An Invitation to Bring Christ to Others

Our mission as members of the Body of Christ and of Saint Christopher Catholic Parish is to “Meet Christ, Follow Christ, Bear Christ.” Bringing Jesus himself in the Eucharist is one form of bearing Christ and dates back to when the early church began this practice around the year 155 AD.

Saint Christopher Catholic Parish is blessed to have a small group of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Eucharist (EMHC) who bring Christ in the Eucharist to those in our community who cannot join us at Mass. This includes those who are homebound and those who live in Assisted Living Communities.

One of our Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion shares: “I feel that bringing Communion to those who can’t make it to Mass is an honor that I am not worthy of, but God has given me anyway. I love the connection that I feel with Christ and the peace it gives me. As people get older, we tend to pray for their physical health and overlook their spiritual health.”

Those we visit weekly share their prayer intentions and, in turn, they offer to pray for the needs of our parish. They have the same worries and concerns that we all share. Our friends have asked for prayer for loved ones suffering from illness, as they mourn the death of a spouse or child, for family or friends who have left the Church, for the loneliness they feel, or for peace in the tumult they see as the world is changing around them.

Linda Jo shares “I would feel lost without the Eucharist, feeling isolated and lonely without it. Receiving the Eucharist adds to my personal prayer life and I don’t feel as lonely. I can watch Mass on live stream but the visits with a real person mean so much.”

Our fervent prayer is that God will touch the hearts of those who will be called to serve our Lord in this special way. Christ longs for a deep relationship with all of us so we invite you to join us in this very essential mission to bring Christ to those who cannot physically join us at Holy Mass. Additional Ministers are needed on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday mornings in order to continue this very important mission. Training is provided and volunteers can help as little as once a month. Contact Anita Schmidt at [email protected] or 815-218-7762 to learn more.

“Receiving the Eucharist every week makes me feel like I am important to someone”