Extraordinary Communion Ministers

Dear Extraordinary Ministers of Communion:

Thank you for your special service to the Lord, to the Church, and to our parish community. The Holy Eucharist is the greatest gift on this earth. To be commissioned as an extraordinary minister of Communion is the most sacred ministry that a lay person may perform. It is a commission granted for one year, for a particular parish, and is not automatically renewable, but by special invitation. Your service is not simply a job, but a great privilege and responsibility. You must first of all recognize and adore the real and substantial presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Your internal reverence must be expressed externally in each moment, posture, and gesture, so as to honor Our Lord and to inspire our people to worship Him. This ministry at times requires sacrifices from you and your family; for example, the sacrifice of arriving early and showing up when you are assigned to a time that is inconvenient. I thank you for being dependable, so that the community may rely upon your faithful service. When circumstances make it really impossible for you to minister at your assigned time, be sure to get a reliable substitute in advance. The Lord will reward you many times over. May this guide lead you to faithful fulfillment of your important role and to growth in God’s love.

–Fr. Larry and the Oblates of St. Joseph