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Holy Communion


Philo Koinonia

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Philo Koinonia

I was wondering what exactly the Church says about Extraordinary ministers bringing Communion to the sick. Specifically how they are to act while they have Jesus on them. Are they allowed to go anywhere else first before they bring Jesus to the sick. I need to know the details because people are doing weird things at my Parish.

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Diocese have norms for ExtraOrdinary Ministers of Holy Communion taking Communion to the sick but generally the norms are the same. Here are some of the policy and procedures from the Diocese of Dubuque

Communion To The Sick
12. Parishes and communities are especially urged to make Holy Communion available to the
sick on Sundays when the sick cannot participate in the Sunday Eucharist of the local
community as well as on other pastorally appropriate occasions.
Procedures:
a) Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to the sick are to come forward to
carry communion to the sick only after the communion of the faithful is completed
and before the prayer after communion. It is not proper to come forward to receive
communion to carry to the sick during the communion procession.
b) Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to the sick are to take communion
directly from the church to the sick who are to receive Holy Communion. Holy
Communion must never be taken home overnight to be distributed to the sick the
next day.
c) Holy Communion shall be carried to the sick in a pyx. It is never to be carried in
a handkerchief, envelope, etc.

From the Diocese of Hartford:

17. The Eucharist that is brought to the sick is to be carried in a pyx, which should be
placed in a burse, if possible, and carried on the minister’s person with utmost
reverence. Extraordinary ministers while bearing the Eucharist should as a rule keep
silence, pray, and be especially mindful of the sacred responsibility that has been
entrusted to them.

18. Parishes are responsible for providing pyxes to carry Holy Communion to the sick.
They are sacred vessels and belong to the local parish or institution. A pyx should
always be blessed before being used for the first time. After each use, it should be
purified. Once a person’s commission is ended, any pyxes they have must be
returned to the parish. A pyx received as a gift should be given to the parish as a
memorial or as a gracious donation.

19. When extraordinary ministers receive the Eucharist for the sick at Mass, this should
occur after the distribution of Communion and before the Prayer after Communion.
Errands such as shopping are not to be carried out by the extraordinary ministers
while bearing the Blessed Sacrament, nor is the Eucharist ever to be reserved in the
minister’s house for distribution at a later hour or date. The Eucharist must be
borne directly from the church to the house of the sick without interruption.

Edited by cappie
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