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July 25, 2006
Even God Wants Us to Eat Safe - Gluten Free Mass?
Here's an interesting story that, to the non-food allergic many, may seem a bit on the humorous side. However, if you are a Christian suffering from Celiac Disease, there is nothing funny about it. It highlights the need for food allergic persons to take their entire environment into account.
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Source: sundaymirror.co.uk
Churchgoers want gluten-free wafers for communion service
By Niall Donald
Irish mass-goers suffering from a dangerous food allergy are going spiritually hungry... because they are allergic to communion wafers.
More than 40,000 people in Ireland have coeliac disease, and are allergic to cereal-based foods.
But Irish coeliac groups said their members cannot stomach communion wafers because they include gluten. They want gluten-free communion wafers to be avail able at all Irish churches.
Coeliac sufferer Catherine King people said people with the condition are often too embarrassed to ask the priest for wine before mass starts. She said coeliacs cannot drink the sacred wine because the priest breaks a piece of host into it during the service.
She said: "Priests say to go around to the sacristy before mass and ask for permission to receive the wine.
"But most coeliacs don't bother because of embarrassment and they don't want to disturb the priest."
Ms King said she sent a letter to All-Ireland Primate Dr Sean Brady asking for special hosts to be made available for coeliacs.
She said the Carmelites Order are the only Catholic order who cater for coeliacs.
She claimed Church bosses could buy the gluten-free hosts for just 3 cents each.
Posted by David at July 25, 2006 5:07 AM