Q. What is the name of the plate held by altar boys at Communion?
A. Fine question. Thanks for submitting it. It is called a paten. Once used in every Catholic Church, its purpose is to catch the Sacred Host (The Body of Christ) or any fragment that might accidentally be dropped or fall during Communion.
Q. Recently my pastor asked me to get him a prie-dieu during Mass. What is a prie-dieu?
A. A kneeler. Nearly every Catholic Church has one or more. They are usually used for private devotion or for liturgical purposes such as Eucharistic Adoration.
The term comes from the French, literally meaning, “pray God.”
This question was answered by a priest of the Diocese of Lincoln. Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to 3700 Sheridan Blvd., Suite 10, Lincoln NE 68506-6100. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.
