Sending Communion to the Homebound.

A lot of questions go unanswered; because a lot of questions are never asked.  That's why I'm glad that recently someone asked a vestry member about why the Eucharistic Visitors don't go out as often anymore.

It's a good question and one that we can answer easily.  But there's a lot of background information that goes along with it.

The rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer allow for licensed Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEVs) to bring communion to people who for extended amounts of time are not able to come for regularly scheduled worship.  The license is given by the bishop with the approval of the rector of a congregation.  These ministers are specially trained because they hold the sacred elements of the sacrament as well as have a unique relationship to the people they visit.  Often they are given the opportunity to minister in other pastoral ways by listening to the people they serve.

At All Saints we coordinate these visits through Judy Skillern and the team of LEVs.  If someone is ill for an extended amount of time they communicate in various ways that they would like a visit.  Sometimes they call the church office.  Sometimes we meet during a pastoral visit or phone call.

Once they have communicated their desire, then the team of LEVs will call them the week before a visit and confirm that they would like to receive communion that Sunday.  Sometimes they're not up for a visit.  And so we wait for another date.  If they would like Home Communion, then it is communicated to the Altar Guild and celebrant that the Communion Kit will be going out that Sunday.

During the Eucharist on Sunday we use bread that has been blessed during worship, and we place it in the Communion Kit. We bless the wine that is in the Communion Kit and then the Celebrant charges the LEVs to proclaim the Unity that our brother or sister share with us through the sacrament.

Sometimes before or during the service our communications get mixed up.  And we're ready to conclude communion with the post communion prayer.  In those situations  it is the celebrant's prerogative to continue the liturgy and send the LEVs out immediately following the service.  We try not to let that happen, but sometimes it does happen.

Some Sundays we have more requests for a visit than other Sundays.  Eucharistic Visitors' are important because their ministry signifies the unity of the church and the love we share.  Thanks for asking the question!