17 replies to this topic

[jadobson]

Hello all,
After some great time away from church, myself and three children, are returning back. I'm wondering how any you approached the church in regards to communion? Both my son and myself have had pos. blood test results, but due to neg. reactions to anesthia we can not do biopsy's. Any suggestions for the approaching the subject with the church? We are still new to the church and don't want to cause to much attention, but want to partake in the communion.


Thanks for any suggestions,
Julie Dobson

[celiac3270]

If you're Catholic, the Church does not accept a gluten-free host as being vaild for communion. There are low-wheat hosts that can be purchased that are supposedly acceptable for celiacs, but I would never put anything in my mouth if I knew it contained gluten--however small the amount.

Otherwise, for example, in the Protestant churches, they are very tolerant--you can order gluten-free hosts over the internet (not sure where) and the pastor will give that to you--you can keep it inconspicuous.

The other option is taking the wine (if you don't want the low-wheat host). I wouldn't recommend this either since the hosts are sometimes dipped in the wine, plus if people take the host, then drink, crumbs could get into it or something.

[gf4life]

At our church I have the option of just taking the wine (grape juice in it's own little individual cup) or I can bring my own gluten-free "host". Sometimes I remember it, other times I don't. I just pass on the host when I forget to bring it. I hold onto my own host the entire time. It never goes into the communal dish, since at our church the host and wine is passed out and then it is blessed before being taken.

My opinion is that God wouldn't want me to eat something that was going to hurt me. He made me this way, and he made my body to be healthy when it is gluten-free, so why would He want me to hurt myself with taking communion!? I go to an Assemblies of God church and the Pastor there is very understanding. I know that others have not been as fortunate as I am with their experiences. It shouldn't matter whether you are new to that church or not. You should make an appointment to speak with the clergy as soon as possible to take care of the matter.

God bless,
Mariann

[stargirl]

I go to a Mennonite Brethren church and I just skip taking the bread and only take the juice which comes in its own little cup. You could always bring one of your own crackers and do what gf4life does. My church family never notices and it hasn't been a problem. Good luck!

[MySuicidalTurtle]

If your church accepts glutenfree waffers you can buy some here:

http://www.ener-g.co...Products&cat=15

[SofiEmiMom]

Hello. I just recently approached my Pastor about this issue, as well. I am Lutheran, Missouri Synod. My Pastor didn't even hesitate when it came to accomodating me. I expalined to him what Celiac was and the seriousness of it. What he and the Board of Elders came up with is this:

I bought a box of the Ener-G communion wafers, mentioned in the above post. They are wonderful wafers, near identical to normal. I took the entire box to my Pastor who then consecrated them. They are stored in a very safe place in my home and each time I go to church I take a wafer with me. The Pastor and Elders know who I am, so as I go forward to participate in communion I hold up my wafer and they nod and let me pass. If there is a community cup for the wine at a service, I pass. If there are individual cups I partake of the wine.

I also splurged and purchased a portable communion kit. I bought this at FamilyChristian.com. I figured it was worth the purchase as myself and my two children are Celiac, and we enjoy traveling. In the kit is this wonderful brass wafer container which is removable. The Ener-G wafers magically fit just right. I keep my wafer in the small brass container so it has a safe trip from home to church in my purse.

As our congregation is very large, my Pastor is considering offering a gluten-free option during communion since after talking with me we both concurred that there are probably others who would appreciate it.

[mela14]

I haven't approached the church yet and am moving in 2 weeks so I might take it up with the new church that I will be attending.
For now, I still go to mass but don't take the wafer. I remember times after church being really sick but not knowing from what. Only after learning about gluten did my husband and I see what it was doing to me.
My husband receives communion and I say a prayer when he returns....so I guess he takes it for both of us.
There is no way that I would eat the wafer knowing what I know now and remembering how I reacted.
I'm sure in light of health issues all will be forgiven but if you need to feel a part of the mass why not participate in another way like a reading or bringing up the gifts.
The wine is always another option although I am not comfortable with that for myself and lastly fidn out if you can bring your own communion wafers that are gluten-free and aks your priest if he would be willing to bless them for you.
Just my thoughts....good luck.

[anerissara]

I'm trying to figure out what to do, too. I took communion this week and it was like I could feel the wheat go through my system (within a few minutes...and it hurt!) then I was really tired and foggy all afternoon. I know I shouldn't have taken it but I didn't want to *not* go, either. Sigh. I am going to have to go talk to the priest and see what we can do about it, because I don't want to make myself sick! So far I think that's the hardest part about this.

[calico jo]

I was so appalled at an article I read a few months ago about a young lady not being able to go through her first communion because she couldn't eat the wheat wafer. The bishop wouldn't recognize it unless she ate a certain percentage of wheat. Absolutely ridiculous. These guys are so full of themselves, they're completely ignoring what Jesus would do. Jesus certainly wouldn't want a young child to harm themselves.

Sorry, just had to comment. I used to be Catholic and this is even more reason to stear clear of THAT denomination...this way of thinking..it's just wrong.

[jadobson]

You all have been soooo very, very helpful and encouraging. Thank you for the link that is awesome I can tell the healthfood the item #'s and hopefully get it local. I had never heard of a traveling communion kit, but that would be great to get and I'm going to look out for that. I just can't thank all of you enough. It is a Baptist church so I don't think we will run into the problems some of the Cathlic's have faced.

Thank you again,
Julie D.

[Maggie1956]

I go to a Australian made Pentecostal church similar to Assemblies of God. We have individual cups and a plate of wafers which are brought around.
If I remember, I take my own gluten-free wafer, other times when I forget, I take one from the plate, and then give it to my hubby.
The Pastor is very understanding and most of the congregation know I'm celiac.

[celiac3270]

Yes--someone made reference to an article in the news awhile ago--it was about a girl whose First Communion was denied by the Catholic Church because she used a gluten-free, not gluten-containing wafer. Here is a post about it:

http://www.glutenfre...?showtopic=2621

[KaitiUSA]

I remember a while back on tv they had a girl and her mom talking about it that her daughters first communion was rejected because she was a celiac and could not have wheat.
My church lets me bring my own whenever we have communion they were very find about it too.

[Carriefaith]

When I take communion, I just take the juice. I let the bread/waffers pass by.
Works for me!

[cdford]

The Ener-g version of the communion wafer has soy it it. Does anyone know of another manufacturer who uses another flour? Anybody have a recipe for matzoh that we can use for Passover and family Lord's Suppers?

We are at least blest that we don't run into problems at church...our pastor's wife is celiac and almost died before they figured it out. Needless to say, accomodations are made readily.