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Probably a very silly question...


TheLordsSouljah

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TheLordsSouljah

So I'm planning on going on a long motorcycling trip next year (well, not really that long, but about 16 days at this stage for the sake of the argument) into remote desert areas across Australia, and almost all of that time I will not have access to even a church, let alone a priest or even a Mass which is sad and will be hard. I will try my utmost to attend Mass where I can but the reality is, particularly as leader of a small group (about 10 and mostly if not all will be non-Catholics), I probably won't be able to receive Communion for a good ten days straight.

Anyway, to cut to the chase: Am I allowed to take a small pyx with a single Host with me in such circumstances? I feel like probably not... however, what if there were other faithful on this trip and, as an extraordinary minister, would be administering our Lord to others too? 

I really have no idea about this and I know there are very specific rules about the Host for obvious reasons, especially against abuse of the Eucharist and I am keen to know what the deal is... Also, I'm in Australia by the way, not sure if that has an effect on such rules, but I would really be grateful for any info you guys have. I mean the greatest respect and understand if one cannot do this, but just wondering anyway.

Thanks and God bless :) 

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I used to be a backpacker in my 20's. I did a section of the Appalachian Trail. I had a battery operated shortwave radio that I could listen to mass on. It was very comforting to me. I'm not sure if taking a pix would be allowed or even advisable. I never asked about that because it wasn't necessary. You obviously won't be able to attend mass while on your trip. That's okay. It's not like you're going in order to have an excuse to miss. 

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I'm going to second what CatherineM says. Most regulations I've seen about EMHCs say that they must take the pyx directly to whomever they're communicating and are not to stop.  What you've proposed is actually reservation of the Eucharist, and this is strictly controlled. Generally, the laity are not to have private reservation in much better/ideal circumstances (ie a home chapel, except under some pretty tight rules - there are some hermits who have this allowed to them but they are still required to have a priest say Mass for them in their chapel every two weeks iirc). Further, just the concerns about packing our Lord around everywhere without any ceremony, as well as the very real possibility that the hosts would in some way lose Their consecration (that's poorly worded, but I hope you understand. Hosts that get wet or mold no longer have the True Presence). 

And as CatherineM says, since it is not possible for you to make it to church, you are then not held by the Sunday obligation. I'd suggest talking to your pastor/confessor about a suitable substitution. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

An instruction entitled Some Questions Regarding Collaboration of Nonordained Faithful in Priests’ Sacred Ministry issued on November 13, 1997 states among other things:

 The Church wanted to present again the distinction between the roles of the ministerial, sacrificial priesthood of the ordained clergy and the roles of the common priesthood shared by all of the baptized faithful.  We must keep in mind that extraordinary ministers are truly “extra ordinary” not “ordinary.”  Extraordinary ministers may only distribute Holy Communion in accord with the guidelines as noted here.  Moreover, certain practices are to be curtailed:  Extraordinary ministers cannot give Holy Communion to themselves or apart from the faithful as though they were concelebrants at a Mass, and they cannot be used when there are sufficient ordained Ordinary Ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion.

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