Commissioning Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
The distribution of Holy Communion at Mass is a sacred ministry of the ordained. However, when the need arises, fully initiated Christian men and women may be invited to collaborate in the ministry of the ordained to their sisters and brothers. In addition to bringing the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ to the people of God, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion witness to faith in the real presence of Christ by their actions and by the dignity and reverence with which they treat the Body of Christ.
– Most Rev. David Konderla, Bishop of Tulsa
On behalf of the bishop, pastors across the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma are commissioning all extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. These are the lay men and women who assist the clergy in distributing Communion.
The Church uses the terms extraordinary and ordinary to distinguish between lay people and clerics, the ordinary ministers of Holy Communion. The Church of Saint Mary and other large parishes depend on many extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to distribute Communion at Mass and to bring the Eucharist to the sick and homebound.
The pastor of each parish nominates men and women he knows to have a deep love of the Blessed Sacrament. Bishop Konderla reviews the list and asks the pastor to commission them in the bishop’s name. Each commission lasts for up to three years.
