Q: I was told that our deacon is not allowed to take a paten or cup from the altar and give it to a lay communion minister. The priest must be the one to hand the vessel to the deacon and only then he can hand it to the lay minister. Is that the correct procedure?
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A: GIRM 162 says that the priest places the vessels in the hands of the ministers, but look in your missal at the pages right after the GIRM for the Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion under Both Kinds in the Dioceses of the United States of America. #40 says, “The Deacon may assist the Priest in handing the vessels containing the Body and Blood of the Lord to the extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.”