OCD (germs) and Holy Communion

[Fagin99]

Hi, this is a genuine question so I'm looking for helpful suggestions please if anyone has been in the same position.

I've recently started going to church again where there is Holy communion every week. However, I have life-long OCD around contamination (germs) and drinking from the same cup makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I do not want to do this, and I don't think I'm being completely unreasonable in cold/flu season.

I have so far 'got around' this by asking for a blessing only, but this is attracting slightly confused looks which is also making me uncomfortable. I genuinely don't know what to do and I'm finding it all very upsetting. I could talk to the vicar about it, but I genuinely am ashamed of the OCD and go to great lengths to hide it in everyday life.

For what it's worth, yes I have had therapy and it's helped me to life a pretty normal life. But I cannot get comfortable with sharing a cup with all these people, which is distressing as I don't want to appear like I'm not committed.

I know some churches accept dipping the wafer into the wine (intinction?) but even this feels strange and I don't want to risk upsetting anyone by doing something different.

Has anyone felt like this? Or can offer a helpful suggestion? Thank you x

Sorry, don't know why it posted twice!

Just a little update in case anyone was following this thread: I spoke to my vicar today and he couldn't have been more understanding and kind. He said that it's absolutely fine to only receive the bread (or to only get a blessing) and that he'd discreetly tell the servers to not offer me the wine (without saying why). He said that only eating the bread is still taking part in the full sacrament.

For what it's worth, the wafers are actually handed out by hand (after we've all shaken hands) but I'm pleased to say that my ability to cope with this is generally strong enough these days.

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to reply. You all gave me the confidence to address it.

If you're a Catholic, you can skip the chalice and just receive the host.

I'd say about 90% of the congregation at the mass I usually go to does that.

I don't know how other denominations do things.

I'm RC, and for most of my life I never encountered wine at Communion. It only seemed to become a thing in my thirties or even forties. COVID stopped it again and now it's back. I don't have OCD, and even subscribe to the 3 second rule for some things, but I have only once or twice ever had wine myself and it always feels a bit gross. They wipe the edge of the cup with a cloth, but it's the same bit of cloth so not sure how that helps. Anyway, I'm with all those who say just take the host and bypass the wine. No need to explain why, in my opinion, not that you need to be embarrassed about OCD.

If people don’t want the wine they walk passed it in my church. It’s Catholic though and there’s only a few occasions the congregation are offered wine.

Do you have an issue with the vicar holding the communion wafer OP?

Of note many people go to church but don’t take communion at all and that’s just fine too.