Requirements for Eucharistic Minister?

bejo · #1 Aug 21, '07, 2:30 pm

I have been looking everywhere for some information on this. Isn't the lay minister required to be a Catholic in good standing? A nice lady at our small church (20-30) wants to be one, but she has told me she is not married to the man she has lived with for the last 10 or so years. She receives Holy Communion also (as does another lady in the same situation), our priest must know this.

If all the parishioners know this, what does this do to their faith?? I told her I would email some information to her on the requirements.
Anyone know where to look?
Thanks

richwmiller · #2 Aug 21, '07, 3:08 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by bejo

I have been looking everywhere for some information on this. Isn't the lay minister required to be a Catholic in good standing? A nice lady at our small church (20-30) wants to be one, but she has told me she is not married to the man she has lived with for the last 10 or so years. She receives Holy Communion also (as does another lady in the same situation), our priest must know this.

If all the parishioners know this, what does this do to their faith?? I told her I would email some information to her on the requirements.
Anyone know where to look?
Thanks

In theory but not always in practice an extraordinary minsiter of Holy Communion should be a catholic in good standing with the church .
If a scandal (divorced and remarried without annulment) is well known about a person that person should not be any kind of minster in the church including lector.
Ministers such as lector and EOHC should take a course designated by the bishop.

bejo · #3 Aug 21, '07, 7:54 pm

I have looked in all my favorite Catholic sites, but have not found anything that gives a detailed list of what a EM should have. Any clues?

thistle · #4 Aug 21, '07, 8:54 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by bejo

I have been looking everywhere for some information on this. Isn't the lay minister required to be a Catholic in good standing? A nice lady at our small church (20-30) wants to be one, but she has told me she is not married to the man she has lived with for the last 10 or so years. She receives Holy Communion also (as does another lady in the same situation), our priest must know this.

If all the parishioners know this, what does this do to their faith?? I told her I would email some information to her on the requirements.
Anyone know where to look?
Thanks

An EMHC is not a Eucharistic Minister. The Eucharistic Minister is the priest.

marty1818 · #5 Aug 24, '07, 11:42 am

An Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (EMHC) should be a fully initiated Catholic living a life in agreement with the commandments. For one to be and EMHC, however, living a life contradictory to the commandments would be scandalous to others.

Ad Deum · #6 Aug 24, '07, 3:38 pm

May I know why she wanted to be a "Eucharistic Minister"?

Pax
Laudater Jesus Christus

quiet52 · #7 Aug 24, '07, 5:08 pm

No person has the "right" to serve in a liturgical ministry. Each ministry is a privilege. The pastor has the duty to review the integrity of each person applying to serve as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. After all, receiving the sacrament of the Eucharist (who is Jesus) as a congregation is a sign of our unity. The unity is fractured by sin and non-belief. Why should a person who is not in communion with the Church think he/she has a right to serve in this ministry?

Quote:

[46.] The lay Christian faithful called to give assistance at liturgical celebrations should be well instructed and must be those whose Christian life, morals and fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium recommend them. It is fitting that such a one should have received a liturgical formation in accordance with his or her age, condition, state of life, and religious culture. No one should be selected whose designation could cause consternation for the faithful.

[81.] The Church’s custom shows that it is necessary for each person to examine himself at depth, and that anyone who is conscious of grave sin should not celebrate or receive the Body of the Lord without prior sacramental confession...."

[83.] It is certainly best that all who are participating in the celebration of Holy Mass with the necessary dispositions should receive Communion. Nevertheless, it sometimes happens that Christ’s faithful approach the altar as a group indiscriminately. It pertains to the Pastors prudently and firmly to correct such an abuse.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/co...l#Chapter%20IV

Quote:

Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion should receive sufficient spiritual, theological, and practical preparation to fulfill their role with knowledge and reverence. When recourse is had to Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, especially in the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds, their number should not be increased beyond what is required for the orderly and reverent distribution of the Body and Blood of the Lord. In all matters such Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should follow the guidance of the diocesan bishop.

http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/current/norms.shtml

kage_ar · #8 Aug 24, '07, 5:13 pm

You Diocese should have a set of guidelines, training requirements etc. Give 'em a call.

bejo · #9 Aug 24, '07, 6:37 pm

thanks quiet52 for the link and the information. I will check this out and see what happens.
Thanks for all the input.

viktor aleksndr · #10 Aug 24, '07, 11:33 pm

If i were to answer the question Requirements for Eucharistic Minister? i would say you must be a priest!

There is no Eucharistic Minister other than the ordained persons (priests and bishops).

quiet52 · #11 Aug 24, '07, 11:55 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by bejo

thanks quiet52 for the link and the information. I will check this out and see what happens.
Thanks for all the input.

You're welcome, Bejo. I'll pray for your friend. Encourage her to speak with a priest -- not about being an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, but about her sin of living with someone outside of marriage and about her receiving Holy Communion in defiance of what the Church teaches.

imom130 · #12 Oct 2, '09, 8:32 pm

I don't think you need to search for Requirements of a Eucharistic Minister as much as you need the Requirements of a Member in Good Standing. Which I'm pretty sure is not living in sin (living as a married couple, not being married, not going to mass, receiving all the sacraments, including marriage in the Catholic church, etc) My church said the only requirements were to be a practicing Catholic in good Standing, and be a member of the parish. Best Wishes!

diggerdomer · #13 Oct 2, '09, 8:36 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by bejo

I have been looking everywhere for some information on this. Isn't the lay minister required to be a Catholic in good standing? A nice lady at our small church (20-30) wants to be one, but she has told me she is not married to the man she has lived with for the last 10 or so years. She receives Holy Communion also (as does another lady in the same situation), our priest must know this.

If all the parishioners know this, what does this do to their faith?? I told her I would email some information to her on the requirements.
Anyone know where to look?
Thanks

As kage_ar noted, helpfully and correctly (imho), your diocese and/or parish is the place to look for the answers to your question (as you can see from responses here, things tend to go in all directions regardless of the initial question).

Kielbasi · #14 Oct 3, '09, 6:24 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by thistle

An EMHC is not a Eucharistic Minister. The Eucharistic Minister is the priest.

I know that you have a good point.

But language is largely determined by usage, and in many Catholic churches, parishes and dioceses throughout the United States, the term eucharistic minister is currently used for lay people who help in the distribution of Holy Communion.

Language changes- I guess it can change back, too- but just like the definition of celibacy changed from "unmarried" to "no sex", so it has been in many places with eucharistic minister.

JFK · #15 Oct 3, '09, 6:38 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by quiet52

No person has the "right" to serve in a liturgical ministry. Each ministry is a privilege. The pastor has the duty to review the integrity of each person applying to serve as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. After all, receiving the sacrament of the Eucharist (who is Jesus) as a congregation is a sign of our unity. The unity is fractured by sin and non-belief. Why should a person who is not in communion with the Church think he/she has a right to serve in this ministry?

Amen, Brother!