The Special Ministers of Holy Communion
St. Benedict’s is very blessed to have many lay ministers who are devoted to a very special ministry. They are Special Ministers of Holy Communion, which means that they have completed the necessary training course. As ministers, they literally bring our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to their fellow parishioners who are in nursing homes or unable to come to Mass for any reason. These ministers also assist with the distribution of Holy Communion at all of our weekly Masses. It is clear that we are always in need of more Special Ministers of Holy Communion to fill in for those who are sick, on vacation or unavailable for some reason. We are especially interested in inviting teenagers and young adults who regularly attend Mass and have received the Sacrament of Confirmation to share in this beautiful ministry.
Training
The Diocese offers regularly scheduled training sessions. The schedule for these training sessions and the applications for training are in the rectory. The training is a wonderful opportunity to think and pray about our Catholic understanding of the Eucharist, and to review the proper reverence that we should have for the Blessed Sacrament. The training sessions cover everything from theology to practical “do’s and do nots.”
Special Ministers of Holy Communion give their service to the Church at Mass because they have been baptized and called to do God’s work. They help distribute the Body and Blood of Christ because they are active members of the congregation, and so they sit with all their baptized brothers and sisters until they are needed at Communion time. They are important lay¬men and women – not versions of priests or deacons. Although people sometimes refer to these folks as “Eucharistic Ministers,” that title is incorrect. The proper title for this ministry is “Special Ministers of Holy Communion.” Everyone who assists at Mass is ministering at the Eucharist. The altar servers, the choir, the lectors, the ushers and the Special Ministers of Holy Communion are Eucharistic Ministers because they are all helping at the Eucharist.
On two Fridays every month, Ministers also work to bring Holy Communion to the sick and homebound members of our Parish.
The great Saint Augustine proclaimed, “Receive what you are; become what you receive.” This is especially true for Special Ministers of Holy Communion. Through Baptism, each minister is a distinct and special part of the Church, the Body of Christ, and they get to present the Body and Blood of Christ to the Church. This is a wonderful, humble way to serve God and Church.
By Dolores Byron
