Preparing Communion Host

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paddi

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My youth group wants to start making the host to be used at mass. May I ask for anyone who has attempted this endeavor for recipe and directions? Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you & God Bless!
 
Paddi, I’ll go check the specifics for you…but the only host that can be validly consecrated is that made from wheat flour ( wheat starch) and water.
 
Properly prepared Communion hosts are very essential for a licit and valid consecration. Therefore, consult your pastor before undertaking this important task. In our parish, some parishioners with the pastor’s permission, are official bread bakers. They received instructions how to prepare the hosts and what ingredients go into the bread. Refer to the replies given to Fransol’s thread regarding valid and licit preparation of breadmaking for Mass. Personally, I don’t approve of parishioners making the communion hosts, because their is no quality control of how it is being prepared. Who wants to take the risk of having an illicit or invalid consecration at this sacred event. Fransol
 
The Code of Canon Law (Canon 924) mandates: “The Most Sacred Eucharistic Sacrifice must be celebrated with bread and wine, with which a small quantity of water is to be mixed. The bread must be made of wheat alone (mixed with water) recently made so that there is no danger of corruption.
 
paddi said:
My youth group wants to start making the host to be used at mass. May I ask for anyone who has attempted this endeavor for recipe and directions? Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you & God Bless!
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get the pastor’s permission
get an approved recipe and method (both are important) from the diocesan office of liturgy and worship
supervise those doing it to make sure they are following directions
I hope sincerely your pastor discourages it as a general practice although it might be permitted for a special occasion such as Confirmation Mass.
 
If you do intend to continue with the plan of making bread for Mass, it can only licitly be made by mixing wheaten cornflour (which isn’t corn at all but is in fact wheat starch)…check carefully that you don’t buy cornstarch made from corn because it cannot be validly consecrated according to Canon Law. There are recipes available, but not appropriate for Catholic use.

You would have to practice consistencies of water to wheat starch as I don’t have specifics. Don’t add any oil or salt or any other ingredient. If you have a flat grill with a flat top that can close, eg a flat sandwich griller or toaster, drop some of the water and wheat mixture and close the lid and let it spread and toast a little. With trial and error you may get an edible or palatable result eventually…but in fact, host making does require quite a few procedures with appropriate equipment when made by the nuns in monasteries.

I realise this makes things seem very difficult, but perhaps your youth group can meet the challenge of making bread that can be validly consecrated. If not, it can’t be used in Mass for the consecration.

Wishing you the best, Trishie
 
Trishie, they can opt to make loaves. You just mix whole wheat and white flour with enough water to make a stiff dough. Knead a few times, shape into a round, flat loaf, score to make fractioning easier and bake.
 
Please make sure your whole wheat flour has not gone rancid. One can make “recently baked” bread with rancid flour. Whole wheat flour goes bad pretty quickly and should be kept in the freezer. It’s best to grind it fresh just before mixing and baking.

I can’t tell you how often I’ve tasted rancid flour at church.
 
We did receive permission from my Pastor and he thinks it’s a great idea. We do use loaves at our Saturday evening mass, which I do the baking for…following the official diocian recipe. I used to make hostes with my youth group when I was a kid and just didn’t remember the proceedures fully. I will contact the diocese to get the particulars. I was just looking to see if anyone who was currently doing this could share their experiences.
Thank you for your imput, however.
 
Just a word of caution regarding those who opt to make the bread used for the Mass. This comes from Redemptionis Sacramentum:
. The Matter of the Most Holy Eucharist
[48.] The bread used in the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharistic Sacrifice must be unleavened, purely of wheat, and recently made so that there is no danger of decomposition.123 It follows therefore that bread made from another substance, even if it is grain, or if it is mixed with another substance different from wheat to such an extent that it would not commonly be considered wheat bread, does not constitute valid matter for confecting the Sacrifice and the Eucharistic Sacrament.124 It is a grave abuse to introduce other substances, such as fruit or sugar or honey, into the bread for confecting the Eucharist. Hosts should obviously be made by those who are not only distinguished by their integrity, but also skilled in making them and furnished with suitable tools.125
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[49.] By reason of the sign, it is appropriate that at least some parts of the Eucharistic Bread coming from the fraction should be distributed to at least some of the faithful in Communion. “Small hosts are, however, in no way ruled out when the number of those receiving Holy Communion or other pastoral needs require it”,126 and indeed small hosts requiring no further fraction ought customarily to be used for the most part.
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In addition, there is always that fear, at least as far as I am concerned, that even though great care is displayed in making this bread, that, when it becomes the Eucharist and is distributed as Holy Communion, crumbs may fall.
 
when I have been with RCIA training groups that do this, they make the flour and water mixture, well kneaded, into a flat oblong loaf, patted or rolled thinner than a sugar cookie dough, and score it in small squares with a knife so it breaks easier into chunks w/o crumbs. and it is baked on a cookie sheet. It is very tedious to do this all the time for a large congregation.
 
we buy them now.
I know where to buy them, I did not ask where to buy them.
The kids want to make them.
I received the necessary information from the diocese.
 
paddi said:
we buy them now.
I know where to buy them, I did not ask where to buy them.
The kids want to make them.
I received the necessary information from the diocese.
Click to expand...
Paddi, would you be willing to post the recipe you got from your diocese? I used to bake the altar bread for my parish some 20 years ago. I think the last time I did it was in 2003.
 
Phemie said:
Trishie, they can opt to make loaves. You just mix whole wheat and white flour with enough water to make a stiff dough. Knead a few times, shape into a round, flat loaf, score to make fractioning easier and bake.
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Good thinking! Why didn’t I think of that!!! 😃
Thank God some of us are practical! 🙂
My husband is still hoping…
 
Absolutely Phenomie. I know the recipe for the bread (loaf) off the top of my head, the host recipe I don’t have with me.
The official recipe for bread is as follows;
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup perrier (or any other sparkling water-NOT flavored, of course)
Mix the dry ingredients, add water & nead into “sticky” round loaf.
Form onto baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes.
Remove from oven and poke holes all around with tooth pick. Turn over loaf and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
*NOTE all ovens are different and you may to subtract a minute to ensure it doesn’t come out too dry (especually around ends) to eliminate crumbs.
**ALSO, it’s advisable if making more than one loaf, to mix each seperately.
If you are interested in the wafer recipe, I will be happy to get that to you. Basically it’s a wheaten flour/water recipe, no additives. I was told a wheaten cornflour (not actually made from corn) it’s actually more of a wheat starch. Sorry it’s not very specific, but I will get you specifics if you would like.
God Bless.
 
paddi said:
Absolutely Phenomie. I know the recipe for the bread (loaf) off the top of my head, the host recipe I don’t have with me.
The official recipe for bread is as follows;
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup perrier (or any other sparkling water-NOT flavored, of course)
Mix the dry ingredients, add water & nead into “sticky” round loaf.
Form onto baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes.
Remove from oven and poke holes all around with tooth pick. Turn over loaf and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
*NOTE all ovens are different and you may to subtract a minute to ensure it doesn’t come out too dry (especually around ends) to eliminate crumbs.
**ALSO, it’s advisable if making more than one loaf, to mix each seperately.
If you are interested in the wafer recipe, I will be happy to get that to you. Basically it’s a wheaten flour/water recipe, no additives. I was told a wheaten cornflour (not actually made from corn) it’s actually more of a wheat starch. Sorry it’s not very specific, but I will get you specifics if you would like.
God Bless.
Click to expand...
I have the same recipe but there have been suggestions from some quarters that the ‘sparkling water’ that is often used is club soda and that includes bicarb so may be illicit. I’ve been using just plain tap water.
 
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