How to become an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
En EspañolWhat is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion?
The Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion (EMHC) is a lay member of the faithful or a person in religious or consecrated life who has been deputed (appointed to a particular task) to help distribute Holy Communion when a sufficient number of ordinary ministers are not present, available or capable, and when the priest celebrant has determined that pastoral need requires their help. When called upon to assist, the EMHC will distribute either the host or the chalice to the faithful.
Only those persons who are selected by their respective pastor or chaplain and fulfill the requirements mandated by the law of the Church are eligible to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Those requirements include:
- Being of at least 16 years old;
- Being a fully-initiated Catholic Christian who has been Confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist
- Being of good moral character
- Not being bound by any canonical penalty legitimately imposed or declared;
- Demonstrating a genuine reverence and respect for the Most Blessed Sacrament;
- If married, being in a valid marriage according to the prescriptions of the current Code of Canon Law;
- Being in full compliance with the norms of the Safe Environment Program of the Diocese of Bridgeport.
How can I become an EMHC?
- Join the EMHC group in LEAD by clicking here. Select the EMHC learning path in English or Spanish. Note that you will need to register if you do not yet have a LEAD account.
- Complete your Virtus requirements and make sure your parish Virtus coordinator has marked you as a EMHC in the Virtus database.
- To complete the EMHC learning path, you will be asked to first submit a virtual letter of recommendation. Simply write a short paragraph about why you wish to serve as an EMHC in your parish. It will be reviewed by a local ministry leader at your parish. Other courses will dive into the topics of missionary discipleship, the liturgy, and the norms governing liturgical ministries.
- Upon completion of the required formation, you will be given a letter of authorization by the Bishop which will allow you to serve in your respective parishes for a period of five years.
Secondary Mandates
If you'd like to serve in multiple parishes and/or nursing homes, retirement communities, hospitals, etc. you will need a secondary mandate. Each additional mandate request must include the approval of the pastor and/or chaplain at the secondary sites. A form to request an additional mandate can be downloaded here.
Mandate Renewals
Your initial mandate is for a five-year term. After five years, you are required to complete formation online or in person. When your mandate is about to expire, you will receive a notification and your dashboard in LEAD will show which course(s) you could take to renew. Usually, you only need to take one course to renew your mandate. If you wish, you do not need to wait to learn. Every time you take a recommended course, your mandate expiration will be pushed back another year.
If your parish offers in-person formation and coordinates that formation with the Institute, it can continue to push your expiration back. For instance, you receive your mandate in 2022 and, if you did nothing, it would expire in 2027. Your parish, however, offers formation every year by gathering for prayer, reflection, and maybe even a meal – participating in that would push your expiration back every year you attend.
That’s why it’s important for local leaders to use LEAD to set up local formation and track attendance. The updates become automatic. If your parish hosts local formation and doesn’t coordinate it with the Institute, your mandate could expire because your records are never updated.
To learn more, email the Institute for Catholic Formation (institute@diobpt.org) or call 203-416-1657.