Letter to the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

H.E. Mons. Paolo Ricciardi, in a letter addressed to the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, offers them words of encouragement of great human and spiritual depth: “I am writing to you first of all to say thank you. Thank you because, through you, the Lord enters many homes and places of care every day. Thank you because you are a daily sign of hope for so many who need help. Thank you because you are a Church that goes forth, ‘tabernacles in motion’ that travel the roads of the world every day. Thank you because you are there.” The text also includes some practical advice for those who “serve as a bridge - between the sick person’s home and the priests,” it continues, “between the sick and the community.” For example, they might stop to have a coffee with the sick person and their family and share with them a festive moment such as the one following Communion. Finally, there is the hope for greater fraternity and sharing among the various extraordinary ministers, “important for growing in faith, engaging in dialogue, and enriching one another.”