I often hear grumbling about the sometimes excessive number of extraordinary ministers of the Holy Eucharist of the Ordinary Form huddled around the altars of our Church. Let me propose the following solution.

We need to return to the minor orders – but especially to the subdiaconate. Subdeacons would be male and would vest in cassock, alb, and tunicle as they traditionally worn. They could serve as adult altar servers who have been authorized by the bishop to administer Holy Communion in extraordinary circumstances.

What think ye? Of course, the traditional require of continence for subdeacons is something that would need to be studied.

PS: Of course, the best answer to the problem is to reserve the chalice to the priest. It’s really the advent of providing the chalice to the faithful that has led to the proliferation of “lay extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist.”