— Panis vivus, qui de cælo descendit —

Communion of the Sick.
Bringing Christ home to the ones you love.

Someone under your roof is sick and cannot get to Mass. You are not powerless, and they are not forgotten. For two thousand years the Church has carried Christ to the bedside of the sick — and there is a real place in that work for the Catholic man who leads his home. Here is how it is done: rightly, reverently, and exactly within what you are free to do.

First, the weight off your shoulders. A person who is genuinely ill is excused from the Sunday and holy-day Mass obligation, and commits no sin by missing Mass. The one caring for a seriously ill family member has a serious reason as well. Bringing them Communion is an act of love — never an obligation laid on the sick. Catechism §2181: the faithful are obliged to participate in Mass, "unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness…) or dispensed by their own pastor." See also Code of Canon Law c. 1248 §2.

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Where are you right now?

Step one — the permission

Carrying the Most Holy Eucharist to the sick is a real ministry of the Church — and it is carried out by a minister. The ordinary ministers are the bishop, priest, and deacon. When a layman does it, he acts as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, who must be deputed by the proper authority (Code of Canon Law c. 910).

The good news: this is an easy, warm door — not a wall.

  • If you are already a commissioned Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion in your parish, you may already know this — here it is, in order.
  • If you are not, your pastor can authorize you — either by commissioning you, or, in a case of real necessity, by deputing you for the occasion. That authorization is his to give, never something you assume on your own.

The one thing that makes this right

Ask your priest.

Before Mass, have a word with your priest, deacon, or the sacristan (who can find the priest). Tell him plainly:

"Father, my sister N. is sick at home and can't be at Mass. May I bring her Holy Communion? I have a pyx — could you depute me to take it to her?"

Nearly every priest says yes gladly. He may hand you a pyx if you do not have one, send a commissioned minister, or come himself. What you must never do is take a host from the Communion line and carry it off on your own initiative — not because your love would offend Christ, but because His Body is carried to the sick under the authority of the Church, and the priest is your ally in doing it rightly (c. 935; Redemptionis Sacramentum 132).

Step two — carrying Him there

Once the priest has placed the Host in your pyx — customarily after Communion has been distributed at Mass — the manner of carrying Him is settled law, and all of it is reverence:

A note on fasting: the sick, the elderly, and those who care for them are exempt from the one-hour Eucharistic fast (Canon 919 §3). And on worthiness: anyone conscious of grave sin should be reconciled in Confession first (Canon 916; CCC 1415) — but that is between the one receiving and God; you minister, you do not judge their conscience.

Step three — the bedside rite

This is the Rite of Communion of the Sick (Ordinary Circumstances) as given in the ritual book now in force in the United States — Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery outside Mass (2024), chapter II — in the order a lay minister prays it, personalized to the one you love below. For the complete, authoritative ritual, use that official book; this is a faithful guide to walk you through it.

Greeting

On arriving, greet the sick person and all present. The minister may use these or similar words:

Peace be with this house, and with all who live here.

He places the Blessed Sacrament on the prepared table, and may add:

Blessed be God forever.

All adore Christ, present in the Sacrament, for a moment in silence.

Penitential Act

The minister invites everyone to call their sins to mind:

My brothers and sisters, to prepare ourselves for this celebration, let us call to mind our sins.

After a brief silence, all say together:

I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.

Amen.

This is the same act of sorrow prayed at the start of Mass. It is not Confession, and it does not forgive grave sin — only a priest absolves. If the sick person is conscious of mortal sin, a priest should be called for Confession first.

A reading from the Word of God

Read a short passage. Where possible, read the Gospel of the day or the past Sunday, so the homebound receive the same Word as the parish. A classic choice:

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." — John 6:51

You may add a few quiet words, or simply recall the Sunday homily.

The Lord's Prayer

Now let us pray as Christ the Lord has taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Holy Communion

The minister shows the Host to the sick person, saying:

Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

And together:

Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

Giving Holy Communion:

The Body of Christ.

Amen.

Immediately after giving Communion, the minister adds:

May he protect you and lead you to eternal life.

Then keep a few moments of sacred silence together. This is the heart of it: Christ Himself, come under that roof.

Prayer after Communion

Let us pray. All-powerful and ever-living God, may the Body of Christ your Son be for N. a lasting remedy for body and soul. Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

For a lay minister — important

Concluding blessing

Here is the clearest line between a layman and a priest. A priest or deacon blesses those present and makes the Sign of the Cross over them. A lay minister does not: he invokes God's blessing and makes the Sign of the Cross on himself, praying:

May the Lord be with you always; may he strengthen you by his power and keep you in peace.

Amen.

The prayer asks the Lord's blessing upon the one who is ill — but the layman signs himself, never extending a priestly blessing over another. He gives nothing of his own; he asks everything of God. This is the line the Church draws between the deputed layman and the ordained.

That is the whole of it. When you have given the one you love Communion and prayed the closing, the rite is complete. The Host is not kept. You have done a holy and ancient thing: you have carried Christ across the threshold of your home to the one who could not go to Him.

Read the sources

The fastest way to get them Communion

One phone call

Call your parish.

Every parish has a way to bring Communion to the homebound — it is part of what the parish is for. Call the office and say:

"My sister N. is sick at home and can't get to Mass. Could someone bring her Holy Communion — or could I be authorized to bring it to her myself?"

They will either send a priest, deacon, or commissioned minister, or help you become the one who brings it. Either way, Christ comes to her.

What you may always do — today, with no permission needed

You do not need to be a minister to lead your household in prayer at a sick person's side. Any member of the faithful may, and the Catholic father especially should:

  • Lead the Rosary or a single decade at the bedside.
  • Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for healing and mercy.
  • Read Scripture aloud — a Psalm, the day's Gospel.
  • Lead an Act of Contrition and prayers for healing, and bless your home and family (a father's blessing of his children is his to give).

If Communion cannot reach them today — a Spiritual Communion

When sacramental Communion cannot be brought, the soul that desires Christ is not left empty. A Spiritual Communion — an act of longing to receive Him — is a true grace, taught by the Council of Trent and the saints. Pray it slowly with the one who is ill:

My Jesus, I believe that You are truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen. — The Act of Spiritual Communion of St. Alphonsus Liguori

They can also join the Mass by livestream or television, and rest in the truth that the sick are excused and held in the prayer of the whole Church.

Become equipped — bring Communion yourself

If your loved one will be homebound for a while, the most loving thing a man can do is become able to bring them Christ himself, week after week. Ask your pastor about being commissioned as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion for the homebound. It typically means a short training and a blessing from the parish; then you may carry the Eucharist to the sick of your own household and parish, rightly and reverently.

When you are ready, the step-by-step rite is here.

If death may be near, this is a more urgent moment.

When someone is in danger of death, the Church's care is the Last Rites: Confession if they are able, the Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Viaticum — Communion as food for the journey home — and the priest may give the Apostolic Pardon, which carries a plenary indulgence at the hour of death.

Call a priest now — do not wait until they are unconscious. Call their parish first; if there is no answer, call any nearby Catholic parish. A priest of any parish may anoint and absolve the dying. Only a priest can anoint, absolve, or give the Apostolic Pardon (CCC 1516) — but a deputed lay minister may bring Viaticum if no priest can come in time (c. 911 §2), and anyone may pray with the dying.

Open Vigil — the deathbed companion

Vigil walks you through getting a priest, the prayers of the dying, the Commendation of a soul, and the first hour after death.

The sources — read it for yourself

Every claim in this tool is drawn, word for word, from the Church's own books. Here they are, so you can stand on them.

Can a layman do this? — Canon 230 §3 & Canon 910

"When the need of the Church warrants it and ministers are lacking, lay persons, even if they are not lectors or acolytes, can also supply certain of their duties, namely, to exercise the ministry of the word, to preside over liturgical prayers, to confer baptism, and to distribute Holy Communion, according to the prescripts of the law."

Code of Canon Law, c. 230 §3

"§1. The ordinary minister of holy communion is a bishop, presbyter, or deacon. §2. The extraordinary minister of holy communion is an acolyte or another member of the Christian faithful designated according to the norm of can. 230, §3."

Code of Canon Law, c. 910

Carrying the Eucharist reverently — Redemptionis Sacramentum 132–133

"No one may carry the Most Holy Eucharist to his or her home, or to any other place contrary to the norm of law."

Redemptionis Sacramentum, 132

"A Priest or Deacon, or an extraordinary minister… in order to administer it as Communion for a sick person, should go insofar as possible directly from the place where the Sacrament is reserved to the sick person's home, leaving aside any profane business so that any danger of profanation may be avoided and the greatest reverence for the Body of Christ may be ensured. Furthermore the Rite for the administration of Communion to the sick, as prescribed in the Roman Ritual, is always to be used."

Redemptionis Sacramentum, 133

The Eucharist for Communion outside a church is carried in a pyx or other covered vessel, and the manner of carrying it is to be reverent and fitting — the standing norm of the ritual book for Communion outside Mass.

Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery outside Mass (2024)

The Eucharist is not kept at home — Canon 935

"No one is permitted to keep the Eucharist on one's person or to carry it around, unless pastoral necessity urges it and the prescripts of the diocesan bishop are observed."

Code of Canon Law, c. 935

The sick are excused from Mass — Catechism §2181, Canon 1247–1248

"The faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin."

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §2181

"If participation in the eucharistic celebration becomes impossible because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause, it is strongly recommended that the faithful take part in a liturgy of the word… or that they devote themselves to prayer for a suitable time alone, as a family, or… in groups of families."

Code of Canon Law, c. 1248 §2

The fast, and worthiness — Canon 919 §3, Canon 916, CCC 1415

"The elderly, the infirm, and those who care for them can receive the Most Holy Eucharist even if they have eaten something within the preceding hour."

Code of Canon Law, c. 919 §3

"Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance."

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1415

Viaticum & the Last Rites — Canon 911, CCC 1524–1525, 1516

"§1. The pastor, parochial vicars, chaplains, and… the superior of a community… have the duty and right of bringing the Most Holy Eucharist as Viaticum to the sick. §2. In the case of necessity or with at least the presumed permission of the pastor, chaplain, or superior, who must be notified afterwards, any priest or other minister of holy communion must do this."

Code of Canon Law, c. 911

"Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum constitute at the end of Christian life 'the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland.'"

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1525

"Only priests (bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick."

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1516

Why this reverence — the Real Presence — CCC 1374, 1377

"In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist 'the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.'"

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1374

"Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ."

Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1377

Procedures vary by diocese and parish, and the faculty to bring Communion to the sick comes from the proper pastor or the diocesan bishop. Always go to your own pastor first; nothing in this tool replaces his authorization. The liturgical texts above are reproduced for study and prayer; for the complete authoritative rite, use the official Pastoral Care of the Sick.

What a layman must never do

The lines that protect the Sacrament — and you

  • Never take a host on your own. Carrying the Eucharist home without the authorization of your pastor or bishop is forbidden (c. 935; Redemptionis Sacramentum 132). Always ask first.
  • Never store or keep Him. No saving a host for tomorrow, no "spare," nothing kept in a drawer, locket, or fridge. He is given on the one direct trip.
  • Never run errands with the Eucharist on your person — go straight there and straight back (RS 133).
  • Never attempt to anoint. The Anointing of the Sick is the priest's alone (CCC 1516). A layman has no power to confer it.
  • Never attempt to absolve or "hear" sins. The Penitential Act is not Confession; only a priest forgives sins sacramentally (c. 916).
  • Never use a priest's blessing. Bless yourself ("bless us"), not others ("bless you") — see the concluding rite above.
  • Never judge their conscience. Whether the person is worthy to receive is between them and God; you minister, you do not interrogate or decide.

Common questions

Can a layperson bring Holy Communion to a sick person at home?

Yes — but only when authorized by the proper authority. A layperson acts as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, deputed according to the norm of canon 230 §3 (c. 910 §2). That may be a stable commission as an EMHC, or, in real necessity, a deputation for a single occasion. The decisive point is that your pastor or bishop actually gives the authorization — it is his call, never assumed on your own. A family member may not simply take a host from the Communion line and carry it home on his own initiative (Redemptionis Sacramentum 132; c. 935). The right first step is to ask your priest.

Is my sick wife or family member excused from Sunday Mass?

Yes. The Catechism teaches the faithful are obliged to attend Mass on days of obligation "unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor" (CCC §2181). Genuine illness excuses the sick person, and they commit no sin. Someone who cannot attend because he is caring for a seriously ill family member has a serious reason as well. When attendance is impossible, the Church recommends a liturgy of the word or time given to prayer (c. 1248 §2).

What is a pyx, and how is the Eucharist carried to the sick?

A pyx is a small covered vessel that carries the consecrated Host (HCWEOM n. 20), usually in a burse worn on the person. The minister goes "directly from the place where the Sacrament is reserved to the sick person's home, leaving aside any profane business" (Redemptionis Sacramentum 133) — straight there, no stops, in silence and prayer.

Can I keep a consecrated Host at home?

No. "No one is permitted to keep the Eucharist on one's person or to carry it around, unless pastoral necessity urges it and the prescripts of the diocesan bishop are observed" (c. 935). The Host received for the sick is administered on that single trip; nothing is stored at home.

Do the sick have to fast an hour before receiving Communion?

No. While the general rule is a one-hour fast (c. 919 §1), "the elderly, the infirm, and those who care for them can receive the Most Holy Eucharist even if they have eaten something within the preceding hour" (c. 919 §3). The sick person and the caregiver who receives with them are exempt.

What is the difference between Communion of the sick and Viaticum?

Both are the same Holy Eucharist, but Viaticum is given to a person in danger of death — "food for the journey" home to God, the Christian's last sacrament, "the seed of eternal life and the power of resurrection" (CCC §1524–1525). A deputed lay minister may, and in necessity must, bring Viaticum if no priest can come (c. 911 §2). When death is near, call a priest first for Confession, Anointing, and the Apostolic Pardon — see Vigil.

Can a layperson give the Last Rites or anoint the sick?

No. Only a priest anoints, absolves, or gives the Apostolic Pardon (CCC §1516). A deputed layperson may bring Communion or Viaticum, and any of the faithful may pray with and for the sick and dying. When someone is dying, the most important thing is to call a priest as early as possible.