Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the priests and deacons at Mass. They also offer to bring Communion to those confined in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and to the homebound in our parish.  Each extraordinary minister exhibits a love and devotion for the Mass and the Eucharist, and ardently desires to fulfill his or her duties with human excellence and care.

Extraordinary Ministers are lay persons delegated by the Bishop of the Diocese of Portland. The delegation is for a renewable three-year period and is specific to Saint Paul the Apostle Parish. Candidates for this ministry are required by Diocesan policy to undergo a background check and attend an session of "Protecting God's Children."  

Please note that lay Catholics may distribute Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged - Redemptionis Sacramentum no. 157  

"The faithful who wish to serve in this capacity must be persons whose good qualities of Christian life, faith, and morals recommend them. Let them strive to be worthy of this great office, foster their own devotion to the eucharist, and show an example to the rest of the faithful by their own devotion and reverence toward the most august sacrament of the altar. No one is to be chosen whose appointment the faithful might find disquieting." Immensae Caritatis No. 1

Manual - Extraordinary Ministers
Mass Procedures
Diagram for Mass
Diagram For Mass II