Eucharistic Minister

• Arrive 20 minutes before Mass.
• Report to the Sacristy and let the Mass Volunteer Coordinator at St. Agnes know you are here or sign in at St. Athanasius
• The Mass Coordinator will let you know:
  1. If s/he needs for you to serve the congregants in the handicapped pews
  2. If the choir is performing and will need to be distributed Holy Communion as soon as you receive your Ciborium
  3. If you are the designated Minister with the gluten-free Hosts
• Immediately after the Sign of Peace approach the altar reverently and:
  1. Use hand sanitizer to clean their hands, and then stand on the ambo (pulpit) side of the altar at St. Athanasius or behind the priest at St. Agnes
• Clean your hands again after receiving and consuming the Host.
• After the priest has handed you a Ciborium or Cup, go to:
  1. Handicap pews
  2. The front of the altar to serve the choir
  3. The Eucharistic Minister stations at the center aisle in front of the altar or to the front of the first pew on each side of the church (See Exhibit A)
  4. Make certain there are two (2) people on each side of the church distributing Holy Communion
  5. Communion should be given with reverence and in a welcoming way. Be truly present to each person when you say, “The Body of Christ” or “The Blood of Christ”.
  6. Please use these words – no additions or substitutions.  Do not rush.  We are here to serve.

Distribution of the Eucharist:  

• To distribute the Body of Christ, hold the host just below the eye level of the communicant and allow her/him to finish bowing or genuflecting, look at the Host and say, “The Body of Christ.”  Your focus should be on the Host, our Lord.  Do not rush.  We are here to serve.  Allow each communicant a moment to respond “Amen”.  Be sure to adjust the height that you are holding the ciborium to accommodate the communicant.
• If the host is dropped, do not serve it to the person in front of whom it was dropped.  Your calm demeanor at this moment can calm and assure an anxious and embarrassed person.  Pick up the host and put it in the palm of your hand that is holding the ciborium.   Do not mingle it with the hosts that go back in the tabernacle.  You can consume the dropped host yourself after all the congregants have received Holy Communion or give it to the priest when you return your Ciborium to the altar.
• To distribute the Precious Blood, again, let the communicant finish reverencing the cup, look at the Cup and say, “The Blood of Christ”.  Allow each communicant a moment to say “Amen”.  Hand the chalice to the communicant.  The emphasis is on receiving the Sacrament.  Do not rush.  Be especially sensitive to the elderly and small children who may need help steadying the cup.  Remember, we are here to serve.  When the cup is returned to you, wipe the rim both inside and out with the purificator and rotate ¼ turn.  It is very important to open the purificator from its folds so that it is available to use like a small dish towel.  Use a different section of the unfolded purificator for each wipe, turning it over as necessary.  You may have to look up and hold the chalice higher for someone who is taller than you are.  In the same respect, you may have to bend a little if someone is shorter.
• If you drop or spill Precious Blood – do not panic.  Stop what you are doing.  Your demeanor will reassure those communicants in line or the person who may have caused the spill.  If the spill is small, your purificator may be all you need to blot the spill.  Direct the communicant to the other E.M.s and get another purificator.  There should always be a supply of additional, fresh purificators on the credence table as well as white hand towels.  If the spill is large, put your purificator over the spill and begin distributing the Precious Blood at a spot removed from the spillage so that no one would step on it.  After the Liturgy, get a cold wet cloth and carefully scrub the place where the spill occurred.  The cloths used to soak up the original spill should be placed with dirty purificators to be rinsed out in the appropriate manner.
• If an adult or child approaches with arms crossed over chest you may give a simple blessing such as “May the peace and love of Christ be with you”, or for small children, “Jesus loves you”.  It is not permissible to make the sign of the cross while giving a blessing or blessing with a host.  Keep it simple and sincere.
• Once all congregants have received Holy Communion, return your Ciborium or Cup to the altar and then go back to your pew.