Tarmac Online

By Blake Lou Weaver ’27

On a quiet Tuesday morning Mass in the Chapel of Our Lady’s Assumption, a select group of the class of 2027 was officially installed as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion^¹. These young men promised to be reverent and faithful servants of the Lord, as they were given the ability to distribute the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ to others.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, or Eucharistic Ministers as they are more commonly called, have the ability to assist priests and deacons with distributing the Eucharist at Masses, and also to bring the Eucharist to believers who are unable to attend Mass due to illness, injury, or age. At large school body Masses, Eucharistic Ministers are crucial to ensuring everyone is able to receive the gift of the Eucharist. Around campus, Eucharistic Ministers serve as examples for all underclassmen, leading Eucharistic Adoration services before lunch periods, and being involved in all sorts of religious clubs and activities.

Fr. Peter Heiskell S.M. ’86, Chaplain of Chaminade High School, stated, “The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion have a strong devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Naturally, that leads to a desire to bring Jesus to others. The Chaminade Family is grateful for their example and service.”

The Installation Mass started off just as any other Mass, but after Fr. Peter finished his homily he asked the prospective Eucharistic Ministers to stand and then began the Rite of Commissioning. Once the young men promised to be reverent and faithful to the Eucharist at all times, Fr. Peter finished the initiation. After Mass, each new Minister received a card signifying that they were officially commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.

Newly commissioned Eucharistic Minister, Alex Patney ’27 shared, “being a Eucharistic Minister to me means taking the next step in my faith life. It’s one thing to receive the Eucharist at Mass, but it’s something entirely different to be the one distributing the gift of the True Body and Blood of God to someone else. To me, that is something really special. You are the one giving people the opportunity to be closest to God.”

Prior to the Installation Mass, the prospective Ministers participated in a retreat at Meribah, one of Chaminade’s off-campus retreat houses, to learn more about the role of Eucharistic Ministers and train to properly distribute the Eucharist. They learned how to react to a wide range of situations, making sure that the Eucharist would be cared for and protected at all times. The retreat was also an opportunity for the prospective Ministers to prepare themselves for the role they would soon be taking. “The retreat helped me realize how special the chance to become a Eucharistic Minister was, and I am super grateful to be blessed with this opportunity,” said Kevin Kern ’27, prior to the Installation Mass. Following the Mass, Kern reflected once again saying, “becoming an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is such a privilege because it means bringing Jesus to others and being part of His presence in their lives. Every time Communion is served it is a reminder of how beautiful it is to share His love with someone else.”

For the new Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, this Mass represents the next step in their faith journey, as they become the example for others to follow, and actively bring Christ to members of the faith community.

^¹ Not all who were selected to become Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion were installed on this date, as some were taking the AP Chemistry exam during this time. Those who were unable to be present at this Mass will be installed at a later date.