Q. 1. What is the purpose of the "Communion dish?"

A. 1. The "Communion dish, also known as the "Communion plate is a modern Church vessel that replaces the Ciborium. With the introduction of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to assist with the distribution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and most Churches having a shortage of Ciboriums to implement the distribution of the Sacrament, some Dioceses have approved the usage of Communion dishes.

It appears that the priest is the only one who has a Ciborium during the distribution of the Holy Eucharist, the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion having a Communion dish

In the research of the matter, it was noticed that the words "Communion dish" were being used in two different situations.

• In the first situation, the Communion Paten, a flat plate held under the chin of a communicant in order to catch any fragments of the Consecrated Host was improperly referred to as a Communion dish.

• In the second situation, the Ciborium used by the minister of the Eucharist (the priest) was also referred to as a Communion dish, with instructions that when the distribution of the Body of Christ is administered to the faithful, the priest should remain in the centre at the front of the Church. The Ciborium should never be referred to as a Communion dish as the Church has designated a proper name for it.

As explained in Question and Answer # 1560, the Ciborium has a lid on it while the Communion dish comes without a lid.