In swine flu season, sanitizer for the hand of God

[snopes]

Congregations around the U.S. are modifying their rituals to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus. A little vodka on the Communion chalice helps.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2435367.story

[snapdragonfly]

Three weeks ago our church stocked up with bottles of hand sanitizers right next to the hymnals and Book of Common Prayer, and also there's a note in the bulletin/program reminding us that communion in either part (just the host or just the wine) is considered full and complete. In other words you don't have to drink the wine if you don't want to or if you shouldn't. Though it's the custom at our church to hold out the host to be dipped if you feel a cold coming on rather than drinking from the cup.

The common cup thing squicks people out (not me *shrug*) but the fact is that there simply are not any more Episcopalians getting sick, never have been, not anywhere that we are, than anyone else in the general population, so apparently they are not a big factor in spreading disease, for whatever reason.

[Just Jocko]

When DS#2 and Stinkerbelle did their First Communion this year, the parish decided to forgo the wine altogether. It's not often used during regular Mass, so it hasn't been missed (the priest still uses it for his portion). Last week, I happened to be sitting where I could see up behind the altar and I saw the priest and the other people who serve Eucharist passing around the hand sanitizer. And in CCD we catechists have been instructed to use hand sanitizer before and after class and to try to limit hugging, hand holding, etc. with the kids. And we wipe down each table between classes. They're just common sense precautions to take every year during flu season, IMHO.

[smittykins]

Originally Posted by snapdragonfly

Three weeks ago our church stocked up with bottles of hand sanitizers right next to the hymnals and Book of Common Prayer, and also there's a note in the bulletin/program reminding us that communion in either part (just the host or just the wine) is considered full and complete. In other words you don't have to drink the wine if you don't want to or if you shouldn't. Though it's the custom at our church to hold out the host to be dipped if you feel a cold coming on rather than drinking from the cup.

The common cup thing squicks people out (not me *shrug*) but the fact is that there simply are not any more Episcopalians getting sick, never have been, not anywhere that we are, than anyone else in the general population, so apparently they are not a big factor in spreading disease, for whatever reason.

My Episcopal church included an insert in last week's bulletin about H1N1 and Communion. In short:

1. Stay home if you're sick; 2. The risk of transmitting a communicable disease through a common cup is negligible, according to medical experts; 3. receiving only the bread is acceptable; 4. Intinction is riskier("hands are dirtier than mouths"); 5.Clergy and lay eucharistic ministers are encouaged to use hand sanitizer before administering Communion.

[RivkahChaya]

I remember back in the 1980s, people were freaking out that they could get AIDS from communion. There was some official statement either from the NIH or the CDC that between the antibiotic properties of metal, which most communion cups are, and the antiobiotic properties of alcohol, the risk of transmission of ANYTHING through communion was negligible (as contrasted with, say, plain water from a wooden or ceramic cup), then it went on to say there had been no confirmed case of transmission through saliva.

I'm thinking that some metals have better antibiotic properties than others (although, I wouldn't recommend mercury in the communion cup), so maybe if a church rector (is that the right word?) is really concerned, he or she could look into this.

The best thing to do, though, is to promote VACCINATION. Churches could offer their space as places for vaccination centers, ask parishioners to volunteer to drive people who don't have other transportation to places where they can receive the vaccination, and make sure every parishioner on a limited or fixed income can afford the vaccine (when it is available, that is).

If everyone, or even something like 90% of the congregation, is vaccinated, worrying about common cups will be a thing of the past.