Sunday Ministry @ ALF
Many Senior Citizens @ Assisted Living Facilities want to attend a Church Service on Sundays!

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Eucharistic Ministers now conduct Sunday Services in Tampa, Fl
@ 3 locations

 Brookdale @ Northdale (11:00 AM)
Magnolia Manor (9:30 AM)
Manor Care & Arden Courts (10:15 AM - once a month)


Basic procedures for Offering Communion @ Nursing Homes on Sundays;

1.Attend 7:30 or 9:00 AM Mass. Place unblessed bread wafers, including one glutton-free wafer, into a PYX to be blessed by Priest;

2.Listen to Readings and use as needed in your Service (The Catholic Handbook, Visiting the Sick and Homebound, Page 10; "Your explanation of the liturgy should be based upon the Sunday Homily....". Extraordinary Ministers are not qualified to interpret scripture in this context.

3.Receive the PYX and blessing from the Priest or Deacon; proceed directly to the Nursing Home;

4.Organize your “abbreviated service” to fit the circumstances at the ALF (e.g. at Emeritus and Carrollwood care Center, we follow a Christian Preacher – keep the liturgy brief).

5.Residents will congregate in a central place, e.g. activity room or dining room at the agreed-upon time; I arrive at Magnolia Manor at 8:30 (after 7:30 Mass), so I have almost an hour to prepare. I start by visiting with people in the dining room who are finishing breakfast. I invite everyone to come to our 9:30 church service.

6.Introduce yourself & interact with residents prior to the service; inform them that this is NOT a Mass and that you are just a Eucharistic Minister. (Before the service begins, I suggest telling them something about yourself so they can better connect with you; e.g. went to a Halloween costume party last night; were any of you there?) 

7.Open the Service & Read from the Penitential Act; e.g. "I confess to Almighty God ...". Read or summarize the Liturgy, "Share with them the day's Homily", when appropriate.

8.Say the Lord’s Prayer, Communion liturgy and Provide Holy Communion or blessings; Kneel when possible if recipient is in a wheel chair or cannot stand.

9.Conclude the Mass with a brief prayer. Thank residents for coming.

10.Two or three room visits might be required, time permitting, for residents in poor health, although ALF residents should be encouraged to come to the service and pray as a group.

The Sick & Homebound Ministry follows the guidelines in the Catholic Handbook for Visiting the Sick and Homebound, and the little blue book; "Communion of the Sick".