Holy Communion

We usually hold a service of Holy Communion every other Sunday, and also for key feasts and holy days such as Ash Wednesday. If you are a baptised Christian, and would normally receive Holy Communion in your own church, you are invited forward to receive bread and wine during our communion services. Alternatively, anyone can come forward for a blessing.

Guidelines concerning Coronavirus (COVID-19)

We are all finding it difficult to know how to assess this situation. We don’t want to contribute to a climate of panic or fear. At the same time, to maintain business as usual would also be inappropriate. These guidelines are based on the latest advice issued both by the national Church of England and our diocesan bishops, and have been drawn up in consultation with the churchwardens.

Handshaking and hugging should be avoided, both as we enter the church and also during the Peace.
Communion assistants will use hand-sanitiser as we prepare to distribute communion.
According to the Church of England website, which is being updated regularly, there is at present “no Government advice that suggests the use of the Common Cup should be suspended.”
However, for those who are currently ill (including coughs and sneezes), those vulnerable to infection, or others simply anxious in the current circumstances, there is the option to receive Holy Communion ‘in one kind only’. This simply means that you take the bread only and immediately return to your seat, leaving the wine. It is Anglican teaching that to receive the sacrament in one kind only is to receive the sacrament in its entirety.
Intinction – the dipping of bread or a wafer into the chalice – is not permitted. Our hands are far more likely to be a source of contagious pathogens than lips. Furthermore, this practice poses a significant risk to those with gluten intolerance who may unwittingly consume tiny crumbs that have fallen into the chalice.
The use of individual communion cups is not permitted by the Church of England. Thankfully there is the viable option to receive in one kind only, thus addressing any concerns about the common cup.

We will continue to monitor the situation and follow the latest advice we receive. Let’s not give in to fear or panic, but let’s also be active in prayer, particularly for those who are most vulnerable at this time.

And perhaps it is fitting to close with this verse from the letter to the Hebrews: “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing” (10:25).

Last updated: Saturday 29th February 2020