Low Gluten-free hosts are a very essential product to keep in mind for a celiac person when receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion.
Ever since my son Cesar Michael was diagnosed with Celiac disease and my daughter Cecilia Marie diagnosed with wheat allergy, we did not know where to find a reliable supplier of gluten-free hosts.  Luckily, my mother-in-law told us about a monastery called Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Missouri. She had always kept in communication with the nuns for several years. Fortunately, she found out that they made a “Low Gluten Altar Bread.”  We did some more research about their low gluten Altar Bread and found out that their Low gluten Altar Bread is approved for Eucharist Liturgy by the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have 3 locations, Clyde, Missouri; Tucson, Arizona; and Dayton, Wyoming.  Their largest house is the one in Clyde, MO where 52 sisters reside. One of the main works at this location is handling correspondence for prayer request, soap making and making Altar bread which includes low gluten-free hosts.

With the increase of celiac disease sufferers, 1 in every 133 people, it is very important to keep in mind that there are always alternatives in maintaining a healthy gluten-free diet.

Why Low Gluten and not completely Gluten-free?

According to the Holy See (Vatican), communion hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid. Hosts must contain some type of wheat in order to be considered true bread. The Catholic Church firmly believes that because Jesus used wheat bread at the Last Supper, communion hosts must be made with wheat.  In July 24^th, 2003, priests, deacon or lay people were given permission to use low-gluten hosts for Holy Communion under CIC (Codes luris Canonicis), canon 137.1.  The Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, has published a Memorandum from Rev. Robert C. Schulte, Vicar General-Chancellor sent to all the Fort Wayne-South Bend’s priest.

The Benedictine Sisters have been producing low gluten hosts in a dedicated gluten-free, wheat-free facility.

Approved Low-gluten Hosts | The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration

The low gluten hosts contain less than 0.01% of gluten which is safe for most celiac people according to Dr. Alessio Fasano of the University of Maryland. The ingredients used are wheat starch, water and lots of prayer.

After all, maintaining a healthy gluten-free diet is very important to controlling celiac disease and wheat allergy. Remember even 0.01% of gluten can be critical for a celiac person. Therefore, patients should consult with their physicians.
We have ordered “Low gluten Hosts” from them for my son Cesar Michael and my daughter Cecilia Marie. The sisters at the monastery have an excellent customer service team. Their prices are very reasonable. You could order online and be billed later.

In conclusion, if you are a Catholic and would like to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion, make sure you get it from an approved source such as the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Clyde, Missouri which is approved for Eucharistic Liturgy by the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops. Their website is www.benedictinesisters.org

Sources:

• Pbs.org / Baking nuns, March 30^th 2007
• Ewtn.com / Gluten-free Host
• Wikipedia / Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.