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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
The Eucharist	maria	Monday, December 10, 2012
Question: Brother , a Eucharistic minister shared that when an old person who was sick spat the Holy Communion out, that the Eucharistic minister was informed by a nun to bury the Host in her garden.I am shocked at this, also another Eucharistic minister added, it was ok that she was informed by a priest to do the same with a similar happening. This just can not be right.This did not take place in Chuch but on their visatations. Please Share your knolledge on this. Thanks in advance.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear Maria: For clarification, a Eucharistic Minister is clergy. There is no such thing as a lay Eucharistic Minister. Laity to assist at the altar are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. it is important to use the right terms as to not blur the roles of clergy and laity. In the situation you describe the Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion should bring the host back to the Church and dispose of it in the sacrarium, which is a special sink in the sacristy that drains directly to the ground under the Church. If for some reason bring the host back to the church is not possible, then burying the Host in the ground would be a second option. But, I cannot see why the Extraordinary Minister can't bring the Host back to the Church. If the Church is locked, then wrap the host in a clean linen or tissue, and then once all other Hosts have been distributed, place the host in the pix and bring it to the Church the next day. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

The Eucharist

maria

Monday, December 10, 2012

Question:

Brother , a Eucharistic minister shared that when an old person who was sick spat the Holy Communion out, that the Eucharistic minister was informed by a nun to bury the Host in her garden.I am shocked at this, also another Eucharistic minister added, it was ok that she was informed by a priest to do the same with a similar happening. This just can not be right.This did not take place in Chuch but on their visatations. Please Share your knolledge on this. Thanks in advance.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear Maria:

For clarification, a Eucharistic Minister is clergy. There is no such thing as a lay Eucharistic Minister. Laity to assist at the altar are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. it is important to use the right terms as to not blur the roles of clergy and laity.

In the situation you describe the Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion should bring the host back to the Church and dispose of it in the sacrarium, which is a special sink in the sacristy that drains directly to the ground under the Church.

If for some reason bring the host back to the church is not possible, then burying the Host in the ground would be a second option. But, I cannot see why the Extraordinary Minister can't bring the Host back to the Church. If the Church is locked, then wrap the host in a clean linen or tissue, and then once all other Hosts have been distributed, place the host in the pix and bring it to the Church the next day.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum