Churches in Youngstown Diocese to once again offer chalice during communion

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Catholics in the Youngstown Diocese this weekend will once again be permitted to sip from a chalice during Holy Communion.
A news release from the Diocese states that after consulting with medical professionals, Bishop David J. Bonnar has granted permission to parishes in the Diocese to return to the practice of offering communion wine at Mass beginning Sunday, June 5, 2022.
The chalice will be offered at the discretion of the pastor at all Sunday celebrations and other celebrations of the Eucharist.
The practice has been on hold in the Youngstown Diocese since 2020 due to the pandemic. Other dioceses in Ohio have already restored this practice, according to the news release.
“It is always an option, and not a requirement, for individuals to receive from the Chalice,” according to Father Michael Balash, Director of the Office of Worship and Vicar for Clergy in the Diocese. “At the same time, the Church refers to the fuller sign value of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ under both elements of consecrated bread and wine, which dates back to the first days of the Church’s celebration of the Eucharist. Whether one receives Holy Communion from one or both elements, the total presence of the Lord, Body and Blood, is encountered in this act of faith.”
Father Balash says the procedures for distributing wine have always included safeguards, including wiping the interior and exterior rim of the chalice and rotating it as effective measures to mitigate infectious disease transmission.
Those who are not feeling well or are sick are advised to refrain from receiving from the Chalice.