Eucharistic Minister Captain Procedures

Preparation

• 4 assigned to each mass, underlined on schedule
• They will receive a call from office, then captains call other ministers

Duties at Mass

• Arrive 20-30 min. prior to mass
• 2 -3 captains go to Vesting Sacristy to set up trays
• 1 captain goes to Ministers Sacristy to monitor minister sign-in

Vesting Sacristy Captains

• Tray set-up diagram in top drawer, if trays were set up by prior mass ministers, DOUBLE CHECK everything. Need 1 filled cruet of water.
• Don’t count Priest’s chalice as a chalice for minister’s use.
• Take both trays to credence table (in front of organ)
• Fill pitcher with appropriate amount of wine; take to credence
• table and fill chalices.
• Check amount of hosts in tabernacle
• Determine amount of hosts needed and place on gift table.
• Note this change: TWO purificators must be on top of the Priest’s Chalice
• (the top one is the small corporal the bread and wine will be placed on.)
• Fill small pitcher with about 1” of wine in it, place on gift table.
  • The large host is placed on gold paten with a handful of regular hosts underneath.
• Place a third tray and fourth tray on the lowest shelf of the credence table (near the organ) for use after communion.
  

Ministers Sacristy Captain

• Make sure all positions are filled (do not leave sacristy till all are filled, at mass time, consult with Janette if there’s a shortage)
• Line up folks as they will stand at the altar.
• Be sure ministers know where their positions are (there are lots of new ministers.) It’s best to go into church to show them.
• At 10 min. before mass (not before) fill in positions of those assigned ministers who haven’t arrived.
• Note: It’s best if Captains do not take Tabernacle Station.

All 4 Ministers at Altar

• At the first note of the Preparation of the Gifts Hymn (Offertory) take trays from credence table to altar - 6 on each side (10:15 choir: 2 small chalice on priest side of altar, placed near the candle.)
• Person with tray stand next to candles, looking at tabernacle.
• The other person takes chalices off tray
• Place half of the chalices on each side of the altar, with purificators in frontof each chalice.
• Leave ONE purificator on tray for server to take to altar (along with 1 cruet of water) for Father to purify Priest’s Chalice.
• Go back to your seats
• All ministers: move to altar the moment the priest takes communion (don’t delay!)

Tabernacle Person

• After you have given communion to musicians and retrieved the Gold Ciborium from the Tabernacle, take the 2 purple trays from the credence table and place them on the Deacon side of the altar (the long way) for Deacon to place
  chalices on after he purifies them. Make sure you leave enough room for the ministers to place their chalices in front of the tray (nearest the edge of the altar.)
• Take the 2 oak trays from the lower shelf of the credence table and place them on the left most side, (the Priest’s side) place side by side, handles lined up with tabernacle and pulpit, so the Priest can place the ciboria on them after he consolidates the hosts and purifies them. Make sure trays do not sit on center corporal.
  

After Communion

• When captains station is finished, like all ministers, give the remaining hosts and Precious Blood to other stations still serving; to avoid possible spilling, simply trade chalices if you have more. Pour from one chalice to another only if absolutely necessary and do so with a purificator under the rim.
• Priest and Deacon will consolidate hosts into gold ciborium.
• All captains linger near altar (on floor level) to remove all 4 trays with all chalices and ciboria on. All 4 captains removing trays all at the same time looks best! Taking the server aisle, take directly to sacristy to “wash” again, consume this, then wash in soap and water as usual.
• Last Captain on Priest side, before taking last tray away, wait a moment for Father to fold the corporal in the center. He will place it on your tray when he’s finished.
• Don’t stack ciboria.
• Precious Blood will be consumed near the altar (floor level) - to avoid congestion at the altar level. Request help consuming if necessary.

In Vesting Sacristy

• Even though Deacon and Priest will have purified all the vessels, please put a small amount of water AGAIN in each of vessels that had the Precious Blood and Body of Christ, consume this.
• Take the corporal Father folded up, carefully funnel whatever crumbs of the Eucharist may be on the cloth, into a ciborium and consume this as usual.
• Wash all vessels.
• Set up for next mass as per diagram. Leave trays in sacristy.
• Place hosts in ciboria; wine in carafe, place large host on paten, leave on counter in sacristy for next captains to adjust if necessary.
• In hopefully rare instances, if there are any ciboria in tabernacle, adjust number of ciboria on gift table accordingly.
• 5:00 Sat and Sun and 12:15 please put ciboria and chalices in cupboards. Lock tabernacle.

(Revised August 2007)

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