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    Melissa Blanco
    Melissa Blanco

    Catholicism and Celiac Disease

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Celiac.com 12/09/2009 - I vividly recall the day I received my First Communion, the Sacrament a young Catholic child waits years to make.  I still have the group picture of my second grade Catholic School Class; the girls all wearing white dresses with veils, and the boys, suits with clip on neckties.  I stood in the front row beside my friends, excited that our time had arrived—the moment when we were finally able to join our parents in receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.

    In my family we went to Church every Sunday morning, and celebrated Holy Days, while my parents struggled to put us through Catholic School; paying for our education so we’d learn religious studies along with math, reading, and science.  Both of my parents also attended Catholic School, in a time where most of the educators were Nuns and Brothers.  When I was born, after Vatican 2, the Catholic Church had evolved, in an attempt to grow with a changing society.  The Nuns who taught me in school no long wore their religious habits, but rather, the same clothing as lay teachers; yet always with a crucifix worn over their sweaters and dress shirts.

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    One of my favorite Church songs was titled Gift of Finest Wheat.  The lines I distinctly remember, and continue singing along with at Church as an adult are, “you satisfy the hungry heart, with gift of finest wheat,” and “come give to us, oh saving Lord, the Bread of Life to eat.”  Perhaps my second grade class sang Gift of Finest Wheat before receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion, that spring day, many years ago.  I followed the rest of my class toward our Parish Priest, prepared to hear the words, “The Body of Christ,” before I responded with nervousness and reverence, “Amen.”  My hands probably shook while placing the Communion Host in my mouth, tasting the dry unleavened wheat bread.

    Twenty five years after receiving my First Holy Communion, I was diagnosed with celiac disease.  In the weeks following this life changing diagnosis, my focus was on the dietary restrictions I would now need to follow in order to heal my body.  Not once did I contemplate the ramifications of my Catholic faith.  In fact, I continued receiving the Communion host for several months, refusing to alter my reception of this central part of my religious life.  When I continued to remain ill, particularly after receiving my weekly Eucharist, I asked a dietitian if I should forgo Communion.  She answered with a sympathetic, “Yes.”  

    So what happens when a practicing Catholic learns that the Communion Host, the Body of Christ, the pinnacle of Mass, is making them sick?  According to Cannon 935 of the 1983 Cannon Law, “bread for Communion must be made of wheat alone, and no substitutes which would invalidate the Sacrament.”  In short, the Catholic Church forbids the use of Communion Hosts not made of wheat.  A practicing Catholic may continue to receive Communion through the Blood, or wine, alone—without the Host.  It is also advised that a Parishioner speak with their Priest to see if a separate Chalice is available to avoid cross-contamination, as some still dip the Host into the wine during the sacrament.

    The answer seems simple, doesn’t it?  Go to Church and receive Eucharist though the Blood of Christ.  But really—how simple is it to forgo on what always seemed to be an essential part of your upbringing, your past, your faith?  Communicate with your Priest, educate your Eucharistic Ministers, and continue to practice what you believe in.

    A helpful website for Catholics with Celiac Disease: Open Original Shared Link



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    Guest Francie Kelley

    Posted

    Thank your for your article. So many articles on celiac Catholics and communion focus on rules and not the whole communion experience. From the discussion about nuns without habits I would guess that I am older than you. Therefore, I clearly remember when Catholics were not allowed to receive from the Chalice. I also remember when the rules changed and so many people went to Communion, received the Host and totally bypassed the Chalice. Many older Catholics still do. I have always rationalized that we are doing much the same thing, bypassing the Host and only receiving from the Chalice.

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    Guest Lisa

    You can get low-gluten hosts from The Benedictine Sisters. I use them for holy communion and they don't bother me at all. They are made with less than 0.01% gluten content. Most people with Celiac can have them. For more information contact www.benedictinesisters.org

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    Guest Ken

    I was raised Roman Catholic, pre-Vatican 2, Catholic school to 10th grade with two years in a preparatory seminary. I became Christian six years ago. You should understand that Jesus is with you regardless of the host being wheat or rice. I go to communion at my church and pass the wafer. I don't feel like I've missed anything. It's coming to dinner with Jesus and my faith tells me he is with me.

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    Guest Bull

    There is so much more that you could write about here. The last paragraph sounds a bit more bitter about the Church than the previous ones. For instance, what would you want to discuss when you go to "Communicate with your Priest," or to "educate your Eucharistic Ministers?" What are you referring to when you end with "continue to practice what you believe in."

    What about personal experience with pursuing the issue? What did your pastor say to you when you spoke to him about this? Were you the first to identify yourself to him as a person with Celiac Disease? Had he never heard of it before? Did you find your experience with the Catholic Celiacs organization to be adequate?

    I worked in the church for years in a prior career and Celiac Disease was something discussed even at a modest-sized parish fifteen years ago. When I first approached our priest this year about my daughter's Celiac Disease, he instantly recognized it and started discussing the specific protocol for taking a low-gluten host at our parish, what to do before Mass, and how to best keep contamination to a minimum. Could you share your story? Is my parish priest an anomoly?

    To some of the specifics that you mention, there have been some changes in the past five years with chalices and cups that are of specific interest to Celiac Catholics. The only cup that should come into contact with a host is the chalice that, unless the congregation is quite small, remains on the altar and is not shared. There are specific instances of something called "intinction," which would contaminate a cup for the people, but that's rare and only done with the Presider's specific say so. Also, there is to be no pouring of the Precious Blood after consecration (fair enough if you point out that as a redundant statement), meaning that the Body of Christ will only touch the chalice on the altar. There are issues to discuss here, I'm not trying to gloss over that. But you make it sound like there aren't any answers, or that they are grossly incomplete.

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    Guest Bull
    There is so much more that you could write about here. The last paragraph sounds a bit more bitter about the Church than the previous ones. For instance, what would you want to discuss when you go to "Communicate with your Priest," or to "educate your Eucharistic Ministers?" What are you referring to when you end with "continue to practice what you believe in."

    What about personal experience with pursuing the issue? What did your pastor say to you when you spoke to him about this? Were you the first to identify yourself to him as a person with Celiac Disease? Had he never heard of it before? Did you find your experience with the Catholic Celiacs organization to be adequate?

    I worked in the church for years in a prior career and Celiac Disease was something discussed even at a modest-sized parish fifteen years ago. When I first approached our priest this year about my daughter's Celiac Disease, he instantly recognized it and started discussing the specific protocol for taking a low-gluten host at our parish, what to do before Mass, and how to best keep contamination to a minimum. Could you share your story? Is my parish priest an anomoly?

    To some of the specifics that you mention, there have been some changes in the past five years with chalices and cups that are of specific interest to Celiac Catholics. The only cup that should come into contact with a host is the chalice that, unless the congregation is quite small, remains on the altar and is not shared. There are specific instances of something called "intinction," which would contaminate a cup for the people, but that's rare and only done with the Presider's specific say so. Also, there is to be no pouring of the Precious Blood after consecration (fair enough if you point out that as a redundant statement), meaning that the Body of Christ will only touch the chalice on the altar. There are issues to discuss here, I'm not trying to gloss over that. But you make it sound like there aren't any answers, or that they are grossly incomplete.

    I need to apologize. My comment came across as much too negative. I'm thankful that you've opened up a huge issue for many folks, our family included. The quote marks were definitely over the top. In my self-centeredness, I think I wanted to direct your article more toward what I would have written. Apparently that's how narcissistic I was feeling that day. I was out of line in my tone and my negative rating. I am still interested in what resolutions you have (or haven't) come to and how you have (or haven't) been accepted by others at your parish.

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    Guest Isabel
    I was raised Roman Catholic, pre-Vatican 2, Catholic school to 10th grade with two years in a preparatory seminary. I became Christian six years ago. You should understand that Jesus is with you regardless of the host being wheat or rice. I go to communion at my church and pass the wafer. I don't feel like I've missed anything. It's coming to dinner with Jesus and my faith tells me he is with me.

    I have celiac. It's really difficult for others to understand that it is not a matter of being picky about food. It's really frustrating at times.

    Nonetheless, I agree with Ken. Your heart is the temple of God and whether you eat the wafer or not, what matters is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

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    Guest Isabel

    Good article. Thanks for your insight.

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    Guest Diana
    I need to apologize. My comment came across as much too negative. I'm thankful that you've opened up a huge issue for many folks, our family included. The quote marks were definitely over the top. In my self-centeredness, I think I wanted to direct your article more toward what I would have written. Apparently that's how narcissistic I was feeling that day. I was out of line in my tone and my negative rating. I am still interested in what resolutions you have (or haven't) come to and how you have (or haven't) been accepted by others at your parish.

    Thank you for apologizing. Melissa wrote about a sensitive subject in a sensitive way.

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    Guest Diana
    I was raised Roman Catholic, pre-Vatican 2, Catholic school to 10th grade with two years in a preparatory seminary. I became Christian six years ago. You should understand that Jesus is with you regardless of the host being wheat or rice. I go to communion at my church and pass the wafer. I don't feel like I've missed anything. It's coming to dinner with Jesus and my faith tells me he is with me.

    I am working to have this acceptance as well. I know that holy communion, just as the first Last Supper, is all about being with Jesus. Yet, the author's words echo my silent feelings...it isn't always simple to forgo a practice that has been such a meaningful affirmation of my faith. It does help to know that others who love God are having to make the same adjustment! Thanks for the article!

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    Guest Mary Beth

    Posted

    You can get low-gluten hosts from The Benedictine Sisters. I use them for holy communion and they don't bother me at all. They are made with less than 0.01% gluten content. Most people with Celiac can have them. For more information contact www.benedictinesisters.org

    About five years ago, I introduced our parish to using these hosts for two members of my family. My husband and daughter have no problem with them, and our priests are very aware and careful not to contaminate them. They (the low-gluten hosts) are always consecrated in a separate pyx on the altar.

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    Guest mark

    Thanks for your article. I enjoyed reading it. I grew up catholic and hearing your memory of first communion made me smile. Thanks. More than the technical issues of "not receiving the body", I have always been uncomfortable socially about the issue. I go to a large church and most folks don't know why I'm not taking the host or the bread.... Its always awkward when someone offers and I have to politely turn it down... not sure why. I still participate and know that my heart is right, but it's an interesting social issue for us to deal with.

     

    Thanks again for writing about the issue... it helps to know you're not alone in struggling with the issue and faith.

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    Guest Jill

    Please, please contact the Benedictine Sisters, who provide very-low-gluten communion wafers made entirely from de-glutened wheat starch and water. There is no reason for you to forgo the host.

     

    When I was living in the USA, I didn't go to the same mass every week. The parish priest gave me a pyx, and when I came to mass I took a host from the bag of unconsecrated wafers in my freezer and put it in the pyx, then left the pyx on the altar. When Father saw it there he knew I was in the congregation, included my host in the consecration, and put the entire pyx (avoiding cross-contamination) into the bowl of consecrated hosts. When I came for communion he opened the pyx and upended it to put the host into my hand, and I took the pyx with me. It was elegant, simple for both him and me, and didn't single me out in an embarrassingly obvious way.

     

    Please talk with your parish priest, and don't deprive yourself of Communion!

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  • About Me

    Melissa Blanco

    Melissa Blanco is a freelance writer and blogger who was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2007.  You can visit her website at www.melissablanco.com.


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