Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

The laity assist the clergy in the distribution of the Eucharist at Mass and to the homebound. Those interested in ministering to the homebound should contact Fr. Thomas LaHood, Pastor, at 301-627-3255 or tlahood@stmaryum.org.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:  The introduction to the commissioning ceremony for Extraordinary Ministers begins with the reminder that: “It is, first of all, the office of the priest and deacon to minister holy communion to the faithful.” The point is made several times, that the priests and deacons are the ordinary ministers of the sacrament and that unless the clergy are impeded by age or infirmity, etc, they will ordinarily assist the celebrant in distributing the Eucharist. At most Masses, there will be one priest, one or two deacons, and sometimes an Seminarian available to give Communion. Five to six EMHC’s are scheduled per mass to assist the aforementioned persons with distribution, if needed.  The schedule is sent out and posted in the sacristy.

To be considered for this ministry, the attached forms must be completed and returned to the rectory, then candidates will be contacted by the parish EMHC scheduler, Marcy August, to arrange orientation.

All EMHC, current and new, are encouraged to attend an Archdiocese training session. Dates and locations for upcoming sessions are posted on the Archdiocese website.

Questions about this ministry can be directed to Marcy August, Marcy.august@gmail.com or (301) 996-1564. Or submit the online Volunteer Form and specify “EMHC”.

Once you have contacted the ministry representative, follow their instructions regarding completing the following forms:

EMHC Application

Online Application
Download PDF Application Form
Download DOC Application Form
(.doc files will automatically download to your desktop or specified download folder.)

EMHC MASS SELECTION FORM

Online Mass Selection
Download PDF Mass Selection
Download DOC Mass Selection
(.doc files will automatically download to your desktop or specified download folder.)