Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published July 27, 2007

Detroit — Beginning the weekend of Sept. 29-30, the task of purifying vessels after Holy Communion, a task that has often been performed by eucharistic ministers, will fall to priests, deacons and acolytes alone.

The ritual of purifying vessels consists of wiping them with a purifying cloth. This does not mean that priests must wash the vessels after communion; that task may still be performed by eucharistic ministers.

The archdiocese sent out its Pastoral Adaptation of the Directive Concerning Purification to all parishes last week, explaining that an indult (papal dispensation) from the Holy See that allowed eucharistic ministers to purify the vessels was not renewed. The vessels include chalices, from which the wine is distributed, and ciboria, from which the hosts are distributed.

Cardinal Adam Maida explained in a letter to priests that the directive came out of discussion between vicars, the Presbyteral Council, bishops, and liturgical experts. "Given … the desire to be faithful to the Congregation’s wishes," he wrote, priests can choose to take part in one of two options, purifying vessels immediately after communion or after Mass, both of which "would best reflect the letter and the spirit of the directive."

The first option allows for a short time of silence after communion, and allows for the priest to greet people or attend to other pastoral matters after Mass; the second option may prevent Mass from going too long, but it may also cut into the time the priest needs to prepare for the next Mass.

Sr. Georgette Zalewska, RSM, director of RCIA and part of the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Worship Office, explained that the directive makes a distinction between the priest’s role, purification, and the eucharistic minister’s role, cleaning. Catholic doctrine says that the Christ is contained even in the small particles of host and wine that may remain in the vessels, which is why a priest must purify the vessel of any of these particles, she said.

What is likely to happen in many parishes is after communion, the eucharistic ministers will take the ciboria and chalices up to the altar, and wait for the priests to purify the vessels before taking them to be cleaned. "That doesn’t take a whole lot of time," she said.

Fr. Mike Gawlowski, pastor of St. Clement, Center Line, and St. Teresa of Avila, Warren, is one priest who has already been purifying the vessels himself. He said it takes only a little extra time.

Fr. Kenneth Kaucheck, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Grosse Pointe Woods, doesn’t expect there to be many changes at his parish, either. The purifying will happen automatically, he said, as each eucharistic minister brings the cup back to the altar. They’ll be washed after Mass as usual.

Fr. Kaucheck also expects minimal time needed for the process, perhaps a couple of minutes, he said.