In many parishes, named lay people assist with the distribution of Holy Communion, either at the communion rail, or in some cases by taking Holy Communion to people in their homes. In some parishes those authorised are called Eucharistic Ministers or Assistants.
The regulations under which this is permitted were changed in 2015 by General Synod and new ones are now in force. There are two main changes:
• in some circumstances, children may now assist in distributing Holy Communion
• authorisation can now be devolved to the parish or benefice, without the need for the Bishop’s direct involvement.
The new guidance note (below) sets out the changes and what parishes and incumbents need to do if they wish to take advantage of the new regulations. It covers:
1. selecting persons to assist
2. the PCC’s role
3. involving children
4. record-keeping
5. what a parish needs to do now
6. safeguarding, DBS, and Holy Communion
7. checklist for parishes and incumbents
At the end of the Guidance Note, four appendices are provided to offer usable examples of the paperwork that may be required.
To read the Guidance Note in full, please click on of the links below. A Word version is provided to enable online completion of forms within the Guidance Note.