Procedures for the Eucharist and After Mass

BEFORE THE MASS

You should arrive to Mass early and proceed to the sacristy. Please sign-in on the schedule sheet attached to the bulletin board. The priest or sacristan will let you know if their will be any changes to the Mass. The priest will lead us in a prayer before the Mass.

APPROACHING THE SANCTUARY and REVERENCING THE ALTAR

Proceed to the sanctuary during the Sign of Peace. Make a profound bow (i.e., from the waist) on your way up to the altar, at the floral symbol on the marble just above the first step. If several Eucharistic Ministers (EMs) are approaching the sanctuary simultaneously, form a side-by-side line and bow together.

RECEPTION OF THE EUCHARIST

During the Sign of Peace, the EMs will bring the bowls and cups from the credence (side) table to the altar; cups on the west side, bowls on the east side. The sacristan will go to the Mary’s Chapel tabernacle, retrieve a ciborium with reserve Hosts, and bring it to the Bread Captain at the main altar. The Captain of the Bread will distribute the Hosts to the various vessels. The Captain of the Cup will pour the Precious Blood into the cups, using a purificator when doing so. The EMs and the acolytes will form a continuous semi-circle behind the celebrant, centered behind the altar.

Before the Lamb of God, the celebrant will distribute a Host to the EMs and acolytes. Each person should make a simple bow (i.e., just the head) as they are being handed the Host. NOTE: All EMs MUST receive the Host in the hand; not on the tongue. Wait to consume the Host until after the Lamb of God and the celebrant has consumed his Host. After all EMs have consumed the Host, the celebrant and the Captain of the Cup will administer the Precious Blood to each EM and acolyte. Each EM should make a simple bow prior to being handed the cup.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE EUCHARIST

If you are distributing the Body of Christ, elevate the Host, let the communicant finish bowing or genuflecting, look the communicant in the eye, and say “The Body of Christ” (not “Receive the Body of Christ”, “This is the Body of Christ”, adding the communicants name, or any other variation.) If the communicant is receiving on the tongue, please try to avoid touching their tongue with your fingers. Do not take an inordinately long time to distribute to each communicant; this process should be reverent yet expedient. Make sure that the communicant consumes the Host and does not walk away with it. It the communicant has a pyx and asks for extra Hosts, tell them to see the sacristan after the Mass.

If a person is not receiving communion (e.g., a child under age, a person with their hands across their chest), extend your hand and say “God Bless You”. NOTE: Do not bless a person with a host or use the sign of the cross.

If you are distributing the Precious Blood, elevate the Cup, let the communicant finish bowing or genuflecting, look the communicant in the eye, and say “The Blood of Christ”. Wipe both sides of the rim of the Cup after each communicant and turn the Cup a quarter turn. Use a different section of the purificator for each wipe, turning it over as necessary. Do not let the communicant pass the Cup to another communicant. If the person can not hold the Cup by him/herself, you need to assist them.

If a consecrated Host drops on the floor, pick it up and hold it; do not put it back in the vessel. If Precious Blood spills on the floor, put your purificator over the spill and wait until after Mass to clean it up. Direct communicants to the other EMs and get another purificator.

AFTER DISTRIBUTING THE EUCHARIST TO THE CONGREGATION

EMs will take all remaining Hosts and Precious Blood to the main altar and wait for their respective Captains to return. Hold the vessels respectfully and comfortably in front of you as you take them to the altar (i.e., do not elevate them). The EM assigned to Bread Center, as a courtesy, should take the celebrant’s vessel as well as their own vessel to the altar. NOTE: Never bow on your way back up to the altar after Communion when you have the Eucharist in your hand!

The Captain of the Bread will consolidate all remaining Hosts into one ciborium on the main altar. The EMs assigned to the Bread positions will take the empty vessels to the credence table. The sacristan will take the ciborium with all the remaining Hosts to the Mary’s Chapel tabernacle.

The Captain of the Cup will consolidate all the remaining Precious Blood into one Cup on the main altar. The EMs assigned to the Cup positions will take the empty vessels to the credence table. The Captain of the Cup will take the remaining Precious Blood to the sacristy and return to their pew via the side steps.

After the EMs have taken their vessel to the credence table, they will return to their pew, making a profound bow at the floral symbol on the marble just above the first step.

AFTER THE MASS

The EMs should return to the sacristy after Mass and assist in cleaning the vessels used during the Eucharist. All used purificators should be placed in the yellow mesh laundry bag hanging in the closet. All vessels should be rinse first in the sacrarium. Do not use a sponge to clean the vessels. They are unsanitary and can create permanent scratches.

GENERAL REMINDERS

• Once the schedule is printed, it becomes your responsibility to ensure that if you can not make your assigned Masses, you will need to find a substitute. Use the EM roster for this purpose.

• If you attend a Mass for which you are not on the schedule and see that they are short of EMs, feel free to step up and assist.

• Arrive early and sign in by checking or initialing next to your name on the schedule. Wash your hands. Join in the prayer before Mass in the sacristy. Stay after Mass to assist in clean up.

• Please dress respectfully and modestly! Do not call attention to yourself by inappropriate dress.

• Please stand in a semi-circle behind the priest when you come up to the sanctuary during the Sign of Peace. Greet those around the altar. Stand close to each other in an organized, symmetrical pattern. It is more efficient, looks better to the congregation, and makes distribution of the Eucharist by the celebrant much easier.

• Do not forget to make a simple bow when receiving the Eucharist. We can not expect the congregation to do so if we are not setting the correct example.

• When distributing the Eucharist, say “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ”… no other variation is acceptable. This recognizes that God is present in us and among us.

• Do not address communicants whom you know by their name. The reason for this is that by doing so, you may unintentionally make a person whose name you did not say feel less welcome.

• NEVER argue with the celebrant during Mass. If he chooses to change a procedure, comply with his request and speak to me afterward if you have questions or concerns.

• DO NOT refuse the Eucharist to anyone and DO NOT correct anyone while you are distributing the Eucharist.

• If a host drops on the ground, immediately pick it up and place it in your hand under the bowl. If it has not been stepped on or otherwise soiled, you should consume it after you have returned to the altar. If it has been too soiled, after Mass, dissolve the host in water and dispose of it in the sacrarium.

• Consecrated Hosts are NEVER to be used for practice or for First Communion rehearsal. NEVER mix consecrated Eucharists with unconsecrated elements. One EM was observed pouring the Precious Blood back into the wine bottle.

• Failure to comply with the above procedures could result in your removal from this ministry.

Thank you for your dedication and service!

– Arly and Chris Porter