Clergy communion logistics in various jurisdictions

[Bob2]

I recently noticed in an Antiochian parish that when the clergy commune, and they approached from northwest corner of the altar for both the body and blood. While in ROCOR clergy approach from the northwest corner for the body and the southwest corner for the blood. Any significance to to this? What jurisdictions do what?

 

[Bob2]

No one knows, huh? Surely we have some altar servers from various jurisdictions here.  What do the Serbs, Greeks, Romanians, etc do? Anyone know why there are differences?

 

[brlon]

I recently noticed in an Antiochian parish that when the clergy commune, and they approached from northwest corner of the altar for both the body and blood. While in ROCOR clergy approach from the northwest corner for the body and the southwest corner for the blood. Any significance to to this? What jurisdictions do what?

Using the "ROCOR method" where clergy pass around the holy table from NW to SW, no one turns their back to the communing clergy nor to the body or blood of Christ. 

 

[hecma925]

OCA parishes I've served in or have observed is the ROCOR method.

 

[rakovsky]

I don't understand very well what is being described.
Oh well.

 

[Dominika]

I have an impression that Polish is like Antiochian in this case. But maybe I remember wrongly.

 

[Bob2]

I don't understand very well what is being described.
Oh well.

What I've seen in ROCOR (fairly certain in OCA as well) is that when there are multiple celebrants, the priests in rank order followed by the deacons in rank order approach the altar from the front LEFT side. Then after they all partake of the body together, they approach in rank order from the front RIGHT corner to partake of the chalice. In an Antiochian parish the approach BOTH body and blood was from the LEFT side.

 

[Bob2]

pictured here Deacon partaking from the chalice from the left side in Antiochian parish.

 

[rakovsky]

OK, I understand it now.
It seems to me that even under the ROCOR method the clergy might turn the back to the Eucharist or communing clergy.
Example: There are 5 communing clergy.
Clergy persons #1-3 commune the body from the left, the NW.
After each of them communes, they move to the right, the SW. In walking to the right and to the SW corner, each one turns his back to any clergy who is communing on the body at that moment on the Northwest corner.
Clergy persons #1-3 might form a line to the SW of the altar where they wait for clergy #4-5 to finish communing on the body.
Clergy person #4 finishes communing on the body and goes to the back of the line on the SW corner. In order to walk from the front of the altar to the end of the altar line, Clergy person #4 must turn his back on the Eucharist while Clergy person #5 is still communing on the body.

Still, it seems that the ROCOR method makes it less likely that the clergy will have to turn their back on the Eucharist if they are using a line system, and anyway the turn can be at a wider angle.

I still feel like I don't have a strong hold on the idea unless I diagram it or something.

 

[Bob2]

I don't really see how turning your back is necessary or more likely in either method, and this wasn't my point.

All clergy partake of the body simultaneously, they receive in their hands in rank order and then move clockwise around the altar taking their place around the altar and waiting for the others and then saying the final precommunion prayer together and partaking at the same time.

 

[Ainnir]

pictured here Deacon partaking from the chalice from the left side in Antiochian parish.

I'll try to pay attention next time to be sure, but I'm pretty sure in my parish it's body on the left and blood on the right. 

 

[Fr. George]

Our (GOA) practice is to, for both kinds (so to speak), approach from the same side (i.e. "NW Corner" or the left front corner from the perspective of the parishioners) and proceed around the Holy Table in a counterclockwise circle.  There is a variation if a hierarch is communing the clergy vs. the priests communing themselves, but this is the general pattern.

 

[Bob2]

Our (GOA) practice is to, for both kinds (so to speak), approach from the same side (i.e. "NW Corner" or the left front corner from the perspective of the parishioners) and proceed around the Holy Table in a counterclockwise circle.  There is a variation if a hierarch is communing the clergy vs. the priests communing themselves, but this is the general pattern.

Thank you father,

Are you aware of any reason for or significance to the differences in practice?

 

[Fr. George]

Our (GOA) practice is to, for both kinds (so to speak), approach from the same side (i.e. "NW Corner" or the left front corner from the perspective of the parishioners) and proceed around the Holy Table in a counterclockwise circle.  There is a variation if a hierarch is communing the clergy vs. the priests communing themselves, but this is the general pattern.

Thank you father,

Are you aware of any reason for or significance to the differences in practice?

I am not sure, honestly.  I may have references among my books, but don't have an opportunity today to look it up.