Low-gluten Hosts

Low-gluten Hosts Available

Holy Family now has low-gluten hosts (.001% or 37 micrograms) available for parishioners who have wheat-related allergies or intolerances. If you or your child have not been receiving communion because of gluten levels in the hosts you can now request low-gluten hosts at each of our worship sites. There is no such thing as a “no-gluten” host since Church law requires that hosts used at Catholic Masses must contain some wheat. However the low-gluten hosts we are using have been approved by the Archbishop and recommended by the Catholic Celiac Society.

Some who cannot tolerate a whole host can continue to ask the Communion Minister for only half or 1/4 host at the time of reception of Communion.  Those who cannot physically tolerate even this amount of gluten can request a low gluten Host before Mass using the procedure below.

Procedure: Please stop in at the sacristy before Mass and ask the sacristan to allow you to put a low-gluten host in a special container which they will place on the altar. Please do so 15-20 minutes early since once Mass begins the sacristan no longer has access to these hosts.

The low-gluten host you have placed in the container will be consecrated by the priest at the Mass you are attending.

Reception: At Communion time, please join the line for the Priest-celebrant of the Mass. He will be holding the container of low-gluten. When you approach him, after you bow to the Blessed Sacrament, request a gluten-free host. The priest will then open the container and allow you to take the host yourself (so there is no cross-contamination with wheat) and receive communion.

Please, if you have not placed a low-gluten host in the container before Mass, do not request one. The only hosts in the container at communion time will be the ones placed in the container by the individuals who request them.

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