The Special Ministers of Holy Communion
 

By: Paul Schaefer with Fr. Gary

St. Benedict's is very blessed to have 60 parishioners who are devoted to a very special ministry. They literally bring our Lord and Savior to their fellow parishioners. Since we need 24 ministers each weekend (five each at the 8 & 11:30 Masses on Sunday and seven at each of the other two Masses) to enhance and enrich our liturgies, 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 been Confirmed to share in this beautiful ministry.

The Diocese offers regularly scheduled training sessions and they are usually offered on the second Saturday of each month. Other options are also available for those who cannot attend on Saturday morning and after­noon. 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 not's."

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 lay­men 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 EucharisHc ministers because they are all helping at the Eucharist.

On two Fridays every month, some of our Special Ministers also work with Sr. Virginia, our parish Director of Religious Education, 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.