June 17, 2024

Dear Siblings in Christ,

As your bishop, one of the most important and beloved aspects of my ministry is to support all church leaders in our diocese, lay and ordained. I write to you today to provide some guidance and clarity that I hope will be helpful for many congregations and individuals.

As you know, we are in a season in our diocese when many congregations are not able to have a priest present to celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday. While the Eucharist is a beloved sacrament, the core of our worship is coming together in community to pray.

In congregations where there is no priest — either occasionally or regularly — Morning Prayer should be read. Morning Prayer may be led by anyone in the congregation, and it can be a wonderful opportunity for lay leaders and deacons to take the lead in worship. Around our diocese we have several lay-led congregations that are worshiping in this way, with occasional help from supply priests, and I commend these examples to you for inspiration (see New Life is Springing Up in Lay-Led Congregations).

In the Diocese of Chicago, there has been a history and practice of deacons distributing communion from the reserved sacrament. While I believe that this is done with the very best intentions, I want to clarify that it is not the role of a deacon to distribute communion in this manner, and I have provided some additional guidance below:

• It is my is my expectation that congregations in transition, or without a priest on staff, should either secure a supply priest or plan for Morning Prayer led by a deacon or lay person.

• In situations where a Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM) is visiting a sick or homebound member of the congregation, their ministry to the parishioner should mirror the Sunday service taking place among the congregation. If Morning Prayer is being read, the LEM should read Morning Prayer with the parishioner. If Eucharist is being celebrated, communion from that service may be taken to the parishioner.

• Lay Eucharistic Ministers should not distribute communion outside of the congregation if the other members have not received Eucharist that week.
• There should be no cause for regular distribution from the reserved sacrament.

While many of us have come to think of the Celebration of Eucharist as a part of our Sunday worship or piety, I encourage you to remember the prayer of St. John Chrysostom:

“…you have promised through your well-beloved Son

that when two or three are gathered together in his Name

 you will be in the midst of them…”

The worship of the Church is rooted in community and praising God, in whatever shape that takes. This is an exciting time to renew and raise up deacons and lay leaders, and learn how to be Church together in a new way.

If need further clarification, please contact Andrea Mysen, Canon to the Ordinary and Chief of Staff. For more information on lay-led worship resources, please contact Louisa McKellaston, Leadership Development Officer.

Please know how grateful I am for all the ways you lead and serve in your communities. You are a blessing to me and to our diocese.

Faithfully,

+ Paula

Bishop of Chicago