Communion and Gluten Intolerance

[hhdavid]

I’m glad I found this thread. I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired and ended up in the ER last night. The ER doctor suspects I have celiac disease and I will be going to the gastroenterologist today. (Sorry if I misspelled.) One of the first things that crossed my mind when he told me was about not being able to take Communion. Guess the first thing I need to do after my diagnosis is confirmed for sure is get a letter from my doctor and take it to my priest, and then go from there? Any more information or resources on this will be greatly appreciated.

In Christ,
Helen

 

[WatchfulPilgrim]

I’m glad I found this thread. I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired and ended up in the ER last night. The ER doctor suspects I have celiac disease and I will be going to the gastroenterologist today. (Sorry if I misspelled.) One of the first things that crossed my mind when he told me was about not being able to take Communion. Guess the first thing I need to do after my diagnosis is confirmed for sure is get a letter from my doctor and take it to my priest, and then go from there? Any more information or resources on this will be greatly appreciated.

In Christ,
Helen

Most priests are aware of the options for Celiac, but just in case:

catholicceliacs.org/Bishops.html

benedictinesisters.org/bread/low_gluten.php

The first is a link that explains how Celiacs are to be accomodated for communion. We are able to either receive the low-gluten host, or a small amount of just the wine. As you see from this thread however, not all priests are accomodating. Our pastor seems to have his own personal hang-up about allowing the laity to receive any wine.

I haven’t known many other Celiacs so I don’t know what others experience, but in my own experience I can tell you that at first the host didn’t bother me. It took about a month or so on the diet for it to start bothering me, probably b/c the more you avoid gluten the less gluten it takes to affect you. Eventually it gets to the point where a single crumb or particle of flour can set you off. Even if you don’t experience symptoms or if the symptoms are not serious, the smallest amount of gluten causes damage to the small intestine therby increasing your chances of cancer and other ailments. Bottom line is to go on a very strict gluten-free diet (gf diet) and look out for contamination. There is lots to consider that I won’t be able to include in this post, but I’ll PM you my email if you want more info.

Anyway, like I said, I am now so sensitive that I cannot even take the low-gluten host - either b/c the ‘low’ content isn’t low enough for me or there just plain isn’t any tolerable amount (which is my hunch), or the priest is contaminating it (which I’m sure is also the case). I have been going to mass at another parish where the priest gives me my own small chalice with a small amount of wine in it (no piece of host) and only I drink from it. At other masses there are cups available to all the parish in which case I would sit in the front and try to be the first to receive in case someone in front of me wears lipstick or contaminates it with a host they have received.

The good news is that we don’t need medication or anything extraordinary. Just don’t eat gluten! And you will be feeling amazing once you start the diet. I felt fantastic on DAY 1 of the diet! Some people take longer to recuperate. My symptoms are mostly all neurological and not gastrointestinal (which is rare I guess).

Here’s another link to the most helpful website I know for Celiac.

www.celiac.com

Awesome forum there. You will find answers to most if not all your questions.

Hang in there. It’s a little depressing at first to think of having to give up all those foods, but there really are good gf alternatives. Over time it gets easier. And there is no substitute for good health

God Bless

 

[maryjk]

I also have Celiac, and for the first year, did not receive the low gluten host. I would only receive from the Chalice, and only if I was one of the first to receive. The priest and I had it all figured out. I would always sit in the same seat. It worked.

Then we talked about the low gluten host. I didn’t think that it would work. You can search back through my posts here. I got on everyone’s case about “low gluten” vs. “gluten free.” I HAD to be gluten free and those hosts were low gluten. Low gluten would make me sick.

And sick I was if I even thought about eating something with gluten. One time, a crouton was in my salad. I didn’t eat it, just some of the lettuce around it, before I saw the crouton. I was sick. I made something to eat where gluten had been. I was sick.

BUT the low gluten hosts don’t make me sick. The priest uses a new, clean pyx. He is very careful about what he touches and when. There are at least five people with Celiac at our Parish. So our priest really gets a workout with the low gluten host.

Now, I am not saying that if you have Celiac and you receive the low gluten host, you will not be sick. I am saying that if your priest is careful and uses a new pyx, your chances are of being sick from the Host are very low.

So those of you that are sick from it, I am not calling you a liar. It could be that less than 10ppm making you sick, it could be that the priest isn’t as careful as he could be, it could be any number of things about how the host is handled before Mass or during Mass.

I am saying that there are those of us out here that are VERY sensitive to the smallest amount of gluten but can also receive the low gluten host without incident.

delightfullyglutenfree.wordpress.com/gf-myths-uncovered/

 

[WatchfulPilgrim]

I also have Celiac, and for the first year, did not receive the low gluten host. I would only receive from the Chalice, and only if I was one of the first to receive. The priest and I had it all figured out. I would always sit in the same seat. It worked.

Then we talked about the low gluten host. I didn’t think that it would work. You can search back through my posts here. I got on everyone’s case about “low gluten” vs. “gluten free.” I HAD to be gluten free and those hosts were low gluten. Low gluten would make me sick.

And sick I was if I even thought about eating something with gluten. One time, a crouton was in my salad. I didn’t eat it, just some of the lettuce around it, before I saw the crouton. I was sick. I made something to eat where gluten had been. I was sick.

BUT the low gluten hosts don’t make me sick. The priest uses a new, clean pyx. He is very careful about what he touches and when. There are at least five people with Celiac at our Parish. So our priest really gets a workout with the low gluten host.

Now, I am not saying that if you have Celiac and you receive the low gluten host, you will not be sick. I am saying that if your priest is careful and uses a new pyx, your chances are of being sick from the Host are very low.

So those of you that are sick from it, I am not calling you a liar. It could be that less than 10ppm making you sick, it could be that the priest isn’t as careful as he could be, it could be any number of things about how the host is handled before Mass or during Mass.

I am saying that there are those of us out here that are VERY sensitive to the smallest amount of gluten but can also receive the low gluten host without incident.

delightfullyglutenfree.wordpress.com/gf-myths-uncovered/

Hi Mary,

I’m glad they work for you - they used to work for me too. The few times I used it this past year, however (about 5 years into the diet) I was sick. It may very well be a safe enough host for Celiac (I doubt they’d recommend it otherwise), however, before the host makes it to my mouth it has been touched by the priest after having touched the regular hosts, and it has been in a pyx (which was only ever mine used exclusively for the gf hosts) which is purified by the same cloths as all the other patens and chalices on the altar (with the gluten-containing hosts). I’m sure it is a contamination issue. Now since I can simply receive from the cup at this other parish, I don’t have a problem at all, but if this was not available, I wouldn’t have any alternative but to be sick if I want to receive communion - which isn’t really fair considering there is no reason I shouldn’t be able to receive from the cup at ANY parish.

For contamination reasons I wouldn’t recommend a low-gluten host to anyone unless their priest is willing to use a seperate cloth to purify it and not to insist on touching the host to administer it (just use the pyx to put it in my hand). I don’t even like receiving communion in the hand though - so this presents yet another problem. I can’t exactly dump the host from the pyx into my mouth . But I did once know a priest who would just hand the pyx to me and I’d have to remove the host myself. I’d do it if I was allowed to, but like I said, my pastor won’t even let me do that.

I’m just thankful that there is an accomodating priest in this city. Albeit, it isn’t a convenient parish for us since it’s on the other side of the city - but it is better than the alternative.

Godspeed~

 

[Lisa44]

I have Celiac Disease also.

I have to sortof laugh at the terminology of “low gluten” as being recourse for those with Celiac Disease. There is so little understanding in our society about Celiac Disease. If someone was allergic to peanuts, would you off them a “low peanut” snack?

Its rediculous. Some Celiacs have minimal or no symptoms even though their bodies are still being damaged by gluten. That is why they think they are safe eating a “low” amount of gluten.

The only safe solution for Celiacs is a NO gluten diet.

Current guidelines allow a product to be listed as “gluten free” if it contains under 200 ppm of gluten. However, this is of course not going to work because that is enough gluten to make a Celiac ill.

Would you offer 200 ppm of peanuts to someone allergic to peanuts?

I am sick almost 100% of the time due to accidental ingestion from contaminated foods.
Just to give you an example, I currently eat meat, vegetables and fruits but am sick from either contaminated salt or pepper, or cross contamination by the butcher in handling the meat.

There is no way I could eat a low gluten host or drink from a cup that had been exposed to gluten.

I haven’t been married in the Church yet. I suspect I will not ever recieve Communion unless in my own cup with wine that has never come into contact with gluten. If that is not allowed, I will resign myself to never having Communion.

If you have a lot of symptoms as I do, and you live your life on a perpetual fast that never ends, and you are still sick despite all your hard efforts, I feel for you. I really do. Its not easy.

 

[samcarter14]

I have not been diagnosed celiac, but i have very negative reactions to gluten (I immediately get drowsy, almost drugged, have headaches and major digestive issues), so I avoid gluten. Probably because i am not celiac, I have never noticed a problem with eating in our gluten-filled kitchen–I’m sure there is cross-contamination there, since my family eats gluten.

I attend an Eastern Catholic parish and we take communion from the cup, with the wine and bread mixed. I have simply asked the priest to give me only wine on the spoon, as he does with the littlest babies who can’t chew yet and he does. So far I’ve been fine. I’m sure if my sensitivity got to the point where even that was too much exposure, Father would accomodate me.

 

[maryjk]

I have Celiac Disease also.

I have to sortof laugh at the terminology of “low gluten” as being recourse for those with Celiac Disease. There is so little understanding in our society about Celiac Disease. If someone was allergic to peanuts, would you off them a “low peanut” snack?

Its rediculous. Some Celiacs have minimal or no symptoms even though their bodies are still being damaged by gluten. That is why they think they are safe eating a “low” amount of gluten.

The only safe solution for Celiacs is a NO gluten diet.

Current guidelines allow a product to be listed as “gluten free” if it contains under 200 ppm of gluten. However, this is of course not going to work because that is enough gluten to make a Celiac ill.

Would you offer 200 ppm of peanuts to someone allergic to peanuts?

I am sick almost 100% of the time due to accidental ingestion from contaminated foods.
Just to give you an example, I currently eat meat, vegetables and fruits but am sick from either contaminated salt or pepper, or cross contamination by the butcher in handling the meat.

There is no way I could eat a low gluten host or drink from a cup that had been exposed to gluten.

I haven’t been married in the Church yet. I suspect I will not ever recieve Communion unless in my own cup with wine that has never come into contact with gluten. If that is not allowed, I will resign myself to never having Communion.

If you have a lot of symptoms as I do, and you live your life on a perpetual fast that never ends, and you are still sick despite all your hard efforts, I feel for you. I really do. Its not easy.

You do know that Celiac Disease is not an allergy? Comparing it to an allergy almost always leads to confusion.

The “low gluten” host tests at less than 10ppm. According to Dr Alessio Fasao, a leader in Celiac research, up to 20ppm is safe. And that zero is not found in testing. So something testing at less than 10ppm is the same as testing negative.

I also sort of laugh at what I used to believe. For about a year I wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t whole. You know, meat, veggies or fruit. Then I went to a GIG conference. Boy did I learn a lot.

 

[mdgspencer]

Being deprived of communion is being deprived of the grace that comes from it and being deprived of the union of your soul with Christ that communion means. If this were my case I would join another parish and take the precious blood there. If you do not switch parishes for human reasons, you ought to reconsider this Or if nothing else go to another parish sometimes.
(Though I think if changing parishes was beyond your control, God of course would understand and give you the grace that you would have received from communion in some other way.)

 

[WatchfulPilgrim]

You do know that Celiac Disease is not an allergy? Comparing it to an allergy almost always leads to confusion.

The “low gluten” host tests at less than 10ppm. According to Dr Alessio Fasao, a leader in Celiac research, up to 20ppm is safe. And that zero is not found in testing. So something testing at less than 10ppm is the same as testing negative.

I also sort of laugh at what I used to believe. For about a year I wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t whole. You know, meat, veggies or fruit. Then I went to a GIG conference. Boy did I learn a lot.

5+ years of personal experience has taught me that I take a risk every single time I don’t eat whole, and sometimes even when I do eat whole. I rinse all my meats and fish before I cook them to take care of contamination issues from the butcher. And contaminated salt and pepper is a definate possibility. If your family eats “normal” and there are some crumbs lingering in the middle of the table where the salt shaker is, chances are you shake a few crumbs onto your food while you salt it. I know some of this is common sense, but you can’t share butter, jelly, toasters, etc… I look at the silverware drawer from time to time. The kids drop crumbs in there without realizing. Sometimes my seperate containers of peanut butter, butter, etc… get used with regular bread b/c the family isn’t paying attention… There are so many ways it happens, and it can’t all be controlled. But you do what you can with what you do have control over. I have the option of my own cup of wine at communion for which I am extremely grateful.

There is conflicting information out there about supposed “safe” amounts. The way I see it - if my body treats wheat,barley,and rye gluten like it were poison, then no amount is safe. I wouldn’t take 10ppm of cianide every day or week even if I didn’t feel sick from doing it. That is just me though.

This isn’t a matter of right and wrong beliefs. Some people have different comfort levels about how they go about their health. I’ve no problem with anyone who wants to use those hosts. I’ve even heard of Celiacs taking a very small piece of the regular host. Hey, to each his own!

 

[WatchfulPilgrim]

Being deprived of communion is being deprived of the grace that comes from it and being deprived of the union of your soul with Christ that communion means. If this were my case I would join another parish and take the precious blood there. If you do not switch parishes for human reasons, you ought to reconsider this Or if nothing else go to another parish sometimes.
(Though I think if changing parishes was beyond your control, God of course would understand and give you the grace that you would have received from communion in some other way.)

I agree with this. I was once a daily communicant. Now I receive once a week if even that. Before I started going to this other parish, I wasn’t receiving it more than a few times a year (I did also leave the church for a time too though). I have to believe that God takes these things into account, and the same benefits would be derived from a spiritual communion. I have also said the Eucharistic chaplet on weekdays I didn’t receive. Goes like this:

Jesus, since I cannot now receive thee sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart and make it thine own forever.

Jesus, in the Blessed Sacrament, have mercy on us (33 times)

(i forget what the indulgences are for it. PJPII attached indulgences to its recitation)

 

[maryjk]

There is conflicting information out there about supposed “safe” amounts. The way I see it - if my body treats wheat,barley,and rye gluten like it were poison, then no amount is safe. I wouldn’t take 10ppm of cianide every day or week even if I didn’t feel sick from doing it. That is just me though.

This isn’t a matter of right and wrong beliefs. Some people have different comfort levels about how they go about their health. I’ve no problem with anyone who wants to use those hosts. I’ve even heard of Celiacs taking a very small piece of the regular host. Hey, to each his own!

I think you are missing my point.

First, I respect anyone’s way of dealing with Celiac. I agree there isn’t a right way or wrong way to deal with it.

Second, what I meant by less than 10ppm, is that there is no test for less than 10ppm. That means that if you opened a banana and tested it, it would also test as less than 10ppm. So it isn’t that you are getting 10ppm, when you receive a low gluten host. It is just that it tested as low as possible. But we can’t call it gluten free and still use it during mass, although many manufactures would call it gluten free.

Third, Celiac disease is not an allergy. We should try as much as possible to refrain from referring to it as such.

I guess that was what I was trying to say. It just took me a second try to get it.

 

[Lisa44]

You do know that Celiac Disease is not an allergy? Comparing it to an allergy almost always leads to confusion.

The “low gluten” host tests at less than 10ppm. According to Dr Alessio Fasao, a leader in Celiac research, up to 20ppm is safe. And that zero is not found in testing. So something testing at less than 10ppm is the same as testing negative.

I also sort of laugh at what I used to believe. For about a year I wouldn’t eat anything that wasn’t whole. You know, meat, veggies or fruit. Then I went to a GIG conference. Boy did I learn a lot.

Yes of course, but its a useful comparison as I don’t know any other auto immune diseases that are triggered by food and are not an allergy.

I wouldn’t eat anything with 10 ppm of gluten. I don’t even eat glutino products and they test for 20 ppm of gluten.

The only safe amount of gluten for a Celiac is NO gluten, especially if you have a lot of symptoms like dermatitis herpetiformis.

I don’t eat processed foods because I get sick from any amount of gluten so I can’t trust the “gluten free” standards.

However, the point was that Celiacs shouldn’t be pressured into eating tiny bits of gluten. No one would pressure a person with a peanut allergy to eat a tiny bit of peanut.

 

[Lisa44]

…

There is conflicting information out there about supposed “safe” amounts. The way I see it - if my body treats wheat,barley,and rye gluten like it were poison, then no amount is safe. I wouldn’t take 10ppm of cianide every day or week even if I didn’t feel sick from doing it. That is just me though.

Thank you. Exactly my feeling. When people ask me to eat a tiny bit of gluten (which is poison to my body) I will respond by telling them its okay to eat a tiny bit of rat poison. If you only eat a tiny bit of rat poison on Sundays it won’t be enough to kill you.

And I apologize for calling it an ‘allergy’. I do that from sheer laziness because of the effort of explaining the auto-immune process that seperates Celiac Disease from food allergies and even food intolerance. (which is confusing because Celiac Disease is also called Gluten Intolerance but its not a food intolerance but an auto-immune disease).

 

[WatchfulPilgrim]

I think you are missing my point.

First, I respect anyone’s way of dealing with Celiac. I agree there isn’t a right way or wrong way to deal with it.

Second, what I meant by less than 10ppm, is that there is no test for less than 10ppm. That means that if you opened a banana and tested it, it would also test as less than 10ppm. So it isn’t that you are getting 10ppm, when you receive a low gluten host. It is just that it tested as low as possible. But we can’t call it gluten free and still use it during mass, although many manufactures would call it gluten free.

It does seem contradictory for the church to call it valid matter and at the same time it is essentially gluten-free?

I do understand what you are saying, and it is quite possible that the hosts are completely safe and gluten free. Like I said, I think the problem I have is from contamination by the priest. But regardless, if/when they can test below 10ppm, I will stop consuming those products too. You do what you can with what you know. If testing for gluten reveals 8 ppm in Glutino products, I will stop using those. When they find 7 ppm of gluten in a banana, I’ll stop eating those

Third, Celiac disease is not an allergy. We should try as much as possible to refrain from referring to it as such.

That is true but it is another auto-immune disease that is treated the same; avoidance of the allergen.

And I apologize for calling it an ‘allergy’. I do that from sheer laziness because of the effort of explaining the auto-immune process that seperates Celiac Disease from food allergies and even food intolerance. (which is confusing because Celiac Disease is also called Gluten Intolerance but its not a food intolerance but an auto-immune disease).

Right, well I think your analogy was fitting seeing that the remedy for Celiac and allergies is avoidance. People are far more familiar with peanut allergies and its seriousness than Celiac.

There is a link between Celiac, Autism, and MS (maybe some others too) - I’m not sure they’ve quite discovered what that link is. MS and Autism patients sometimes notice improvement on a gf diet. They know there is a dietary and an auto-immunity connection.

 

[maryjk]

Again, I think everyone is missing the point of my comment of less than 10ppm.

When something is tested, the best results are, “less than 10ppm.” That is why I made the banana comment. Everything totally gluten free would test as “less than 10ppm.” The test doesn’t mean that the product has 10ppm. It means that it has less than what we can count. There is no less than 7, or less than 8. If/When there is a test for less than “whatever,” again, everything would test at that. There are also, less expensive tests that would have a finding of less than 20ppm. And even a cheaper test that tests only for less than 200ppm, When testing, it is more of, “a does this product qualify,” rather than is this product gluten free. There is no way to test to see if a product it truly gluten free.

It is like my Celiac blood tests. They come back as less than 4 antibodies. Then next to it, the result says, “negative.” That is because less than 4 means less than they can count.

At this point we are talking in circles. I respect anyone choosing to not receive the low gluten host. I only ask the same. And by saying that less than 10ppm is the same as poison to a Celiac, is not respecting my choice.

 

[WatchfulPilgrim]

Again, I think everyone is missing the point of my comment of less than 10ppm.

When something is tested, the best results are, “less than 10ppm.” That is why I made the banana comment. Everything totally gluten free would test as “less than 10ppm.” The test doesn’t mean that the product has 10ppm. It means that it has less than what we can count. There is no less than 7, or less than 8. If/When there is a test for less than “whatever,” again, everything would test at that. There are also, less expensive tests that would have a finding of less than 20ppm. And even a cheaper test that tests only for less than 200ppm, When testing, it is more of, “a does this product qualify,” rather than is this product gluten free. There is no way to test to see if a product it truly gluten free.

It is like my Celiac blood tests. They come back as less than 4 antibodies. Then next to it, the result says, “negative.” That is because less than 4 means less than they can count.

At this point we are talking in circles. I respect anyone choosing to not receive the low gluten host. I only ask the same. And by saying that less than 10ppm is the same as poison to a Celiac, is not respecting my choice.

I don’t know why we are talking in circles. Mary, I respect your choice. I don’t think I am misunderstanding you - in fact I agreed with you. I said “when” (if) they COULD test for less than 10ppm, and detected, say, 9, 8 or 7ppm in a product (meaning there is some gluten there) - then I would stop consuming it. I already confirmed, as you said, that it is quite possible that the hosts are entirely gluten free. I have also said, repeatedly, that I believe my problem is from contamination by the priest. I think the issue (for some of us anyway) is with the fact that the host is made of wheat starch, and even if there MAY BE less than 10ppm of gluten in it, that would be too much (for me). I don’t know if there is 9ppm in it. I don’t know if that is what is making me sick. I don’t know if it is getting contaminated (though I’m sure it probably is). Bottom line is that they make me sick somehow and I would prefer to take communion from the cup. If other “gf” products make me sick, I stop eating those too. I follow my body’s lead.

I’m sorry if I seem to disagree with you about whether or not the hosts are a safe alternative - I simply don’t know if they are or not. I certainly have not intentionally disrespected your choice. I have only tried to explain why I, personally, question their use as safe. Disagreement does not = disrespect.

I didn’t start this thread to debate the safety of the low-gluten host. I know that they are not safe for me - either of themselves, or b/c of contamination. I was looking for advice to solve the problem I personally am having. Like I said, I even know of a Celiac who takes a small piece of the regular, glutenous host. I say (again) “to each his own” Call me selfish - it really doesn’t bother me either way. We all have our own ways of going about our health.

It might help you to understand that I am OCD-ish about dirt, germs, etc. too. It’s a fault of mine. Perhaps I carry over that trait in my dealing with food too. But regardless, there is something wrong with my reception of these hosts that my obsession could not have anything to do with.

Peace~

 

[Tom_in_St.Louis]

So if a person can tolerate taking the Blood only, what is the “proper” procedure? Do you stand in line for the Body and receive a blessing, then take the Blood? Or do you skip the line for the Body and just go to the Blood? This is awkward for me.

 

[WatchfulPilgrim]

So if a person can tolerate taking the Blood only, what is the “proper” procedure? Do you stand in line for the Body and receive a blessing, then take the Blood? Or do you skip the line for the Body and just go to the Blood? This is awkward for me.

It’s really up to the priest what you should do. In one parish I sit in the pew right near where the e.m. stands with the cup, and then I just go immediately to that person when they get there. This means I am the first person to receive from it. I don’t even stand in line for the host. In fact, at no parish do I ever do that. At another mass I go up to the altar during the Lamb of God and receive from the cup while the e.m. receives, b/c at that mass the cup is not available to the parish. (but it is a seperate cup w/out the piece of host in it).

 

[maryjk]

So if a person can tolerate taking the Blood only, what is the “proper” procedure? Do you stand in line for the Body and receive a blessing, then take the Blood? Or do you skip the line for the Body and just go to the Blood? This is awkward for me.

You need to work it out with your priest.

I used to stand in line for the Host. Bow, and turn to walk to receive from the Chalice. There really isn’t, at our parish, a way to receive from the Chalice without passing the Host.

Only when we had a visiting priest did I receive a blessing. Oh, and once when my priest forgot. After mass, he said he was sorry. An extra blessing didn’t hurt.

 

[passus]

So if a person can tolerate taking the Blood only, what is the “proper” procedure? Do you stand in line for the Body and receive a blessing, then take the Blood? Or do you skip the line for the Body and just go to the Blood? This is awkward for me.

Simply stand in line to receive only the Precious Blood.

If that would be awkward for you or if you would be distracted by wondering whether the priest or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion saw that you did not receive under the other species, then you can tell your pastor who would inform the sacristan of the circumstances.

The sacristan may also be able to arrange for one chalice of Precious Blood which has not been mingled with the Body of Christ to be at a certain Communion “station” in your church if that concerns you as well.