Eucharistic Ministry

My favorite part of being a Eucharistic Minister is that I get a chance to give God's love and grace to others, in a physical sense and, hopefully, a spiritual sense as well.
Greg Fister

            SLUH Eucharistic Ministry was restored  two years ago from a long break as a way to increase participation in pastoral events. “The main reason to bring it back is to have more student participation in the Eucharist,” said campus ministry team member John Lan Tran, S. J. Since then the Eucharistic Ministry has grown into its very own group featuring 36 members who serve in most school masses, and has moved from a voluntary participation, to a essential part of school masses.

            Although during masses it may seem that there is not much participation in Eucharistic ministry. To some it’s simply a way to increase student participation in masses to a greater extent than handing out flyers or reading the prayer or scripture. But according to John Jedlicka: “I want to be a Eucharistic minister at SLUH because I feel like it is a way to enhance my faith and bring me closer to God by distributing communion. I also am helping the community by being able to distribute communion to those in need.” From simply a spectator standpoint, students and Eucharistic Ministers in general distribute the Eucharist the way ushers hand out programs. However, if you see it from their perspective you find it’s a way they become closer to God.

The addition of student Eucharistic Minister has enhance the liturgy at SLUH. According to Mr. Linhares, "If student Eucharistic Ministers bring the proper kind of devotion and awareness to their role, it can be powerful way for our students to experience, in a direct way, that we, the people of the church, bring Christ to one another."

Students' Perspective

The reason I wanted to become a Eucharistic Minister at SLUH was to give back to my faith community. By being a minister I can strengthen my faith and can thus share it with my SLUH community.

Alex Voss

I chose to be a Eucharistic minister because It's an opportunity most people don't get to be involved with. I wanted to fully immerse myself in the Mass and the Eucharist is the most important part of it.
Christian Probst

I want to be a Eucharistic minister because I want to be more involved in the mass besides singing and going through the motions. Also I want to do it because doing it I feel is a way of honoring God by serving his body and blood to those that want to receive it.

Parker Schenk

I wanted to be a Eucharistic Minister because over the course of my high school years, I've grown closer and closer to God, and I considered being a Minister as a service to God and others, and a way for the Mass to come truly alive for me.