Communion Altar Breads

Provided they are stored in a dry, cool area, and ideally in a sealable container, properly-packaged communion altar breads should have a shelf life of two years.

Yes. Both low-gluten and gluten-free communion altar breads are available for parishioners and clergy members with Celiac, non-Celiac and general gluten sensitivities. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines require food products labeled as “gluten-free” to have a gluten content of less than 20 parts per million (ppm). While there is not an FDA-mandated guideline for food products labeled as “low-gluten,” for packaging and labeling purposes most communion altar bread bakeries also adhere to this standard.

In a July 2003 directive, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) reaffirmed Canon Law mandating that, for the Eucharist, altar breads must be made from wheat; provided, however, that altar breads with most of their gluten removed, yet still retaining enough wheat properties to hold together and be baked into bread (i.e. low-gluten hosts) are considered valid matter for the Eucharist. Accordingly, low-gluten altar breads made using wheat starch and water would be valid for Catholic Mass, whereas gluten-free altar breads made using alternative flour sources (e.g. garbanzo bean, potato starch, fava bean) would not.

Priest (“presider,” “Celebrant”) hosts are typically larger altar breads used by the officiant(s) during communion services, whereas people’s (“parishioner”) hosts are smaller altar breads distributed to the congregation. Churches often use both sizes for their worship services and liturgies; furthermore, larger priest hosts are usually scored (etched) for easy breaking and distribution during communion services with more than officiant.