These days it's common to find gluten-free foods in grocery stores and on restaurant menus.
But with Sunday services awaiting, is there an alternative communion wafer for those with celiac disease?
The Vatican says there is no such thing as gluten-free communion, but ask you shall receive.
"I think the United States government sets a limit on something they call 'gluten-free completely' is under 20 parts per million. So it's higher, but it's still very low, I mean it's a tiny, tiny amount," explains Reverend Anthony Barratt, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.
Father Barratt says there are about 100 parts per million in a low-gluten host. There is no such thing as a completely gluten-free host. At least not one that's recognized by the Vatican.
"We want to make sure, as with the wine, that it is genuine wine as our Lord used, and also with the host that is recognizably still a wheat host, unleavened bread," says Father Barratt, who also says most people with celiac can tolerate the low gluten hosts, but it's important that they are handled properly.
"On the altar you'd have the regular host in a dish, we call it a paten. And then you have a smaller one or a little thing that's called the pyx where you would have those low gluten hosts as well. Most parishes I think do that," says Father Barratt
You can find the low gluten hosts for sale in a religious goods store, but most parishes have them already.
"It's pretty widely available, a number of parishes, actually my own parish, we have a stock of official low gluten hosts. Which you can get from a number of ecclesiastical places to make sure that they are proper hosts and they have that right level," says Father Barratt. He says if you have a gluten allergy you should probably call ahead and introduce yourself and specific needs to the parish before mass begins.
