Our Sacred Calling

Here at Blessed Sacrament parish, we are blessed to have the Eucharist as the very heart and center of our community life. The Holy Eucharist is the "source and summit" of our Catholic faith, the most profound gift of Christ’s Real Presence with us. The ministry of distributing this precious gift is therefore a sacred and humbling privilege.

Serving at the Liturgy

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs) are lay faithful who are called to assist our priests and deacons in the distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ during Mass. Their role is "extraordinary" because priests and deacons are the ordinary ministers of the Eucharist. In a parish as vibrant as ours, EMHCs are essential to ensure that the faithful can receive Holy Communion in a reverent and timely manner. This is a ministry not of status, but of profound service to the Body of Christ (the Eucharist) and to the Body of Christ (the Church).

Bringing Christ to the Community

This ministry often extends beyond the walls of our church. Many of our EMHCs also undertake the beautiful and vital mission of bringing the Eucharist to parishioners who are homebound, in hospitals, or in nursing homes. In this capacity, they become a tangible link between the parish community gathered for Mass and those who are physically unable to join us, sharing Christ’s presence and the parish's love and prayers.

An Invitation to Serve

Is your heart filled with love and awe for Christ’s true presence in the Blessed Sacrament? Do you feel a calling to serve your fellow parishioners at the most sacred moment of our liturgy? Serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is a unique opportunity to deepen your own faith and devotion to the Eucharist while performing an invaluable service for our community.

We are seeking confirmed, practicing Catholics whose lives witness to their faith and who feel called to this ministry of reverence and love. Because this is a role of immense trust and spiritual importance, all ministers must complete a formation and training program provided by the parish and the Diocese of Richmond. This process ensures you are fully prepared to serve with the grace, understanding, and reverence this sacred duty requires.

If you wish to discern a calling to this beautiful ministry, we invite you to begin with prayer. To learn more about the requirements and the next steps in the formation process, please contact our Liturgy Coordinator or call the parish office at 315-437-3394.