Grace Thompson
Communion wafers are unleavened wafers made from wheat flour and water. They are used in the Catholic Church to commemorate the Last Supper, where Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples before his crucifixion. The Catholic Church holds that the communion wafer is not symbolic but a literal consumption of Christ's flesh through a process called transubstantiation. The wafers are typically thin, round, and unleavened, and are often imprinted with a cross, crucifix, or Christogram. While gluten-free options have been requested, the Vatican has stated that communion wafers must contain at least some gluten, as gluten is a naturally occurring protein in wheat flour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, oil |
| Leavened or Unleavened | Unleavened |
| Shape | Thin, round |
| Special Ingredient | Holy water |
| Manufacturer | The Cavanagh Company |
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What You'll Learn
Communion wafers are made of wheat flour and water
The wafers are unleavened, meaning they are made without yeast, resulting in a flat and thin bread. This type of bread is used to commemorate the Last Supper, which, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, was a Passover meal where the bread was unleavened, symbolizing the hurried nature of the Israelites' departure from Egypt.
The Code of Canon Law stipulates that communion wafers must be made solely from wheat flour and water. This restriction on ingredients is significant, as it ensures the purity and sanctity of the wafers. In some instances, holy water may be used in place of regular water, adding a symbolic dimension to the dough.
The preparation of communion wafers often falls to nuns or monks, who bake them to support their religious communities. However, there are also commercial companies that produce wafers, such as the Cavanagh Company, which supplies a significant portion of the wafers used by Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, and Lutheran churches in several countries.
The use of wheat flour and water in communion wafers holds symbolic value and adheres to religious traditions. The simple ingredients and unleavened nature of the wafers are integral to their role in Catholic rituals and liturgy.
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Sometimes, holy water is used
Communion wafers are made of unleavened bread, or bread without yeast, in the Catholic Church. This is in remembrance of the Last Supper, where the first Eucharist was celebrated at a Passover meal, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The bread for Passover is always unleavened, in memory of the bread the Israelites baked in a hurry before leaving Egypt.
The Code of Canon Law requires that communion wafers be made from wheat flour and water only, and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling. The wafers are often made by nuns or monks as a means of supporting their religious communities.
The use of holy water in the making of communion wafers is a way to further sanctify the bread used in the Eucharist. The bread, or wafer, is then transformed into the body of Christ through a process known as transubstantiation, according to Catholic Christians.
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Leavened vs. unleavened bread
Communion wafers, or hosts, are made of unleavened bread in the Catholic Church. This is in remembrance of the Last Supper, which according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, was a Passover meal. The bread for Passover is always unleavened, recalling the hurriedly baked bread the Israelites made before they fled Egypt.
Leavened bread is used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches as a symbol of the risen Christ. Leavened bread is also used in some Anglican churches. The bread, known as prosphorá or πρόσφορον (prósphoron, 'offering') is made from fine (white) wheat flour, pure water, yeast, and salt. Sometimes holy water is added to the dough or sprinkled on the kneading trough.
Unleavened bread is made from wheat flour and water. The Code of Canon Law requires that the hosts be made from these two ingredients only and be recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling. The wafers are thin, round, and flat.
The use of unleavened bread is practical as well as symbolic. When broken, unleavened bread does not produce crumbs, which can be messy and detract from the solemnity of the occasion.
The use of leavened bread in the East has given rise to various liturgical traditions. For example, the bread is baked by a believing Orthodox Christian in good standing who has recently been to confession and is accompanied by prayer and fasting.
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The history of communion wafers
Communion wafers are unleavened wafers, made from wheat flour and water. In the Catholic Church, the wafer represents the body of Jesus Christ, and the wine, his blood. This tradition is said to have been started by Jesus during the Last Supper with his disciples before his crucifixion.
The original communion bread was likely a typical mid-eastern flatbread baked on an open hearth. Over time, the bread evolved into the thin, round wafers used today. For many centuries, these wafers were made in monasteries, and even today, some monastic communities bake and sell them directly to parishes. However, there are also commercial companies that manufacture communion wafers, such as The Cavanagh Company, which produces wafers for a large number of churches in the United States, Canada, England, and Australia.
In the past, the local church would select a single baker to make the communion wafers, and a special oven was used to preserve the ritual surrounding the process. The use of unleavened bread is not universal, however. Some Eastern Orthodox Churches and Eastern Catholic Churches use leavened bread as a symbol of the risen Christ. The leaven is symbolic of sin, and so the use of unleavened bread in some churches also symbolizes the sinlessness of Christ.
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Who makes communion wafers?
Communion wafers, also known as altar bread, are unleavened wafers made of wheat flour and water. In some cases, communion wafers are made with holy water. In the past, communion wafers were made by nuns in small-scale operations. However, today, most communion wafers are produced by large manufacturers, with a single company, the Cavanagh Company, supplying 3/4 of the communion wafers used by Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, and Lutheran churches in the United States, Canada, England, and Australia.
The Cavanagh Company of Greenville, Rhode Island, was founded in 1943 by John F. Cavanagh Sr. and his son John, who invented machines to bake and cut communion wafers for nuns. The company has since grown to become the largest supplier of altar bread and communion wafers in the world, with the fourth generation of the Cavanagh family now running the business.
The shift from small-scale operations by nuns to large-scale manufacturing by companies like Cavanagh has been attributed to various factors. One reason is the increasing demand for communion wafers, which outgrew the production capacity of nuns. Additionally, the Second Vatican Council in 1962 led to changes in the Catholic Church's symbols, including a preference for communion wafers that more closely resembled bread. This required modifications to commercial baking machines, which companies like Cavanagh were able to accommodate.
While the Cavanagh Company dominates the market, there are other large manufacturers that produce communion wafers as part of their business. These companies supply a variety of Christian denominations, including Lutheran, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox churches, each of which may have specific requirements for the sacramental bread used in their Eucharist services.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholic communion wafers are made of wheat flour and water. The Code of Canon Law requires that the hosts be made from wheat flour and water only.
The bread for Passover is always unleavened, in memory of the hurriedly baked bread the Israelites baked before they left Egypt.
The church requires unleavened bread in remembrance of the Last Supper, where the first Eucharist was celebrated at a Passover, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Communion wafers are made by nuns and bakers sanctioned by the church. The dough is either sprinkled with holy water or kneaded into it. The wafers are then baked in a special oven designed for this purpose to preserve the ritual surrounding their making.
The Vatican has stated that communion wafers must contain at least some gluten as they are transformed into the body of Jesus Christ during Holy Communion. However, low-gluten wafers are allowed as long as they contain enough gluten to be considered bread.
