In the Catholic Church, only the priest may consecrate the bread and the wine of the Eucharist. The priest has the power by virtue of his ordination to make Christ present and to reveal his death and resurrection. This power is passed on to him by the Church itself through the sacrament of Holy Orders, linking Church, priest, and laity in the Eucharistic sacrament. In the modern Catholic Church, deacons may hold the cup during consecration, and deacons or lay ministers may distribute the communion to the congregation.
Some of us have never made the transition from the "Catholic Church".