More than three years after the Cleveland Diocese directed parishes to suspend offering the cup at Mass due to the COVID pandemic, the Cup of Precious Blood will be offered at all Masses starting the weekend of Sept. 9-10, when ministers are available.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who are willing and able to offer the cup are being trained now by ministry leader Amie Baumgartner. The cup will be available only in the front of church, one on each side of the altar, until more ministers are available for this ministry. If you wish to receive the Precious Blood, please consider sitting in the front half of the church or move to this area at communion time.

If ministers are not available at a given Mass, the cup will not be offered.

The return of the cup has been eagerly anticipated by many parishioners. Before the pandemic, the Precious Blood was offered at every Mass, with four ministers available at each weekend Mass (two in the front, and two at the cross aisle) to offer the cup.

In the spring of 2020, as the pandemic was beginning, the Diocese of Cleveland suspended distribution of the Precious Blood to lay liturgical ministers and to the assembly until further notice.

In June 2021, when most pandemic-era safety guidelines were lifted, along with the dispensation from attending Mass on weekends and holy days, distribution of the Precious Blood remained suspended.

In late February 2022, when parishes were allowed to remove signs requesting that people wear masks to receive Holy Communion, distribution of the Precious Blood to the congregation still was prohibited. Since that time the diocese has authorized pastors to return to distributing the Precious Blood when they deemed it appropriate.