To prevent the body & blood of Christ from falling to the ground, Father Milhton has requested that you follow this protocol for receiving communion:



1. When you get to the front pew, take ONE SIDE of your mask off of your ear.
2. Walk straight up to the person administering communion WITHOUT kneeling & bow briefly.
2. Hold your non-dominant hand out FLAT to receive the host.
3. Take the host off of your hand with your other hand to receive it.
4. Take any left over particles off your hand with your finger to ingest them. (DO NOT brush it off your hands, this is still the body & blood of Christ)
5. Replace your mask loop over your ear and return to pew.
IF you do not wish to follow this protocol, then please wait until everyone else has received communion before you come forward.

Furthermore, Archbishop Etienne, in his article "The Work of Redemption, Eucharistic belief and practice in the Archdiocese of Seattle" (June issue of Northwest Catholic),  Archbishop Etienne wrote of the unified postures of prayer especially during the Eucharist. Quote "With regard to the Eucharist Prayer, I would like us to use common postures across the archdiocese during the Liturgy of the Eucharist and the Communion rite, in keeping with the General Instruction of the Roman Catholic Missal and widespread practice in the United States.  Thus, we "should kneel beginning after the singing or recitation of the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) until after the Amen of the Eucharistic Prayer." Following the Eucharistic Prayer, we stand to pray together the Lord's prayer and to exchange the sign of peace. The sign of peace is more than merely a gesture of goodwill. It is Christ's peace which draws us into communtion with the Lord and with one another. 
   In addition, we should "kneel after the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) until it is time to go forward in the Communion procession. Kneeling is a posture of adoration. When we are on our knees, we cannot "do" anythng else! In this moment, we prepare to receive Communion by kneeling in the presence of Christ, already in our midst in the sacrament of his Body and Blood, until it is time to rise and join the Communion procession. As we move in procession to the altar, we bow before receiving the Body or Blood of Christ, and remain standing to receive Holy Communion, whether the host or the chalice. To kneel at this point, or to add other gestures, individualizes the reception of Communion. But this is not the moment for personal expressions of piety, which can distract others and draw attention to ourselves. Rather, reverent in our belief in the Lord's true presence in the Eucharist, this is the time when we should be most unified as a community. Upon returning to our seats following Communion, it is appropriate to "sit or kneel during the period of sacred silence after Communion." This is a time to prayerfully reflect upon the mystery we have received and to give thanks for such a precious gift.