Procedures for Ministers of Holy Communion

1

Arrive 15 minutes before mass and sign in.

Communicate with the other minister (if there is one scheduled)

about who is going to the tabernacle.  

Check to see that the key is in the tabernacle.

2

Take your seat in the assembly.

3

After the presider/priest receives the Body of Christ,

come forward, stop in front of the altar making a profound bow

and proceed to the tabernacle.

Open tabernacle, leave door open,

do not genuflect

process ciborium with lid on to the altar (left side)

and place it on what is now, from behind the altar, the right side of the corporal

3B

If there is no deacon or if there are two Ministers of HC assigned,

the second extraordinary minister processes

directly to the left side of the altar.

4

After you have received, proceed to your station

with the cup that is handed to you.

As the communicant approaches the sacrament,

they bow.

You make the proclamation: “The Blood of Christ”.

to which they respond: “Amen.”

Hand them the cup.

They consume some of the Blood of Christ and hand the cup back to you.

Consciously rotate the cup when offering it to the people

and use different parts of the purificator to wipe the edges of the cup

between communicants.

Intinction is only acceptable when all receive by that method.

As a general norm, no one, with the exception of the priest,

may communicate the Eucharist to

themselves.

If a communicant attempts to intinct (dip),

you may pull the cup back towards you until they have consumed the host.

5

After the final communicant from the assembly has received

(or your cup has been consumed),

consume the remaining Blood of Christ while standing in place

and return the cup and purificator to the altar.

If there is too much for you to consume, return the cup with the Blood of Christ

to the altar for the deacon/priest to consume.

Return to your seat in the

assembly.

In the event that you are unable to consume the remaining Blood of Christ at the preferred time,

place the cup with purificator over it on the vestment case until immediately after mass.

At which time, ask other ministers to aid in the consumption of the remaining Blood of Christ.

6

At the conclusion of the mass, return to the sacristy and

wash and dry the cups/chalices, paten and flagon/pitcher.

(The flagon does not need to be purified for the wine was not consecrated in it.)

Return all sacred vessels to their place in the sacristy

(or back closet at St. Elizabeth.)

At 8:30am mass, or when a second minister of Holy Communion is used for the distribution of the Body

of Christ,

they should be the minister that goes to the tabernacle and then should position themselves

closer to the wall then the other minister/s.