Communion Paten

Communion Paten

What is a Catholic Church paten?

Patens are among the sacred vessels, together with chalices and ciboria, which priests use during the Eucharist in the celebration of Holy Mass. They are very important pieces of liturgical metalwork in the Catholic rite.

According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 327, the paten deserves special honour among the sacred vessels intended for the celebration of Mass, being the principal vessel in which the bread is offered, consecrated, and consumed. The priest uses the paten to carry the consecrated Hosts. The priest uses patens to distribute the wafers to the faithful. Patens bear the Body of Christ, offer it to the faithful, and prevent parts of the Sacred Host from falling to the ground. 

It is very common in churches and parishes to buy the three sacred vessels—chalice, ciborium, and paten—as a matching set.

Patens are usually flat vessels, with or without a foot, , which are used for the ground after the fraction.

If you are looking to buy a paten for a Communion chalice, in our online religious shop you can buy all kinds of liturgical patens: from silver patens with exquisite designs to metal patens at the most economical prices. 

Meaning of the Mass paten

The word paten comes from the Latin patina or patena, which originally referred to a flat, open container similar in nature to a platter or plate.

Although its principal function is to serve as the vessel that holds the Body of Christ, in the Catholic Church the paten has a much deeper liturgical meaning. It represents reverence towards the Body of Christ and symbolises the presentation of the community within the eucharistic sacrifice. 

Within the structure of Mass, the paten is involved in key moments of the celebration. During the offertory, the paten is presented together with the chalice as part of the people’s offerings.

At the consecration, the paten holds the host that will be elevated after the words of institution. Later, after the breaking of the bread, it serves as the vessel for distributing Communion.

The paten must be prepared on the credence table together with the chalice, corporal, and purificator, being suitably arranged for the Communion of the faithful.

The symbolism of the paten and the chalice as an inseparable pair of sacred vessels reinforces the eucharistic duality: the chalice contains the Blood while the paten holds the Body of Christ.

Both vessels express the fullness of the Paschal Mystery present in each celebration.

Origin of Catholic Church patens

The origin of patens lies in Christ’s institution of the Eucharist during the celebration of the Last Supper. 

From that moment, early Christians used plates and other generally flat containers to carry out the Eucharistic rite. These plates were called ministerial patens.

The so-called ministerial patens—the oldest of which there is record—were much larger than the sacred vessels that today we can see on our altars during Mass.  They were of considerable dimensions, with decorated rims and notable depth, functioning as trays of sufficient size to hold a large number of hosts.

During the Gothic period (12th–15th centuries), the size of the paten was progressively reduced. The sacred vessel took on flatter, more refined forms. S

Baroque patens often incorporated bas-reliefs of Christ or blessing hands on their inner face. The Plateresque period added elaborate ornamentation.

The later liturgical reform simplified the design towards the economical plain paten, removing superfluous adornments and prioritising functionality and the dignity of the material.

Today, despite there being a wide variety of patens (with a foot, without a foot, with a lid, without a lid, with reliefs, chased work, etc.), patens are usually the simplest sacred vessel, very often without any decoration at all. 

Characteristics and historical development of the paten

The chalice and paten have traditionally been made from materials of great value. Canon law specifies that they should preferably be made of gold, silver, or other precious metals that reflect the solemnity of the liturgical act.

Recently, the GIRM allows greater flexibility: the sacred vessels, including the paten, may be made from other solid and noble materials, such as ebony or other metals, provided they are suitable for sacred use and do not break easily or deteriorate.

This greater flexibility in the materials from which a paten may be purchased has brought about a wider variety of designs and prices without losing the required dignity.

Cheap patens made from hospital-grade stainless steel or anodised aluminium offer economical alternatives that meet the requirements for durability, ease of cleaning, and liturgical hygiene. 

The paten in the Neocatechumenal Way

The Neocatechumenal Way is an itinerary of Christian formation founded in the 1960s by Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernández. The Neocatechumenal Way arose in the context of liturgical renewal promoted by the Second Vatican Council.

This ecclesial community is characterised by emphasising the active, conscious, and communal participation of the faithful in the sacraments, integrating elements of early liturgy with a modern vision of the Church.

At the heart of its eucharistic celebrations stands out the octagonal paten, a sacred vessel that differs significantly from traditional circular patens by its geometric, eight-sided shape, symbolising the Resurrection and the new, eternal creation—concepts that are theologically central in the Neocatechumenal itinerary.

This paten, typically made of nickel silver with a high-grade silver plating, measures between 30 and 33 centimetres in external diameter and is presented as an economical but dignified solution.

The octagonal paten functions inseparably with the dodecagonal chalice (twelve sides, alluding to the Apostles), forming a theological pairing that expresses the fullness of the Eucharistic Mystery.

The octagonal paten, officially authorised by the Holy See in 2012, represents the creativity of the Neocatechumenal Way in integrating art, geometric form, and theological symbolism into a single liturgical reality.