Posted on 03/02/2006 10:05:17 AM PST by franky
DAVENPORT, IOWA—While Catholics across the country pray for an end to the religious vocations crisis, many parishes are now reporting a sharp decline in extraordinary ministers, the lay volunteers who distribute Communion to parishioners.
“It has gotten so bad we only have two Eucharistic ministers for every one parishioner,” said Nelda Roarke, an extraordinary minister at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Davenport, Iowa. “I can remember the days when we had more people up here with the priest than we had people in the pews,” Roarke said. “It looks like those days may be gone.”
Gina Louvain, an extraordinary minister at Queen of Mercy Catholic Church in Birmingham, Alabama, said she thinks people at her parish are just losing their commitment to service. “I guess people are just more interested in praying in their pews or contemplating Christ or something, whatever that means,” she said.
“I’ve heard that at one parish the priest actually distributes Communion by himself now,” said Louvain. In an attempt to counter the shortage, Roarke is hosting a spiritual retreat for current extraordinary ministers, as well as for those who feel God may be calling them to the job. “People need to know about the rich spiritual heritage Eucharistic ministers have,” Roarke said. “Why, I believe Sts. Peter and Andrew helped Jesus distribute bread and wine to the other disciples at the Last Supper. Well, at least that is what I am telling people, anyway.”
She has also designed buttons for extraordinary ministers to wear that state, “I’m Extraordinary.” “I think the Garamond font will really grab people,” Roarke said. “The first thing parishioners will notice when they go up to receive Communion is this button. It will remind them whose presence they are in.”
Benny Fiedler, who serves as an extraordinary minister at St. John the Baptist Church in El Paso, Texas, said he hopes people will heed the call and start volunteering again.
“Sometimes Catholics just don’t realize what they have,” he said. “Back when Catholics used to believe these hosts were actually Jesus’ body, nobody but the priest would be allowed to touch them. But now that we have advanced in our wisdom and knowledge, we are allowed to do almost as much as the priests do.”
"The correct title according to the GIRM is
"Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion".
I thought it was "eucharette."
:-)
"I wonder if anybody has ever considered using the EEMs just for the chalice, while everyone receives the Host from a priest or a deacon."
Is it just me or is the western church obsessed with this notion of liturgical efficiency? I seem to recall reading somewhere that when the NO was being developed, different versions of the Mass were actually timed with a stopwatch.
So what's the rush with the Eucharist? Have they started installing meters in parish parking lots?
And don't even get me started on parking . . . there is NEVER enough! And choir members really have a rough time, because when we show up for warmup for the 11:30 the 10:00 Mass is still in and there is NO parking!
I went to Mass this past Monday. I usually don't get the chance to go to daily Mass but had the chance this time. Anway, the entire Mass took no longer than 35 minutes. It was as if the priest was in a hurry to just get it over with. I was really quite disturbing.
I went to Mass this past Monday. I usually don't get the chance to go to daily Mass but had the chance this time. Anway, the entire Mass took no longer than 35 minutes. It was as if the priest was in a hurry to just get it over with. It was really quite disturbing.
(. . . in fact a by-word, when somebody talked too fast, was, "You should hear him say Mass.")
Our rector (he's an older priest who came up when all the classes in seminary were taught in Latin) was telling me that some priests used to cut corners and leave out a few words. You're more likely to get caught in English!
I went to daily Mass yesterday in a church near my work. Nice middle-aged Franciscan, he was paced just about right - not so speedy as to be irreverent, speaking clearly, but not dawdling over his words. (And he gave a short homily).
When I was a student at Purdue in 1955, the pastor at the student parish was referred to as "high speed Heilman." He could get through a Sunday Mass with smoke, and Benediction, in 45 minutes. He had two teams of altar boys. While he was reading the Last Gospel, one team would be stripping the altar for Benediction, while the other would be bringing out the Benediction robes and the Monstrance.
I have no idea whether he "cut corners" or not.
That kind of stuff really bugs me. Are people really so busy that they can't take an hour out of their time for God. I've been to Mass a couple of times where the priest and/or the parishoners seemed like they had someplace better to be, and it felt like it was a fast food drive through service, McMass.
"That kind of stuff really bugs me. Are people really so busy that they can't take an hour out of their time for God. I've been to Mass a couple of times where the priest and/or the parishoners seemed like they had someplace better to be, and it felt like it was a fast food drive through service, McMass."
Brother, you just hit the nail on the head. In my experience, the speed-Mass is more the rule than the exception in the western church. And woe be onto you if you get in the way of the stampede to leave!
It's actually kind of funny to contrast the speed-Mass with Divine Liturgy. If Liturgy starts on time, which it sometimes does, it'll be at least an hour and fifteen minutes.
Well, since something "out of the ordinary" usually is happening, make that an hour and a half. A Baptism? Make it two hours. And then there's the after Liturgy fellowship, which goes another half hour. Maybe longer.
Sunday is the Sabbath, the Lord's day. And we can't even give God an hour or two out of our busy schedules?
The most disgusting and disturbing instance I've seen (among many) was when a Mass had just started and a woman and her kid came in late. Ok fine. But in the kid's hand was a half eaten burger and fries from the Burger King down the street. You could smell the stuff throughout the entire church. This was when I was in the Army and stationed in Germany and had no choice but to attend the church on base. And no, the priests there would never had said anything about it, especially considering the fact that one of the priests there one time took out his guitar and starting singing to everyone a little rock song about how happy he was.
Thankfully, I don't have to subject myself to the military diocese kumbaya Mass any longer.
"The most disgusting and disturbing instance I've seen (among many) was when a Mass had just started and a woman and her kid came in late. Ok fine. But in the kid's hand was a half eaten burger and fries from the Burger King down the street. You could smell the stuff throughout the entire church."
Hang around the forum awhile. You'll hear worse. But you'll also hear far better. And more importantly, you'll hear how Good People are bucking the tide. I actually heard about eastern Catholicism on this forum, and am now very happily attending an eastern Catholic church.
Or intinction?spelling?
did you ever ask your pastor about the lady in line with her pyx
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.