We need our EMHCs. Our pastor is getting older and has mobility problems. We have no deacons in the parish. The associate pastor works too hard to begin with, and can't cover every situation. I am glad we have those EMHCs and appreciate the necessary work they do.
I do believe they are necessary in some parishes especially where you have an older priest with multiple parishes. I know of one priest who has 4 parishes, granted they are small but he is in his late 60s or early 70s! That is just a lot of distance to cover. But, OTOH I have been to Masses in suburban parishes where the priest (not old) sat down and let the EMHCs take over. No, there was no reason for the priest to sit down, he was perfectly alright.
So, what needs to happen is for EMHCs to be used properly as helpers to the priest when he cannot cover his duties in this regard and yes at Mass or when bringing the Eucharist to those who are sick.
"I do believe they are necessary in some parishes especially where you have an older priest with multiple parishes."
Right, and this would be an.... extraordinary situation! I think it would have been helpful if, when EMHC usage was authorized, the authorities would have suggested some situations where this would be ideal, say when a priest is infirm, or a particularly large parish. And ALL this only when another priest or deacon is not available to assist with distribution - as the priest is always an OMHC.
Or I once played for a (protestant) funeral with about 800 people, all of whom communed from one priest. Communion was timed at 32 minutes - my fingers were very tired afterward. If that were a Catholic funeral, and only one priest were available, that would strike me as an ideal situation for EMHCs. Extraordinary situations.
Ask your pastor. In accordance with Redemptionis Sacramentum, pray for vocations to the priesthood and diaconate, so that we may someday no longer have need of EMHCs. It is a wonderful ministry that is just often misused.
Here's a routine reminder: Be principled not polemical.
A couple of years ago on vacation, I was at one of your typical suburban mega churches, and when the time came for communion, one of the 'assistants' (I don't remember if it was a priest or a deacon) did a quick count of the EMHC's, and then walked around the front of the sanctuary holding up a number of fingers (I think it was seven) to indicate the number of EMHC's needed. A number of people responded by walking up, including several wearing shorts and flip flops. I still haven't recovered.
A friend tells me the story of how he attended Mass on a bad weather weekday; there were three lay people in the congregation. At the time for Holy Communion, the other two entered the sanctuary, since they had been scheduled as EMHCs. The priest had them administer the Sacrament to each other, and my friend became the Extraordinary Recipient of Holy Communion.
That's the kind of thing that fries me. I am not as bothered by this issue as others, but your illustration is an example of sheer inertia. I have seen this kind of thing on rare occasion (but I am not a regular daily Mass attender).
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