Eucharistic Ministers Prepare for a New Year of Service
New senior eucharistic ministers training in the chapel.
As another new school year kicks off, another class of seniors gets the opportunity of being a Eucharistic Minister. At Mass each month, these seniors present the Eucharist at communion for both students and faculty.
Mike Jeremiah, at the helm of the ministry for years, is especially excited about the Eucharistic Ministers of this year as COVID-19 prevented gathering in the Great Hall for past masses. “The class of 2021 never got the chance to do it, and luckily last year we were able to be all together for Easter and I am so thankful for that,” Jeremiah said.
With the entire school finally having mass together again, the student body is excited about things getting back to normal. 40 seniors completed the form to become a Eucharistic Minister this year, as well as 23 faculty and staff members. The process simply began with an email and link for seniors to fill out if interested. After just a few meetings to learn the procedure, these ministers will be installed on Tuesday, Oct. 11 during a special Tuesday mass.
“Like I tell the seniors, we have a special way of really bringing people closer to God … you are presenting the body of Christ and saying, this is Jesus. How cool is that, that you have an opportunity to do that?
— Jeremiah
The Eucharistic Ministry process is so important not only because it brings people closer to God, but specifically because the ministry is the act of presenting the body of Jesus. “Like I tell the seniors, we have a special way of really bringing people closer to God … you are presenting the body of Christ and saying, this is Jesus. How cool is that, that you have an opportunity to do that?” Jeremiah said.
Overall, the Eucharistic Ministry gives a special opportunity for students to be involved in our masses. Benilde St. Margaret’s and Mike Jeremiah have allowed the senior class to be a part of it for so many years for that very reason – being involved. “I hear adults say to young people that they are the future of the Church, but I want to say that they are the church at the moment. We don’t want to wait until people have families to think that they are part of the church. That’s why it is so important to get kids involved now, in the hopes that they will continue to be involved for the rest of their lives,” Jeremiah said.
