Replies

Re: Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers

I was born and raised in NYC, and when I was growing up, the churches were packed every Sunday. There was one priest distributing Communion -- it seems to me that having the communicants kneel at the altar rail enabled him to work pretty efficiently -- far more efficiently than they do now...and I never EVER saw an EEM.

Oh, I knew what they were, but I had always been under the impression that the EEMs were used to take Communion to the homebound or infirm who could not get to Mass. Sadly, that is no longer the case, and we are now stuck with a veritable CROWD of people up on the altar.

If anyone asked me (and of course, no one has), I'd say bring back the altar rail & let the priest handle it himself. At the EXTRAORDINARILY crowded Masses (at Christmas, etc.), PERHAPS he might need some help, though why they can't dig up another priest to help him is beyond me. (And yes, I know that some parishes only have one priest; I have never been a member of such a parish.)

Regards,