Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) assist the priest in the distribution of the Holy Eucharist during mass in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Church. They may also assist with the distribution of Holy Communion to the sick and homebound.
To serve as an EMHC in the Diocese of Covington one must:
- be Catholic and have received all of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation);
- live his/her life in such a way that their love for the Eucharist is evident by their regular participation in the Eucharistic liturgy;
- demonstrate acceptance of the teachings of the Church by his/her way of life;
- be adequately formed to carry out this ministry as the Church intends, and take part in continuing formation through parish and/or diocesan workshops and/or retreats;
- be recommended by their pastor/parochial administrator/parish life collaborator or chaplain to the Bishop who may accept their recommendation for a four year term renewable;
- be at least sixteen (16) years of age;
- not labor under a canonical penalty whether imposed or declared (e.g. not being in a valid marriage or be laicized cleric)
- commit to a faithful and reliable presence at the liturgies to which they are assigned.
Formation
Formation to serve as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (EMHC) takes place at both the Diocesan and parish levels. You can visit the Diocese of Covington’s page for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Lector Training for the most up to date information about upcoming Diocesan training sessions. Announcements about Parish training sessions will be in the bulletin and on parish social media.
We use Ministry Scheduler Pro to schedule EMHC at St. Joseph parish. You will be trained on how to use the program to sign up for masses you’d like to serve or to request dates off due to vacations, etc. The handbook is linked below for future reference.
Contact Information
Please contact Roxanne Calhoun at roxanne.calhoun@fuse.net for more information.