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Prayer Service and distributing pre-Consecrated hosts Mary Ann Friday, March 18, 2005

Question:

Yesterday, I attended what I thought was Daily Mass, but was instead a "prayer service" led by a Deacon, because all the priests were out of town. The Daily Liturgy of the Word was read. We said most of the prayers of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Eucharistic prayer was omitted. At the conclusion, the Deacon removed a chalice filled with pre-consecrated hosts from the tabernacle and distributed them to those present.

Can you tell me more about these "prayer services" and exactly what is and is not allowed in terms of Liturgical law?

Thank you.
Question Answered by Mr. Jacob Slavek

Dear Mary Ann,

Sounds like everything's okay, since the priests were out of town.  Hopefully the deacon was following the official rite of Holy Communion outside of Mass instead of "inventing" his own service.

The only problem I saw is that the ciborium should have been placed on the altar after the general intercessions, and that Holy Communion should have begun with the Lord's Prayer.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

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.