Tips on Administering Communion outside the church

We decided to introduce you to the advice of two experienced priests from our convent regarding the administering of the Sacrament to people who, due to their health condition, cannot attend a church service.

The convent congregation is quite large, and the priests regularly administer Communion to the sick at their homes or in hospitals. Perhaps learning the experiences of priest Andrey Malakhovsky and Archpriest Sergius Khrapitsky will be beneficial to those who rarely perform such occasional services.

❗️ This compilation of advice does not claim to be a comprehensive methodological manual and mainly discusses technical details. The pastoral aspect of this ministry is a separate, extensive, and complex topic that cannot be fully covered within the scope of our small publications.

Preliminary Inquiry

It is always done to some degree in order to find out important details, especially if the person requesting communion is a stranger. It is important to find out:

✔️ whether the communicant is of the Orthodox faith,

✔️ whether he is involved in church life,

✔️ whether he is conscious or not,

✔️ whether he expresses a desire to receive Communion,

✔️ whether he is able to speak,

✔️ whether he is able to swallow.

Knowing these answers helps the priest to prepare accordingly (for example, to place the dry Particles of the Body of Christ in Holy Blood before hand, in order to save time at the bedside of a seriously ill patient). It also provides an opportunity to remind or advise the person on how to prepare for the Sacrament, depending on their condition.

Using Body and Blood for Сommunion

It is best to administer Communion to the sick after a Divine Liturgy, because in that case both the Body and Blood can be used as needed, depending on the condition of the sick person. It is advisable to take a slightly larger amount of Blood, as it can be absorbed into the Particle.

In most cases, Reserved Gifts are used for Communion since the Divine Liturgy is not served every day, while the request to administer Communion to a seriously ill person can come at any time.

When preparing the Gifts, it is recommended to use Particles of different sizes, including thin and flat ones. If the communicant is capable, a larger Particle can be used. In a severe condition where swallowing may be difficult, a very small Particle may be needed.

A thin, dry Particle quickly softens, making it easier to separate the desired-sized fragment. If such Particles have not been prepared or are no longer available, it is advisable to moisten a thicker Particle in advance before leaving.

In some cases, it may only be possible to administer the Holy Blood, for example, when baptizing and immediately administering communion to a weakened newborn or when the communicant is unable to swallow. Make sure beforehand that your chalice is sufficiently sealed for transportation.

Father Andrey shows his Chalice with a tight lid.
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In hospital churches where these situations are not uncommon, there is a practice of keeping a reserve of the Holy Blood on the altar. However, this topic is associated with several nuances, which we will try to discuss in a separate publication.

It is advisable for the priest to be fasting, so that if necessary, he can consume the Holy Gifts. This can also be done on the following day, either by the clerics serving the liturgy or by the priest administering communion. Leaving the Gifts for an extended period of time creates a risk of their spoilage and, consequently, their desecration.

If the sick person is unconscious

When approaching a sick person's bedside, the priest should receive brief or, if the situation allows, more detailed answers to three main questions:

• does the person believe in God?
• does he or she repent of his/her sins?
• does the communicant have the desire to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ?

To make this conversation possible, the sick person does not necessarily need to be able to speak. As long as the communicant is conscious, he can respond by closing his eyes or moving his hand. However, it also happens that by the time the priest arrives, the sick person is in an unconscious state.

In this case, it is easier when the priest personally knows the communicant as a believer and a member of the church, open to prayer and the Sacraments. Our interlocutors believe that such a person can be administered the Sacrament of Unction and even Communion (with a drop of the Holy Blood) based on the assumption that it would be the desire of the sick person if they were conscious.

The fathers note that during communion, one can often observe a certain reaction of the sick person to certain parts of the text (the reading of Holy Scripture, or a particular prayer) which indicates the presence of some degree of consciousness. There are also cases when a sick person fully regains consciousness during prayer.

It is more difficult when the priest does not know the communicant well enough. In these cases, he can serve a moleben for the sick person’s health, anoint him with holy oil, and give him a spoonful of holy water (family members can continue to give their relative holy water after the priest leaves). If the sick person expresses the desire to receive communion, the Sacrament can be administered to him. After that, all that remains is to rely on the will of God.

Situations can vary, and God's providence can work in a completely unexpected way. Father Sergius cited a case in which he was invited to visit a sick woman who was unconscious at the time of his arrival:

"In such cases, I usually read the canon for the sick from the so-called "Serbian" book of needs, in which, among other things, there is a request to give the sick person additional time for correction. This time however, I unintentionally began to read a different canon – the Paraklesis (prayer service) to the Mother of God – which I realized only after reading ode two. After ode six, I read the Gospel over the sick woman and suddenly noticed that she opened her eyes. After finishing reading the canon, I conversed with the woman as much as I could (she was unable to speak), and gave her Communion, after which she clearly said "thank you".

The woman lived for three more days and passed away peacefully. After this incident, I practice reading both canons."

A few more tips

✅If during a conversation with the sick person it is not possible to determine something definitively, we are governed by pastoral oeconomy (Greek: οἰκονομία, oikonomia) assuming a more favorable answer.

✅ At times, the state of the sick can be such that prolonged prayer readings become exhausting for them. Recognizing or sensing this, the priest should avoid excessive exertion and, for instance, opt for a shorter Communion service instead of the full one.

✅ It is advisable to keep a large Communion cloth nearby, ready to be used in the event of an unforeseen physiological reaction. Additionally, an assistant should be present, ready to either hold the cloth or provide water for the sick person immediately, depending on the situation.

An example of large Communion cloth, which we use during the Communion of the sick in hospitals. The cloth is turned into a sort of small vessel. The priest is always accompanied by an altar server.

In conclusion, it can be said that there are no fixed rules for every situation, and the priest's charisma may guide him towards his own solution in a specific circumstance. Nevertheless, it is always crucial to remember the importance of discernment and responsibility.

We hope that you have discovered something beneficial in this article.

May the blessings of the Lord and the prayers of the Mother of God be with you.