No “extra” Hosts

I am asking for the help of Pray Tell readers in this post. 

A particular bugbear of mine is when those who participate in the Eucharist are not offered Communion that is consecrated at the liturgy they are attending. 

I am responsible for the daily Eucharist that is celebrated for the non-resident seminarian community here in Maynooth’s Pontifical University. I have endeavored to never use a reserve of “extra” Hosts in the tabernacle, but to simply consecrate what is needed every day. 

We celebrate in an oratory on campus that is not normally used by other communities (the National Seminary celebrates in a different Oratory). However, as we are a Catholic institution that has facilities for residential retreats and conferences, sometimes outside occasional communities celebrate in the same Oratory. It is great that such an option is available and that we still have people going on retreats.  There is no sacristan team that looks after setting up these liturgies, but the Conference Centre simply opens the sacristy for the priest who will preside. All that is needed to celebrate the Eucharist is easily available there.

However, it sometimes happens that these celebrants do not respect the local custom and decide to “help” us by filling the tabernacle with “extra” Consecrated Hosts.  This drives me crazy (and I know I am probably exaggerating), but I consider it somewhat akin to an abuse of the Blessed Sacrament as there is no one there to consume these Hosts (they are often left for months in the summer to go stale when there is no regular community celebrating here). They are then only discovered when the university is back in session and the single Host for adoration is being periodically replaced in the Tabernacle. This then necessitates denying people their right to receive from the altar and perpetuate what, in my opinion, is a poor and unhelpful liturgical practice, and distribute these Hosts to the daily attendees.

I am trying to prepare a sign to post in the Sacristy that tries to be welcoming and respectful, but also gets the message across to not leave “extra” Hosts.  I would appreciate any suggestions on how to get the message across in a charitable and welcoming way. Below is my draft text and I will be monitoring the comments section (or for those who prefer can email me directly).

Dear Celebrants,

Welcome to St Patrick’s  Pontifical University and to St Joseph’s Oratory. May this Oratory be a place of grace for you as it has for so many thousands of people since the foundation of St Patrick’s College in 1795. 

The Oratory is at your disposal to celebrate the Eucharist (as arranged with the Conference Centre and in communion with Archbishop of Dublin and his regulation of Eucharists celebrated in the Archdiocese). 

We would ask that you keep in mind one particular requirement for celebrating in this Oratory. The Oratory is the home to the worshipping community of the Pontifical University and Maynooth University during term time. In the regular liturgies celebrated here, great care is exercised to be faithful to the Church’s liturgical prescriptions, including in particular, the recommendation of the Constitution of the Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council that:

That more perfect form of participation in the Mass whereby the faithful, after the priest’s communion, receive the Lord’s body from the same sacrifice, is strongly commended. (SC 55). 

This liturgical norm is inspired by Pope Benedict XIV’s 1742 encyclical Certiores Effecti, and echoed in Mediator Dei 118 and the current GIRM 85.

The tabernacle of this Oratory contains a single Host to allow for Eucharistic Adoration. It does not contain any “extra” consecrated Hosts. All regularly celebrated liturgies here consecrate what is needed for the Communion of the assembly that attends. We would ask you to take care to consecrate only the hosts needed for the Eucharist you are celebrating and to consume any Hosts that are not needed for your assembly at the end of your celebration. Please do not leave an extra supply of Consecrated Hosts in the tabernacle.