn high masses you already have a priest and deacon (or priest acting as deacon) so you already have two ministers to distribute. If you had a parish with only one priest and no deacons, chances are you wouldn't need someone else to distribute communion, and if you did, institute an acolyte.

 

This would be ideal but our both priests aren't there every Sunday and neither is the deacon.  One of the priests is rather elderly (he just turned 73 or 74) so he needs a lot of time to rest.

[fides' Jack]

Considering the matter of confession during Mass, I'll share my example.  I used to frequent a church in Denver called Holy Ghost.  It's an incredibly beautiful chapel, and extremely well-off.  As it was built in what became the middle of downtown Denver, a skyscraper was built on the property, and the church sits in its shadow.  The building pays rent to the church.

 

Anyway, they have money to pull off the most amazing Masses - full orchestras and trained choirs in the choir loft, singing a Mozart Mass for Christmas, etc...  At one Mass every Sunday (the one I was going to), half of the Mass is in Latin and celebrated ad orientem.  They still have Communion rails, but don't use them, unfortunately (I assume because, as it's been pointed out, that's not currently the norm).  

 

They also had 2 or 3 priests assisting at that Mass, and another 1 or 2 hearing confessions - the confession lines were pretty long - even into Mass.  I *think* they would listen for and stop during the Gospel and for the Consecration; whenever I went I was always able to be done before the Gospel.  But an amazing thing happens when you do that - you're just about as free from sin as you can possibly be before receiving the Eucharist.  

 

Which brings up the main point - I would get in line right after the previous Mass (which was when I arrived), and there would already be 10 people ahead of me in line.  Waiting half an hour to confess happened all the time.  

 

Some people need to go to confession just before Mass (even if it flows into Mass times) - especially if they can't make another time.

[Groo the Wanderer]

I for one hope that you never hear confessions. :|

hee hee    not a priest, though i have been asked on two occasions if i was....

 

Promoting confession is a pretty meritorious goal all on its own. We should be taking every opportunity to increase the number of penitents going into the confessional.

AMEN!!

Edited January 24, 2013 by Groo the Wanderer

[StMichael]

BINGO!!

 

I only receive on the tongue and only by the Priest.

 

Training is not the problem; instead, the problem is the excessive use of extraordinary ministers.

 

 

[Slappo]

1.  do the math.  it does not add up.  at 5 seconds per communicant, 1 priest would take 108 minutes and 2 would take 54 minutes to reach 1300.   even at 800 it would take 66 minutes and 33 minutes respectively.

 

2. NONONONO   if one is at Mass they are to assist at the WHOLE Mass.  No confessions during Mass. the local FSSP parish does not hear confessions during Mass either.

 

5 seconds is an awful long time to distribute communion there buddy it's more like 2... you are also assuming all 1300 are receiving communion. I'd assume you have at least a couple people that aren't Catholic or know better to recieve while in mortal sin or broke the fast. I'd also assume you have a couple children who have not yet completed their first communion...

[PhuturePriest]

5 seconds is an awful long time to distribute communion there buddy it's more like 2... you are also assuming all 1300 are receiving communion. I'd assume you have at least a couple people that aren't Catholic or know better to recieve while in mortal sin or broke the fast. I'd also assume you have a couple children who have not yet completed their first communion...

 

I know when I receive Communion it always takes about a maximum of two seconds. Furthermore, I always notice that the line for the extraordinary minister always goes more slowly than the line for Father.

[Groo the Wanderer]

then yer doing it wrong if it only takes 2 seconds

 

to receive standing, in the hand (yuck) communicants should:

 

make a profound bow with hands steepled, when next in line

step forward (time starts now)

make a throne of the hands when approaching

priest/deacon/emhc says 'the Body of Christ'

then places the host into your palm

you then consume it

you then take one step to the side (time stops here)

and make the sign of the cross

 

also take into account the folks who move more slowly - the elderly, the shufflers, the folks who DO kneel, the parents shepherding lil ones or holding a baby. for some folks, 5 seconds would be speedy   lol

[Slappo]

Did you not see where my post referred to an altar rail? There is no stepping to the side or stepping forward.

 

Assuming they are receiving in the hand standing (not what I was imagining) I guess you could awkwardly fit a profound bow in, but it would be done as the priest steps towards your position. By the time your up he would have said body of christ and be placing the host in your hands that are already in the position of a throne as you rise from your bow. As you consume it he is already stepping towards the next person.

 

 

Now if we just communicated like in the EF, you'd be kneeling with your tongue out. Now there's no profound bow, no folding your hands, and no response of amen. The elderly would have plenty of time to move up to the altar rail, same with ittle ones holding a baby, and since everyone is kneeling there's no added time constraint there... In that case it may even be less than 2 seconds per communicant.

And if the preist wants to offer the precious blood - intinction.

 

For those who cannot receive wheat, the same procedures would be followed as we currently use for masses where the blood is not distributed.

 

 

The east doesn't have extraordinary ministers or altar rails, and they have intinction (kinda?). I've never heard someone from an eastern parish complain about how long communion takes.

[Groo the Wanderer]

hehheh   just pushing yer buttons   :spike:

 

i would like to see the altar rails restored, communion in the hand revoked, and only ordinary ministers of communion as well.  Likely it would have to be a piece of the EF merged into the OF.  hmm...good place to start   :saint2:

[Slappo]

hehheh   just pushing yer buttons   :spike:

 

i would like to see the altar rails restored, communion in the hand revoked, and only ordinary ministers of communion as well.  Likely it would have to be a piece of the EF merged into the OF.  hmm...good place to start   :saint2:

 

Those changes could all be implemented within the OF. Restore altar rails, revoke the indult, change the standard posture of reception. To forcefully cut down on EMHC's either remove reception of the precious blood (I highly doubt this would happen), or require that intinction be used if both species are to be distributed (EMHC's can't perform intinction :D).

Not only do I doubt that distribution of the precious blood would be removed, but I wouldn't really be in favor of that either. I don't receive the precious blood unless there are no EMHC's distributing communion, but I would gladly recieve via intinction :).

[Groo the Wanderer]

agree with all dat