From Newsday (Long Island, New York):
For three decades, students at elite Chaminade High School in Mineola could receive Communion during a 15-minute "Communion Service" just before lunch.But that practice will end following a pastoral letter Bishop William Murphy is releasing today prohibiting Catholic schools, parishes and other institutions from distributing Holy Communion at most non-Mass events.
Several schools and parishes who take part in the practice said yesterday they would abide by the bishop's order. Some said they were nonetheless disappointed, while some church analysts such as papal biographer David Gibson suggested it was a move by Murphy to "tighten up" and crack down on nontraditional practices.
But others saw it as an opportunity to reflect on the sacrament of Holy Communion and head off what may be a trend among some Catholics to take it too casually.
"I think it's positive and something to be embraced," said the Rev. James Williams, president of Chaminade. "The bishop is the teaching arm of the church."
In his eight-page pastoral letter, his seventh since becoming the spiritual leader of Long Island's 1.4 million Catholics in 2001, Murphy said he was ordering the Communion service practice to end by July 1.
That, he said, would bring the Diocese of Rockville Centre "into conformity with the liturgical norms of the Church." The order will not affect practices such as nonpriests' giving Communion to sick people at home or in hospitals.
"The Eucharist is the greatest gift Jesus left us," Murphy wrote. "The celebration of the Eucharist gives us our identity as well as our life."
During the Communion services, Communion hosts previously consecrated by a priest and stored in a tabernacle are distributed, often by deacons, nuns or eucharistic ministers. The services do not include the Liturgy of the Eucharist, during which a priest consecrates bread and wine and, according to Catholic belief, turns them into the body and blood of Christ though a process known as transubstantiation.
The services originally were intended for use on Sundays only in remote, missionary parishes where priests could rarely visit, and has since been inappropriately adopted to other uses, said Julia Upton, a theology professor at St. John's University.
Schools such as Chaminade and Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale say they conduct the brief Communion services because they lack the time to celebrate a Mass amid classes. Some schools also lack priests to celebrate Mass.
At local parishes, church workers often hold the services on weekday mornings because no priest is available for Mass. Catholics are not obligated to attend Mass on weekdays.
The Rev. Bill Brisotti of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Wyandanch said the service allows him to take off Sunday night and spend at least one night away from the parish without having to return early Monday.
"People liked" the service, he said. "I'm disappointed but we'll follow the regulations of the diocese."
Posts
8 comments:
I can see the value of the communion service, but at the same time I do agree that the Bishop has a point. I think the services were intended for a priestless parish situation and not for a regular prayer service. These situations do continue to challenge us to work harder for more vocations for the Church. We have a long way to go and a lot more hard work to do. Let's pray we persevere in the task! God bless! Padre Steve, SDB
I'm more astonished than I can say at the comment they attribute to the priest from Wyandanch. I'm afraid I went "What??!!!"
Margaret, are you astonished because the priest had a day off from his normal ministry away from the parish? Surely you don't expect your resident priest to be on duty seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, do you? If a Communion service (which was permitted at that time) allowed him to have this rest and relaxation away from his regular duties and permitted him some psychological distance from his work, I can understand his obedient disappointment.
You bet I'm astonished at that and for three reasons:
1. He obviously sees his ministry as just another job. And priesthood, last time I looked, is a life choice, not a job.
2. I have no objection to taking a day off, but nothing is stopping him from doing that. To celebrate the early morning Mass and take the rest of the day off would be one option. He could also arrange with a priest from a neighboring parish to trade days.
3. If he really does need to take a morning off he could always not schedule anything that morning. He's not celebrating a Mass anyway, so there would be little diference. No one is required to attend Mass daily. Anyone who really wanted to could easily find another church with a Mass schedule that fits their's. This is Long Island we're talking about, not the Great Plains!
Transitional and Permanent Deacons can preside over Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and in conjunction with Eucharistic Adoration is a wonderful enhancement to parish life.
We're not talking "parish life" here, Joseph. We're talking Catholic high schools. Different circumstances altogether.
Margaret,
I doubt you would volunteer to come to work on a Sunday morning for one hour. Have some compassion. I feel myself to be pretty orthodox, but regardless if the priest 'leans' orthodox or unorthodox, they are still human and they work extremely hard (harder than most laypeople from what I've witnessed).
In Jesus, Mary, & Joseph,
Tito
Margaret, you make a gigantic condemnatory presumption from one sentence about the priest from Wyandanch. You presume that he views his priesthood as a job with a limited work schedule, and you want him to take his day off at your convenience and your pleasure. Unless you know this priest personally, I doubt if you know his Sunday responsibilities such as Mass assignments, hospital and nursing home visits, Baptisms, emergency calls, etc. I would be reticent to judge until you've walked around in his shoes for a while.
Post a Comment