| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
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| Communion to the Sick on Holy Thursday Mass and Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament after Celebration of the Lord's Passion | John | Friday, March 21, 2008 |
Question: Dear Mr Slavek, First of all - may I extend to you and your staff God's richest blessings in this glorious Easter season! I have two questions. Firstly - I am physically disabled and confined to a wheelchair. I love the Lord very much - however, due to transport problems, I was unable to attend the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday Evening. A good friend of mine (who is an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist in the parish I attend) said she would bring me Holy Communion immediately after the Holy Thursday night Mass, and this she did (praise God). However, at Mass she was told it was not allowed to bring Communion to the housebound on Holy Thursday. After some persuasion, the sacristan finally gave her a Consecrated Host to bring to me. I've done some research, and discovered it is indeed permissible to bring Communion to the sick and housebound immediately following the Holy Thursday night Mass. What is your view regarding this? Second question - On Good Friday in our parish (after Communion) approx. 400 Consecrated Hosts are not consumed, but rather removed from the church and reserved in a cupboard in the sacristy. I thought this is most irregular (to say the least) as I was under the distinct impression that the Blessed Sacrament was to be totally consumed on Good Friday. I asked the presiding acolyte, and he explained that enough Consecrated Hosts needed to be reserved for our sister parish in an adjoining suburb (as that parish will be coming to our parish tonight for the Easter Vigil Mass). But this seems not right at all! Is this a legitimate reason to reserve 400 Consecrated Hosts left over from Good Friday? Thank you for letting me inquire about these two matters -I look forward to hearing from you. Yours in our glorious Risen Lord - JOHN |
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| Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek
Dear John, Yes your research was accurate about taking Communion to the sick. In fact the Missal states right in the rubrics that it is okay, found right on the first page of Holy Thursday. After the Good Friday Liturgy any unused hosts are to be reserved in a prepared place outside of the main church, such as the sacristy. Hopefully there is someplace more reverent than a cupboard, but if that is it, then it's okay. I can't say that I agree right away with your pastor's reasoning for leaving so many unconsecrated Hosts behind, though. Why not simply consecrate four hundred more at the Vigil Mass. Maybe there is some good reason that he hasn't mentioned, but normally the Church would direct as much as possible that the Hosts consumed be consecrated at that same celebration of the Mass. Mr. Slavek Footer Notes: (a) A Eucharistic Minister is clergy (Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion). Laity are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and should never be called Eucharistic Ministers. (b) There is no such Mass called the Novus Ordo. The Current Mass is the Roman Missal of 2000, or the Oridinary Form of the Mass. The Tridentine Mass is the Roman Missal of 1962, or the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. Please refrain from using the term, Novus Ordo. Thanks. (c) The titles of Acolyte and Lector belong exclusively to the Installed Offices of Acolyte and Lector, who are men (only) appointed by the Bishop. These roles performed by others are Altar Servers and Readers, respectively. |
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