Thought you might be interested in a change in procedures employed at Mass in our parish. Until recently, our parish employed a practice whereby all the extraordinary ministers commonly referred to as “Eucharistic Ministers” would “ceremoniously” wash their hands immediately after all members of the faithful offered each other a sign of peace. This practice had nothing to do with cleanliness, but rather like the celebrant’s washing of hands, was a reminder of our baptismal promise, a desire to be cleansed within. We have a medium/large parish and at some masses there are as many as 8-10 Eucharistic ministers asked to assist at communion. This ritual is also practised at large throughout the Diocese. I really don’t know how long it has been employed in our Diocese but I would guess it began with the frequent use of Eucharistic Ministers at communion after Vatican II.

The Pastor in our parish has ordered this practice to be discontinued. All other ministers (ie. con-celebrants, deacons, Eucharistic ministers etc.) are not to wash their hands during the Mass. Owing to cleanliness, they are asked to wash their hands immediately before Mass in the sacristy or some other such appropriate place, the same as the celebrant does. I checked with the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and it confirmed the celebrant washes his hands during the Liturgy of the Eucharist as a symbol. No mention is made of a requirement of other ministers to wash their hands during the Liturgy of the Eucharist before Communion.

Eucharistic Ministers are to rinse their hands after communion when any particles of the Holy Eucharist remain on them. A separate specially-designated vessel known as a sacrarium is to be used for this purpose. A few Ministers were unknowingly and disrespectfully rinsing their hands in the bowl the celebrant used to wash his hands.

St. James and Mary Our Blessed Mother pray for us!

Ed

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), October 26, 2001

Answers

Jmj

Hello, Ed.
In my opinion, your pastor is to be greatly lauded for what he did. For years, I have frequently heard about pastors, organists, readers, directors of religious education, etc., implementing unlawful practices in parishes. Hurrah for your pastor who has undone something that was improper!

I would ask you to consider passing along one suggestion to your pastor, though. You mentioned the sacrarium, which is actually a small sink in the sacristy with its pipes going directly into the ground, not into the sewage system. Thus it is the correct place for certain disposals and washings (e.g., of the corporal and purificator) to take place [though definitely not Hosts or Precious Blood]. However -- though I may be wrong -- I don't think that it is typical or advisable for the sacrarium to be used for the rinsing of ministers' hands after Mass. A minister could forget to do this rinsing, or particles of Hosts could drop from hands to the church floor before the minister could get to the sacrarium. Instead, many churches use a small, covered, container filled with holy water, sitting beside a finger towel next to the tabernacle. Each minister returning a ciborium to this place immediately rinses his/her fingers in the bowl. Any particles from Hosts come off and soon dissolve in the water.

God bless you.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), October 26, 2001.

John, when I used the word “sacrarium” in my post, I was using it in a broader sense. I was in fact referring to the finger bowl designated for the cleansing of fingers after communion located in the sanctuary and usually found near the tabernacle that you mention. I used this term for lack of a better word and I can see how this has led to some confusion. I see how I have given the impression that the formal name of the vessel or bowl located in the sanctuary was “sacrarium” when in fact, it is not. I realize the formal use of the word designates a special sink usually found in the sanctuary. However, I thought the word could be used in a broader sense to describe any container, basin, etc. used for the purification of parts of the body or of sacred vessels. I believe the Romans used the term “sacrarium” to describe a depository used to hold any sacred objects. I think St. Thomas Aquinas also used the word “sacrarium” metaphorically in his writings to describe Mary’s virginal womb. Sorry for the confusion. In this context I should have chosen my words better.

-- Ed Lauzon (grader@accglobal.net), October 26, 2001.

You know, Ed, it crossed my mind that you might be using the word in a sort of "extended" sense -- and that you might have had the same receptacle in mind -- but I decided to speak up anyway. Thanks for the clarification. JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), October 27, 2001.