Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion   Statement from Bishop D'Arcy on the purification of vessels used in Holy Communion Diocesan Guidelines Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion FORMATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION. - Completed for 2008. FORMATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION TO THE SICK. Pre-requisite: You must be a mandated Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. - Completed for 2008. FORMAL RETREAT OPPORTUNITIES Bishop John M. D'Arcy asks that all Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion attend a retreat or afternoon of reflection once per year. You may choose to attend a retreat in your parish, or one of these diocesan retreats, or make a private retreat at a retreat center.  Your parish priest will keep all records of retreats attended. The pastor (not the Office of Worship) determines whether each minister has fulfilled this requirement.  All Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion must spend some time each year in formal retreat in order to renew their mandate. What kinds of retreat experiences are available for you? + Diocesan Afternoons of Reflection + Diocesan Ministry Enrichment Days + Diocesan Liturgy Days + Parish retreats + Individual directed retreats LINKS From the Holy See (The Vatican) General Instruction of the Roman Missal (including adaptations for the Dioceses of the United States of America) from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Sacramentus Caritatis "On the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Church's Life and Mission." Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI Ecclesia de Eucharistia "On the Eucharist in its relationship to the Church". Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II Redemptionis sacramentum "On certain matters to be observed or avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist" from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Mane Nobiscum Domine Apostolic Letter by Pope John Paul II dated Octiber, 2004 on the Eucharist. From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord A Resource for Guiding the Development of Lay Eccleisal Ministry. (This is a pdf file and you will need to have the free Adobe Acrobat reader to download this document. Click here to obtain the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.) Norms for Holy Communion Under Both Kinds. The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Mass. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on the Liturgy Resources on the Eucharist. A variety of resources for more information on the Eucharist. Links within the Office of Worship Website The Use of Low Gluten Hosts and Mustum