What About The Eucharist?

[Lymetoo]

I'm not Catholic, but our church celebrates the Eucharist [communion] twice a month. What in the world do you guys do?? I could bring my own bread, but I'd probably have to "give it" to myself!! Not the same!!!!

Is most wine OK? There's a problem here because congregants donate the wine. I guess I could check with the people preparing the communion each week and ask them to check the bottle.

What creative ways have y'all found to take communion?

OH....we also are offered grape juice if we can't have wine.

[jennyj]

The last time I did our communion, Lord's Supper, I took my own cracker. The preacher said that that was fine and as long as the meaning was there it didn't matter if I brought in my own. We use grape juice so that was not a problem.

[hez]

I would think the wine would be safe IF it is just wine and not some flavored sugary thing AND if no one inticited (dipped) their bread into the wine cup. I use a plain rice cracker for my communion. The priest has it up at the altar with the other hosts. I have a sepearate plate (there is some technical name for it but I cannot remember) so there is not cc issues. I would just have a conversation about celiac with your priest/pastor and see what you can work out.

Hez

[CarlaB]

I'm Catholic, I just receive the chalice. There are low-gluten hosts that are approved by the church, but the no gluten ones are not, so I don't receive the host. I probably wouldn't even if there were no gluten hosts just because our parish is so large, contamination would be a problem.

[Mia H]

I'm Catholic and I just receive the chalice as well. According to the Catholic faith the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus are contained fully in the consecrated wine as well as the host so we are receiving our Lord if we receive only one. I haven't gotten sick yet this way, but I did once receive the low gluten host and became sick from that. (Besides the fact that low gluten hosts look very odd and taste very odd which was very distracting for me).

(probably more information than you need if you are not Catholic but hopefully will help any Catholics out there wondering)

Mia

[bklynceliac]

My parents are both eucharistic ministers and they have a celiac parishoner. She has her own special host that the church orders and is kept in a special box. So in my experience you can request one that is gluten-free. But I could be wrong. And, not to get too theological, but it's all about symbolism anyway. I'm sure the big G is cool with you doing your best given your health constraints...

[Lymetoo]

Well, our pastor gives the bread from a plate. His hands would be contaminated, so I don't see any other way than to take my own bread/cracker to the front and "give" it to myself. He could give the blessing, but for me, it's just not the same thing. Sigh. I guess I'll get over it. I know God doesn't mind in the least!

[jayhawkmom]

So in my experience you can request one that is gluten-free. But I could be wrong. And, not to get too theological, but it's all about symbolism anyway. =

In the Catholic faith, it's NOT symbolism. They are the body and blood of the Lord, not just symbols. And, a host without ANY wheat can't be consecrated, and therefore would not be considered the "body of Christ."

The church does approve of the extremely low gluten hosts, but not the "no gluten" hosts. So, for a Celiac who won't risk that tiny amount of gluten, the body is not an option.

I realize that not all Christian denominations feel the same way about the host, and I do have "issues" with this. I'm a Catholic religious education teacher and I'm the lead Catechist for our First Communion and First Reconciliation classes. And, I'm also gluten intolerant, just dx. So, I'm going through a personal struggle with this issue at the moment. =(

[jenvan]

Well, I haven't taken communion since I was diagnosed. I'm not catholic, so we opt for the juice, and I haven't even gone that route yet. At some point, even as a few other gluten intolerant/celiac folks join our church, I am planning on bring up a gluten-free communion option. My church has around 5,000 attenders, so I was thinking a notice in the bulletin about a gluten-free communion and a separate area during ther service where this could be received.

[CarlaB]

Since a couple other Catholics have posted, it might be relevant to mention that I bought my own chalice for the smaller Masses that don't distribute the chalice. Since the priest puts a small piece of the Host in his chalice, we obviously cannot receive from that. If it's a priest I don't know, I get to Mass early and ask if he can consecrate some wine in my chalice, if it's a priest I know, I just say hi and put my chalice on the side table. As others have said, we receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under both species, so it's really irrelevant that we can't receive the Host. I play the flute at Mass, so I'm the second one to receive the cup after the Eucharistic Minister. I actually think everyone imagines that I only receive the cup because of my flute, but I've never really been one to worry about what people think ... If I'm at another parish, I sit in front so I don't get the chalice after everyone has contaminated it.

[eLaurie]

I'm Methodist, and our church uses a loaf of bread that we each take a small piece of; instead of wine in a chalice we use grape juice in individual little cups. Last Communion, I only took juice.

I read on another forum that some people (Lutherans and Anglicans, I think) actually bake and take a loaf of gluten-free bread that's consecrated and used for the whole church - what I'll probably wind up doing. Catholic posters on that forum validated what you guys are saying here, that the Catholic Church only approves wheat.

[penguin]

Yeah, the Church won't approve non gluten hosts because, as I understand it, the last supper had wheat bread, and so must we.

Celiac causes all kinds of crisis and internal conflict, even spiritual

[Lymetoo]

I read on another forum that some people (Lutherans and Anglicans, I think) actually bake and take a loaf of gluten-free bread that's consecrated and used for the whole church - what I'll probably wind up doing.

Now that's an idea! I'm Lutheran myself. I might get tired of baking every week though! Our church uses a type of pita bread [thick] cut into squares, and "wafers" are offered as well. So if I were to bake the pita, it would be contaminated by the wafers I guess??? and by the minister's hands....sigh.

I'll just take my own up to the communion rail. Bummer.

[olalisa]

If you go to ener-g.com you can order a box of 50 gluten free communion wafers for 7.99. That's what I'm going to do because I just had the cup at my last communion. I talked to my pastor about it, and he'll simply bless my wafer as he "serves" me instead of serving me one from the plate. (In the Moravian tradition, the ministers go out into the congregation and serve each person.) He even knows not to actually touch my wafer since he's been handling the other wafers

I must say that the whole thing about the Catholic church not recognizing a gluten free host just boggles my mind. I'm glad I'm Moravian!

"In essentials, unity.

In non-essentials, liberty.

And in all things, LOVE."

[Lymetoo]

If you go to ener-g.com you can order a box of 50 gluten free communion wafers for 7.99. That's what I'm going to do because I just had the cup at my last communion. I talked to my pastor about it, and he'll simply bless my wafer as he "serves" me instead of serving me one from the plate.

That will work for me. The difference will be that I will have to take the wafer or bread to the communion rail.

You know, even the common cup is not that safe, because others eat their bread, then drink. I'm glad we have individual cups.

Now I just have to check the wine. Are there any particular wines that are not OK?

[CarlaB]

You know, even the common cup is not that safe, because others eat their bread, then drink. I'm glad we have individual cups.

True, I play flute at Mass, so I'm the first one to receive out of the cup after the eucharistic minister. If I'm at another parish, I sit in the front to avoid this problem. I've sat in the back once, and did not get contaminated. The hosts used in a Catholic Church don't seem to have as many crumbs as regular bread.

[mamaw]

Lymetoo

I'm Lutheran also!!!! What I have done in the past is use the wafers from Energ but I really think they are crappy tasting. I now just use my homemade bread cut in a small square wrap it in tin foil . Our pastor gets it from me before service begins and takes it to the altar with him & places it with the others but it is still wrapped tightly in tin foil. Before he comes down to the altar rail he unwraps it and does me first. I have never had a problem this way.I'm not super sensitive either so this may not work for everyone. I think its a shame for the catholics not to be able to do what everyone else does...I know God understands better than we do and I'm positive he knows are hearts and that's what counts.

mamaw

[jayhawkmom]

The hosts used in a Catholic Church don't seem to have as many crumbs as regular bread.

The hosts used in Catholic churches don't crumb easily, unless broken. And, the only person who can fraction the host is the Priest. But, when the Priest does break the host, and if there *are* any crumbs, they'll fall into the paten. And, I guess it would be possible for someone to get a crumb on their mouth, and then contaminate the chalice.

I really hadn't thought about that!!! Thank you!

My daughter will be in preschool this year, so I have 3 years to contemplate her first communion.......

[CarlaB]

The hosts used in Catholic churches don't crumb easily, unless broken. And, the only person who can fraction the host is the Priest. But, when the Priest does break the host, and if there *are* any crumbs, they'll fall into the paten. And, I guess it would be possible for someone to get a crumb on their mouth, and then contaminate the chalice.

I really hadn't thought about that!!! Thank you!

My daughter will be in preschool this year, so I have 3 years to contemplate her first communion.......

For First Communion I would probably buy the low-gluten hosts (then only consume part of it). Although, considering you have to reach the age of reason to receive, your child should understand that it's okay to just receive the cup. That's the only ocassion I'd bother with them. I actually am the parish example in the First Communion classes when they explain that you can receive under either species and receive Christ. Everyone's seen people who only receive the Host. Well, in my parish, everyone's seen me only receive the cup, so I am the example they bring up in class.

Our priest only has the large Host on the paten, after he consumes, he brushes the crumbs into the celebrant's chalice. So, I think that at a bigger Mass there would be a smaller chance of contamination.

[olalisa]

That will work for me. The difference will be that I will have to take the wafer or bread to the communion rail.

You know, even the common cup is not that safe, because others eat their bread, then drink. I'm glad we have individual cups.

Now I just have to check the wine. Are there any particular wines that are not OK?

Fortunately, we use the individual cups in the Moravian tradition as well.

As far as the different wines go, I'm reasonably sure that all wine is safe. I'd double check with an expert on that, but from my research I understand that wine is gluten free.

cheers!

[jayhawkmom]

For First Communion I would probably buy the low-gluten hosts (then only consume part of it). Although, considering you have to reach the age of reason to receive, your child should understand that it's okay to just receive the cup.

That's true, and she will be a little older - as she won't even be starting Kindergarten till she's 6. I know I don't have to worry about this now, but I do - especially since I'm the First Communion Prep teacher! That's going to be difficult for me. As it is, we practice with Necco Wafers, and my older son (who celebrated first communion last year) would gag on those. He hates candy, in all shapes and forms. And, on his First Communion, he gagged on the Host as well. UGH!!!!

I admit, I'd been out of town since my blood test results, and overslept this weekend and didn't make it to Mass. So, i'm still not sure what *I* am going to do. I'm a NCGS person.... I'll probably chance it. But, I dunno. Maybe I'll talk to our Priest about it. He'll help put me at ease, I'm sure. =)

[SandraB]

In the Catholic faith, it's NOT symbolism. They are the body and blood of the Lord, not just symbols. And, a host without ANY wheat can't be consecrated, and therefore would not be considered the "body of Christ."

The church does approve of the extremely low gluten hosts, but not the "no gluten" hosts. So, for a Celiac who won't risk that tiny amount of gluten, the body is not an option.

I realize that not all Christian denominations feel the same way about the host, and I do have "issues" with this. I'm a Catholic religious education teacher and I'm the lead Catechist for our First Communion and First Reconciliation classes. And, I'm also gluten intolerant, just dx. So, I'm going through a personal struggle with this issue at the moment. =(

I'm Catholic too and at our mass there is only the bread. Vatican doesn't seem to understand that celiacs cannot "risk" a tiny amount of gluten. I no longer take communion because of this. God understands, obviously. But I wish the Pope would get his head round it too.

[CarlaB]

I'm Catholic too and at our mass there is only the bread. Vatican doesn't seem to understand that celiacs cannot "risk" a tiny amount of gluten. I no longer take communion because of this. God understands, obviously. But I wish the Pope would get his head round it too.

I would sit down with the Pastor and tell him the situation. I have my own chalice and ask the priest to consecrate some wine in it. He places it on the altar with his, then gives it to me instead of the host when I go up to receive. I have never had a priest refuse me yet!

[2kids4me]

The rite of Communion is an important one.

The priest in our church uses a separate chalice for the children, they receive it at the side of the altar. According to the Bishop (in Alberta) - receiving either the Body or the Blood is fine - you do not have to receive both.

If you watch the rite of communion, a small piece of the large host is broken off and added to the wine. also, any crumbs from the patten are brushed off and into the chalice. We did not even clue in to this until my daughter kept getting headches every Sunday. We then explained that the CC of the wine was making her sick - he was the one who said - we just use a separate chalice then.

The kids were recently confirmed by the Bishop and the use of the separate chalice is absolutley accepted and any priest should be willing to do it. The church provides the chalice

This is a copy of a letter I received from the Director of Liturgy and Adult Formation in Calgary

We opted to stick with just the wine at Mass, even thought he hosts have been "approved" by Gluten free Living.

The letter:

Here is the address for the sisters who make the low-gluten hosts:

Benedictine Sisters Altar Bread Department

31970 State highway P

Clyde, MO 64432

U.S.A.

Telephone number: 1-800-223-2772

Email: altarbreads@benedictinesisters.org

If you are going to look after ordering these hosts, it could be good

for both of you to know that there are some health food stores here and in

the States that sell totally gluten-free hosts. These are not the same as

low-gluten hosts and they cannot be used for the celebration of Mass because

they are not valid matter for the sacrament. The Benedictine Sisters make a

low-gluten host that has been endorsed by the magazine, Gluten-Free Living,

as being safe for those with celiac disease.

The alternative you suggested, that is, having the children receive

communion under the species of wine is a very good one already. If this is

satisfactory to you, perhaps you need not order low-gluten hosts at

all.

[Guest southgoingzax]

In regards to wine;

I have never had any problems with red wine. Some people are sensitive to the sulphites/sulphates used in the distillation process, but I have more trouble with whites - sometimes I get a little DH if I drink more than two glasses (which, yes, sometimes I do). I am not religious so I don't know about the context of it in church (wafer-dipping and all that) but if it's just regular ol' wine, you should be fine. Also, as a side note, some people have fructose intolerance, so grape juice in any quantity may not be a good idea until you get your symptoms and triggers pinned down. Just something to watch out for.

zax