St. Luke Catholic Church

Eucharistic Ministers to the Altar
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News and Information

TBA

:: Schedules for Weekday Eucharistic Ministers to the Altar may be picked up in the Parish Office. ::

:: July to September 2010 Eucharistic Ministers to the Altar Schedule ::

General Reminders
All ministers are reminded to please use the south sacristy entrance when going to purify after Mass and limit it to two ministers to avoid excessive congestion in the sacristy. The Sacristans are charged with insuring the door on the south side is unlocked.

All ministers to the alter, the consumption of Precious Blood remaining in the chalice is to be accomplished at the alter.

Purification is the responsibility of the Eucharist Minister Team following their Mass, do not rely on the Sacristans to purify, it is not the responsibility.

If there are not enough ministers available for the Mass please go to the alter and assist without being asked.

For more information, e-mail stlukeeminster@aol.com or Dave Wilson at NAVYDAZE5787@aol.com.

About Us
Eucharistic Ministers are selected by the Pastor to assist the priests in distributing the Holy Eucharist at Masses. They undergo a training process and seek to be of service to God and the worshipping community.

:: What is a Eucharistic Minister?
A Eucharistic Minister is an individual who has been invited by the Pastor to assist in the distribution of the Eucharist (both the Precious Body as well as the Precious Blood) during liturgical celebrations.

:: What are a person’s duties?
The Eucharistic Minister to the Altar attends the liturgy (usually a Mass) and at the appropriate time assists in preparing the Blessed Sacrament for distribution, and then assists in Its actual distribution. Afterward, the Eucharistic Ministers, in our Parish, return the unused Sacrament to the Tabernacle, assure the unused Precious Blood is properly consumed, and after the Liturgy, the ministers purify the sacred vessels so they may be clean and put away by the Sacristans.

:: What is the importance and symbolism of the minister?
It is important to note that the ministers are there to serve. At St. Luke, the ministers do not wear liturgical garments, and they do not process in with the other ministers at the Mass, instead they wear their normal clothing and seat themselves, as usual, in the congregation. When the appropriate time comes, the ministers unceremoniously come forward. This is to demonstrate that they are coming from the congregation to serve the congregation.

:: What are the requirements to become a minister?
First, the individual must be invited to become a minister. This usually takes place after an individual expresses interest in becoming part of the ministry. Then the candidate will go through two training sessions. Liturgical formation of about four (4) hours in length is then followed by Practicum training (the mechanics of what is to be done) which lasts anywhere from one hour to one and a half hours. Once a year, the parish has a commissioning (usually on Corpus Christi) of the new ministers.

:: When can a parishioner become a Eucharistic Minister?
Any confirmed Catholic, who has expressed interest in the ministry and has been invited by the pastor and gone through the training can become a Eucharistic Minister.

:: What is the history of ministers in the Church and at St. Luke?
In the early church, the “breaking of bread” was done in individual homes, but as the church grew, and the priesthood developed into the primary ministers, the use of lay people to distribute communion disappeared. For many years, it was considered a serious sin for a layperson to even touch the Blessed Sacrament except with their tongue and mouth for consumption. Only the priest, whose hands (fingers) had been anointed during his ordination was allowed to touch the Blessed Sacrament, and then only with his anointed fingers.

Part of the reforms of the Second Ecumenical Council was to return some of these duties to the laity. Eucharistic Ministers are “extra-ordinary” ministers in that they are only used when there are not a sufficient amount of ordained ministers to handle proper and timely distribution. St Luke’s Church started the ministry in 1978.

:: What do you think are the blessings one receives from being a minister?
The blessings from this ministry, like many others, are very personal. Each minister will have a different answer. Many, however, will reflect on the closeness one feels with Christ, especially when bringing the Precious Sacrament to someone who may have difficulty getting to the front of the Church. It is a special feeling to know that you have “touched” so many of your brothers and sisters, both figuratively and literally, while distributing the Sacrament that is the center of our faith.

:: How many ministers are there at St. Luke?
Currently, there are a little over 100 ministers here at St. Luke. Quite a few of them, however, do not serve on a regular basis. Ministers work on teams. There are dedicated teams just for the 6:30 a.m. Sunday Mass as well as the 5:30 p.m. Sunday mass. There are 10 teams that rotate around the Saturday 5:30 p.m., and the 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and noon Masses on Sunday.

While 100 ministers sounds like a lot, we still run short virtually every mass, and other Eucharistic Ministers, not assigned to that mass, volunteer to assist. We are always looking for new people who would like to join the ministry.