Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

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Procedures for Serving at
St. Agnes Cathedral

Preparation

• Keep your scheduled assignment and in cases where you are unable to fulfill them, please try to find a replacement.
• It is important that all Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Communion respect a proper Dress Code.
• Please be aware of the Mass schedule in planning your visits to homes and hospitals in order to avoid picking up the Eucharist during the Mass Celebrations in the church. The most appropriate and desirable time should be before or after the mass.
• Come early and be on time.
• Don’t forget to sign in the Sacristy as you come to the Church. It helps the priests to know what stations are in need of coverage.

Approaching the Altar

• Ministers should enter the sanctuary during the singing or recitation of the antiphon “Lamb of God…” At Sunday Eucharist, host ministers form the line behind altar servers (keep the distance of 2-3 steps). Cup ministers create another line behind the host ministers, also approximately 2-3 steps. This gives some comfortable space for receiving communion from priest or deacon. Please note that starting January 1, 2014, we will downsize cup stations and there will be only 4 cup minister assigned.
• In order to maintain a smooth distribution and be efficient in getting to our assigned positions, let’s make sure that the host ministers going to the back of the church with the priest ( #7 or #8) will stay at the right edge of the line facing the altar (we will make sure that priest and minister will have the ciboria filled up with hosts).
• The same thing is also effective for the cup ministers serving the back of the church E and F. Let them stay together on the right side of their line receiving Communion. We will make sure that they will have chalices with the appropriate amount of consecrated wine.
• While standing in the sanctuary, please do avoid an exchange of the sign of peace with other ministers. The exchange of the sign of peace at the proper time and with people standing next to you covers also the exchange with the whole congregation.

Serving

• It is desirable that Minister/Priest in position #1 and #6, which are located in the transepts, bring their remaining hosts to the ministers at the front of the Cathedral after finishing the distribution of Eucharist in their section. That would eliminate those in the front positions from running out. Also, the celebrants of each mass should remember to give full ciboria of hosts to the ministers going to the back of the Church.
• Please note that one of the Priests assigned to distribute communion on the organ side #6 will also take a role of making sure that there is enough host at all stations.

Bringing Vessels to the Sacristy

• As you cross the sanctuary area from the tabernacle to the sacristy please remember to give reverence to the altar. The distinctive bow is sufficient. There is no need to bow to the Bishop’s chair when he is not the celebrant. Only when the Bishop is at his chair during the Eucharistic celebration should the bow be directed toward him.
• Please note that if you are on the way to the tabernacle with consecrated hosts or on the way to the sacristy with consecrated wine in the chalice there is no bowing at any point.
• Bringing the sacred vessels to the sacristy after communion should not be a time for lengthy and loud conversations with sacristans or fellow ministers. As soon as you enter the sacristy with the sacred vessels, leave them there with the sacristans who will purify them and prepare them for the next mass. Also, after the weekday mass services leave them in the sacristy to be prepared later for the next mass. There is no need for ministers to stay in the sacristy for purification of the vessels and miss the concluding parts of the mass.
• Keeping silent before and during the Mass is of great importance. Silence should be respected during our services inside and outside of the Church during the Eucharistic celebration out of respect for the Sacrament and for those who pray.

Loving Father, creator of the universe,
you call your people to worship,
to be with you and with one another at Mass.
I thank you for having called me
to assist others in their prayer to you.
May I be worthy of the trust placed in me and through my example and service bring others closer to you.
I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
who is Lord for ever and ever.

Amen.