There are many ways to get involved in the Catholic Mass, from singing in the choir to serving as a lector. As the saying goes, “Many hands make light work.” We need everyone to make our Masses beautiful. One ministry requires its stewards to take the utmost care for their work — the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Of course, the most important part of the Catholic Mass is when attendees receive Jesus’ Body and Blood in the Eucharist, and these dedicated volunteers administer this important sacrament.
Debbie Gallo has served as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion here for about 10 years. She also coordinates the ministry and was part of the ministry at her former parish in Washington.
“When you are serving in this ministry, there is nothing else but the love of Jesus,” Debbie says. “It’s between myself and Him and the communicant. When I see the yearning, it humbles me. It’s like I don’t think of anything else. It’s all gone.”
Debbie says that serving this ministry allows her to have all her worries and burdens disappear while serving.
“I’m aware of this humbling experience,” she says. “We as lay people are allowed to assist our priests to do this.”
As a lector and member of the Music Ministry, Debbie is involved in various ways in many Masses. But serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion is her favorite ministry.
“You get to see the yearning and joy as they are receiving,” she says. “There’s more of a human, person-to-person contact than the other ministries that I help with.”
Debbie got involved as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion through a personal invitation. She believes this is a great way to engage people — by inviting them to get involved.
“I had the same reaction that many people have, and that is ‘I’m not worthy,’” Debbie says. “I say the same thing that I was told — ‘Who is?’”
And as Debbie points out, when you are asked to be involved in a ministry, that’s an invitation from God, not from the person who is asking.
“He is just using you as a facilitator,” Debbie says. “You can’t mess up this ministry as long as you are not irreverent.”
Debbie invites parishioners to participate as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion — she could always use more people to add to the schedule. She would love to see more youth and young adults involved in ministries.
“Pray about it,” Debbie says. “You are there anyway, so it’s not taking more of your time.”
To become an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, contact Debbie Gallo at 619-507-4560 or [email protected].
