New: Important Amendments to the Diocesan Guidelines for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Diocesan Guidelines for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion The Eucharist constitutes the Church's entire spiritual wealth, that is, Christ himself, our Passover and Living Bread. (#3 Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the USA).All paragraph citations are taken from the document Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America. (2002). All paragraph numbers refer to this document unless otherwise stated Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion: When the size of the congregation requires it, ordinary ministers of the eucharist may be assisted by extraordinary ministers of the Holy Communion. "Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion should receive sufficient spiritual, theological and practical preparation to fulfill their role with knowledge and reverence." (#28) Who may be appointed as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion? 1. men, women and young people of high school age or older who are judged by the pastor to be mature, sincere, and capable. 2. persons who are fully initiated and living their faith seriously. 3. and who are respected in the parish for strong Catholic lives. How does a person become an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion? 1. The pastor alone makes the appointment of an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. 2. The candidate must attend formation for this ministry that is in accord with #28 of the Norms. 3. Upon completion of formation: a) the candidate is commissioned at a Sunday Mass. The Book of Blessings contains the Order of Commissioning Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (#1874ff Book of Blessings) b) the candidate receives a commissioning card which is signed by the bishop. This mandate from the bishop must be renewed every year. c) Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion must attend a retreat or directed time of reflection once a year in order to renew their mandate. This can be a diocesan, parish, or individual retreat/directed reflection. The intent is that the ministers have time to deepen their own spiritual life and their ministry as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. How does a person become an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion to the Sick? The pastor of the parish may appoint lay men, women, and religious to bring the Eucharist outside of Mass to the sick and homebound under the following circumstances: 1. The priest is faithful to his obligation and privilege as the ordinary minister, and the extraordinary minister is seen not as a substitute for the priest, but as a true extension of the local community's total concern for the sick and the elderly. 2. A priest continues to visit the sick or elderly person, offering his own service and carefully explaining the meaning and advantages of having extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to the Sick. He offers the services of an extraordinary minister as a supplement to the ministry of the priest and not as a replacement. 3. The priest personally introduces the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion to the sick, elderly, or homebound person as an extension of his own service. 4. Candidates are proposed for appointment on the basis of a commitment to regular or continuing ministry to the sick and elderly of the parish; a ministry that includes but is not limited to the ministry of bringing Holy Communion. Formation for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion All new candidates for extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion must receive training from the pastor, his delegate, or the Office of Worship. The training must consist of the following: 1. The history of the Eucharist: Old and New Testament and the teachings of the Church. 2. The spirituality of Eucharist and ministry. 3. Practicum demonstrating and practicing how to minister the Body and Blood of Christ at Mass. No one, no matter how educated or trained, may be excused from  formation as outlined above. Formation for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the Sick. Communion ministers to the sick must have formation as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion as indicated above. They must be commissioned and fulfill the annual requirements for renewal of their mandate as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. They must also have special formation as follows: a) Ministry to the Sick and Homebound b) Practicum: Utilizing the Rite of Pastoral care of the Sick. Those who serve on pastoral teams in hospitals and nursing homes may be resource persons for this specialized formation. The priest himself, who brings Communion to the sick, is an excellent resource. The Office of Worship also provides formation programs for ministers to the sick. When a person is temporarily sick, a member of his/her family, after being duly instructed, may be appointed by the pastor of the parish to bring communion during the term of the illness. No other appointment is needed in such a special situation. Special Situations Religious Houses: a lay religious superior may apply for appointment for himself/herself or for other lay members of the religious community to bring communion to the sick with the religious house. Hospitals or Nursing Homes: In hospitals and nursing homes where there is a Catholic chaplain, the chaplain proposes candidates to serve as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. In hospitals and nursing homes where there is no Catholic chaplain, the pastor of the local parish may propose candidates. A clear explanation is to be made to the administrators of the hospitals or nursing homes that, in addition to priests, extraordinary ministers will serve the sick and aged. A list of these extraordinary ministers is to be furnished for the administrator and kept up-to-date. It is understood that these extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion will receive the required formation as outlined in these guidelines above.  Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Designated for a Single Occasion within Mass. 1. If the priest finds that a very large number of communicants are present at a given Mass, he may designate an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion for that single occasion. (normally a wedding or a funeral) 2. The priest should exercise great care in choosing an individual or individuals to assist him. 3. The extraordinary minister(s) of Holy Communion is (are) prepared before Mass and a brief blessing before Mass would be appropriate. How is the mandate of the Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion renewed? 1) Each year the pastor submits the names of the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to the Office of Worship, which are placed in the records of the diocese.   The pastor determines that these ministers have fulfilled the requirements which allow them to renew their mandate.  2. Upon receipt of these names, appointment cards, signed by the bishop are sent to the pastor by the Office of Worship. The pastor co-signs the appointment cards and gives them to the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. The cards are valid from the date of issuance, until that same time the following year. (Usually from the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ until the following year). 3. The extraordinary minister may renew his/her mandate as often as the extraordinary minister, in consultation with his/her pastor, wishes. In order for the extraordinary minister to continue, he/she must renew the mandate yearly. Procedures for Distribution of Holy Communion The following procedures are promulgated according to the document Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America. (2002). All paragraph numbers refer to this document unless otherwise stated. Reverence for the Holy Eucharist "All ministers of Holy Communion should show the greatest reverence for the Most Holy Eucharist by their demeanor, their attire, and the manner in which they handle the consecrated bread or wine." (#29) Preparation Enough bread and wine should be made ready for the communication of the faithful at each Mass. As a general rule, Holy Communion is given from hosts consecrated at the same Mass and not from those reserved in the tabernacle. The priest or extraordinary minister should not go to the tabernacle during Mass for the reserved Blessed Sacrament except in the case of emergency. Precious Blood may not be reserved at one Mass for use at another. (#30) A suitable number of ministers of Holy Communion are to be provided at each Mass. "For communion from the chalice, it is desirable that there be generally two ministers of the Precious Blood for each minister of the Body of Christ, lest the liturgical celebration be unduly prolonged." (#30) Before Mass begins, wine and hosts should be provided in vessels of appropriate size and number. "The presence on the altar of a single chalice and one large paten can signify the one bread and one chalice by which we are gathered into the one Body of Christ, a living sacrifice of praise. When this is not possible, care should be taken that the number of vessels should not exceed the need." (#32) The bread to be broken should be of sufficient size that at least some of the faithful are able to receive a piece broken from it. "The unity of all in the one bread will be better expressed . . . When the number of the faithful is great, however, a single large bread may be used for the breaking of the bread with small breads provided for the rest of the faithful." (#33) The bread used at the Eucharist must be made only of wheat and water. Other additives may not be used. (Canon 924:2). The Office of Worship has licit recipes for eucharistic bread. Sacred Vessels Sacred Vessels should be of the highest quality and made of materials that are noble and suited to sacred use.  #328 General Instruction of the Roman Missal: "Sacred vessels are to be made from precious metal. If they are made from metal that rusts or from a metal less precious than gold, then ordinarily they should be gilded on the inside." #329 General Instruction of the Roman Missal: "In the Dioceses of the United States of America, sacred vessels may also be made from other solid materials that, according to the common estimation in each region, are precious, for example, ebony or other hard woods, provided that such materials are suited to sacred use and do not easily break or deteriorate." Care should be taken that crystal, glass or pottery chalices or ciborium used at Mass are created specifically for sacred use at the Eucharist. Glass wine glass or bowls created for ordinary use are not acceptable Chalices and other vessels that serve as receptacles for the blood of the Lord are to have a cup of nonabsorbent material. The base may be of any other solid and worthy material. (General Instruction of the Roman Missal #330) The Communion Rite "As the Lamb of God is begun, the bishop or priest alone, or with the assistance of the deacon, and if necessary of concelebrating priests, breaks the Eucharistic Bread." (#37) "The deacon or priest places the consecrated bread in several ciboria or patens and, if necessary, pours the Precious Blood into enough additional chalices as are required for the distribution of Holy Communion." (#37) The extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion approach the altar as the priest receives communion. According to the custom of your parish, extraordinary ministers may come into the sanctuary at an earlier time but approach the altar as the priest receives communion. After the priest has received communion, he distributes communion to the extraordinary ministers, assisted by the deacon. (#38) The priest or deacon gives the Body of Christ to each extraordinary minister.  The priest or deacon then gives the Blood of Christ to each extraordinary minister.  If the number of extraordinary ministers is large, the priest may give the Blood of Christ to one or two extraordinary ministers, who then assist the priest or deacon in giving the Blood of Christ to the rest of the extraordinary ministers. The priest or deacon hands the ciborium or the chalice to each individual extraordinary minister. Extraordinary ministers may not pick up the chalice or ciborium from the altar. The priest, deacon and extraordinary ministers then go to the assembly to distribute communion. Neither deacons nor lay ministers may ever receive Holy Communion in the manner of a concelebrating priest (#39). The practice of the extraordinary ministers receiving the host and communicating at the same time as the priest is not allowed. The practice of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion waiting to receive Holy Communion until after the distribution of Holy Communion is not in accord with liturgical law. (#39) Extraordinary ministers receive after the priest, and before the assembly. Body of Christ When administering the Body of Christ, extraordinary ministers hold the sacred vessel in their left hand (opposite for left-handed persons), and taking the host in their right hand... hold it for the communicant to see ...and say: "The Body of Christ." to which the communicant replies: "Amen." Sensitive to the wishes of the communicant, the minister places the Body of  Christ in the communicants hand or on the tongue. (#41) The Blood of Christ When administering the Precious Blood, hold the cup for the communicant to see, and say: "The Blood of Christ." to which the communicant replies "Amen." and taking the cup, drinks some of the Precious Blood. The extraordinary minister then wipes the lip of the cup with the purificator, and turns the cup one quarter of a turn before the next communicant. What do you do if.. You spill the Precious Blood? Your pastor should determine the procedure for your parish and every extraordinary minister of Holy Communion should be trained in that procedure. You drop a host? Same answer as above. A communicant tries to dip the host in the Precious Blood? Don't do or say anything, but tell your pastor and have him quietly educate the communicant sometime after the liturgy. A person may never self-communicate and this form of intinction is self-communication. What to do if a person genuflects before receiving Communion, or kneels to receive Communion? Do not refuse them Communion, but have your pastor quietly educate that communicant sometime after the liturgy regarding the wishes of the Church in this matter. While the heart of the celebration of the Eucharist  is in the Eucharistic Prayer, the consummation of the Mass is found in Holy Communion, whereby the people purchased for the Father by his beloved Son eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ. They are thereby joined together as members of Christs mystical Body, sharing the one life of the Spirit. In the great sacrament of the altar, they are joined to Christ Jesus and to one another. (Norms #5) HELPFUL RESOURCES Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds In The Dioceses of the United States of America.  Liturgy Documentary Series 13. Product Code. 5-432 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Publishing, www.usccbpublishing.org, ISBN 1-57455-432-8 General Instruction of the Roman Missal.  Liturgy Documentary Series 2. Product Code. 5-543. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Publishing, www.usccbpublishing.org ISBN 1-57455-543-X. Instruction on the Eucharist (Redemptionis sacramentum) Product Code. 5-619 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Publishing, www.usccbpublishing.org, ISBN 1-57455-619-3   Pastoral Care of the Dying.  Product Code: 5-487. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Publishing, www.usccbpublishing.org, ISBN 1-57455-487-5   The Liturgy Documents, Volume II.  Liturgy Training Publications, www.ltp.org ISBN 1-56854-245-3. From Age to Age: How Christians Celebrated the Eucharist  by Edward Foley. Liturgy Training Publications, www.ltp.org ISBN 0-929650-41-7 Lay Ministers, Lay Disciples: Evangelizing Power in the Parish  by Susan Blum Gerding, Ed.D and Frank DeSiano, CSP. Paulist Press, www.paulistpress.com. ISBN 0-8091-3896-4