​Low-Gluten Communion Hosts

Low-gluten Hosts (<0.001% gluten) are available for anyone who has a medical condition that makes it unsafe for them to consume the traditional wheat Hosts. If you need one of these Hosts, please let an usher, head Eucharistic Minister or Liturgy Coordinator know and they will set one aside for you. 

YOU MUST DO THIS BEFORE THE OFFERTORY RITE OF THE MASS BEGINS!

​You will need to sit in the front row(s) of pews on the right-hand side (as you enter the Church) so that you can receive before the Minister transitions to the traditional wheat Hosts. If you don’t reserve your low-gluten Host BEFORE the Offertory Rite of the Mass begins, please understand that we will not be able to accommodate your request as the Consecration Rite will have already begun and nothing can be added to the Altar at that point. Of course, if you arrive too late and are unable to reserve your low-gluten Host, you can always receive the Precious Blood from one of our cup ministers or come forward for a blessing.
Statement Regarding BSPA Vatican-Approved, Low-Gluten Breads (10-07-2017)
 
STATEMENT REGARDING “On the bread and wine for the Eucharist” LETTER SENT BY VATICAN AND MADE PUBLIC JULY 8, 2017

(CLYDE, Mo.) - The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Missouri, have made Vatican-approved, low-gluten altar breads since 2004. These breads have been tested by independent laboratories and deemed safe for use by many people with Celiac Sprue Disease.
 
The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration were the first U.S. low-gluten altar bread producers approved by the Vatican. As early as the 1990s, the Benedictine Sisters started receiving requests for gluten-free hosts. With support from the Office of Divine Worship of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Benedictine Sisters produced a host compliant with the requirements of Canon Law and suitable for thousands of low-gluten customers around the world. These sales began in 2004, and the wafers have been approved by the USCCB for use in all U.S. dioceses.
 
The Benedictine Sisters are the largest religious producers of altar breads in the United States, making almost 9 million hosts each month. The low-gluten breads are produced in a separate facility in order to prevent cross-contamination. The low-gluten breads are made from water and wheat starch that has had most of the gluten removed. 
 
In 2004 Dr. Alessio Fasano, at the time director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland*, maintained that the amount of gluten contained in one of the Benedictine Sisters’ low-gluten altar breads (tested at < .01 percent) was so minute that someone diagnosed with Celiac Sprue Disease would have to consume 270 wafers daily in order to reach the danger point. A test done in 2016 indicated the gluten content was even more minimal - less than .001 percent. 
  
There are some people who are so sensitive to gluten that even the tiniest amount can cause discomfort. The Benedictine Sisters follow the recommendation set forth by the USCCB that those with such a serious gluten sensitivity discuss their condition with their pastor or Eucharistic minister. If the parish offers a separate chalice for Celiac sufferers, he or she may partake only of the Blood of Christ. It's best to avoid chalices that are used by those digesting regular altar breads because cross-contamination may occur.
  
More information about the Benedictine Sisters’ low-gluten breads can be found at https://altarbreadsbspa.com/low-gluten-use-storage/.
 
*Dr. Fasano is now with the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
For more information, please contact one of the following:
 
Tim Stiff, Altar Bread Manager
(660) 944-2227 or (800) 223-2772
[email protected]

Sister Ruth Elaine Starman, OSB, BSPA General Councilor
(660) 944-2227 or (800) 223-2772
[email protected]