It’s something most Catholics have probably heard at Mass at some point: An announcement that “gluten-free” or “low-gluten” hosts are available either during Communion or directly afterward so that Catholics with gluten sensitivities can participate in the Blessed Sacrament with minimal discomfort.
But how are low-gluten hosts manufactured?
The Church’s canon law is strict: The “most holy Eucharistic sacrifice” can be offered only with unleavened bread made “only [from] wheat,” meaning gluten-free flours are not permitted.
Canon law dictates that Communion can be distributed “under the form of wine alone in a case of necessity,” but many parishes have opted for the low-gluten option for Catholics who need it.
Though the practice may seem recent, it has actually been an active question for Church leaders for more than three decades.
In August 1994, the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith’s prefect, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — the future Pope Benedict XVI — issued the directive “Norms for Use of Low-Gluten Bread” in which the prelate noted that while altar bread “quibus glutinum ablatum est,” or “with the gluten removed,” was invalid for the sacrament, “low-gluten hosts” would be considered “valid matter.”
The bread in question must contain “the amount of gluten sufficient to obtain the confection of bread” and must not contain any “foreign materials” other than wheat and water.
Further, the process for making the hosts must not “alter the nature of the substance of the bread,” Ratzinger directed. The cardinal issued these directives to bishops worldwide in a 1995 letter.
So how are low-gluten hosts made?
The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Missouri, are among the numerous abbeys and monastic communities in the U.S. that produce altar bread. They are also known for developing and marketing a low-gluten host.
Sister Ruth Starman, the head of altar bread production at the abbey, told CNA via email that their abbey produces low-gluten hosts “by combining two different wheat starches that have had most of the gluten removed.” The starches are removed via a special milling process.
“We use the same type of baker as regular Communion hosts,” she said. “The mixing process is a little harder because the wheat starch makes a more gelatinous batter or ‘sticky’ batter than regular flour does.”
The Clyde abbey was the first U.S. producer of altar breads approved by the Vatican to make low-gluten hosts. The sisters previously told CNA that it took over 10 years of experimentation for the sisters to develop the right recipe.
“We were done with an experiment for the day and kind of had a little batter left on the spoon, so we flicked it onto the waffle iron and forgot about it and went and washed dishes,” Sister Jane Heschmeyer, who works in the altar bread department, said in an interview.
“We opened [the waffle iron] up and there was a lacy-looking edible thing. So we ate it right away and forgot how we got there, but the Holy Spirit helped us get back to that.”
Starman told CNA that the nuns have been making the hosts since 2004. “We still get new patrons every month,” she said.
Asked about the history of the practice, the nun told CNA that low-gluten hosts “were not produced before [modern times] as far as I know.”
“I don’t know if gluten sensitivity would have even been ‘known’ in past days,” she noted. “It could have existed but I don’t know if it would have been specifically diagnosed.”
After developing their recipe for low-gluten hosts, the sisters had them tested in a lab for their gluten content and also asked several volunteers with celiac disease to eat the hosts and report any adverse effects.
The scientists found that the hosts contained just .001% gluten, low enough to be safe for most people with celiac disease while still satisfying the norms for Communion.
By Daniel Payne
This article was originally published by The Catholic News Agency on January 29, 2025.
