The Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are people who help celebrate the Mass but are not ordained.
In March 1971 the National Conference of Catholic Bishops created the role of Extraordinary Ministry to allow laypeople to have roles in the Church. The group serves communion to the Marist community at daily and all school Masses.
Each year, all Catholic juniors receive an application. If the junior proves interested, there is an interview that follows the application. Following these steps, the prospective minister attends training and participates in a reflection on the importance of the Eucharist.
Student Grace Maloney explained why she wanted to be an Extraordinary minister. “I wanted to do it to strengthen my faith and be more involved in campus ministry,” Maloney said. Extraordinary Ministry is a way to “receive the Eucharist and then give the blessing to the rest of the community,” Maloney mused.
The Extraordinary Minister program is run by Campus Ministry. Director Brian Freel puts together the commission mass and interviews the applicants. Freel discussed the importance of Extraordinary Ministers in a Mass. “Extraordinary Ministry is an example of how the Church is everyone, and everyone is called to be ministers of the gospel,” Freel said.
Extraordinary Ministers are commissioned at a Mass celebrated at Saint Peter Chanel, with the Archbishop Bishop present. During the Commission Mass the inductees receive their certification from the Archdiocese affirming they can serve the Church.
If the Extraordinary Minister is 18 and still in high school at the time, the certification lasts for one year. If they are older than 18 and have already graduated, then the certification lasts for three years.
To renew the certification, the person would have to partake in training again. Learning how to properly administer the Eucharist, where things are, and the importance of the Eucharist is all a part of that training.
Extraordinary Ministers are used at every mass and assist in making the Mass run more efficiently. Freel explained how “we all have a role to play in Mass” and “Eucharistic Ministry is a way to exercise that role.”
