At Saints Mary and Joseph we seek to provide a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for all of our parishioners and guests. We are aware that there are some individuals that have special dietary restrictions that require them to entirely eliminate gluten from their diets.

We are pleased to announce the availability of Gluten-Free hosts at every mass celebration. These hosts are approved for use in the Catholic Mass and have a low enough gluten content as to be certified as Gluten Free* by the FDA. Any parishioners looking to receive Gluten-Free at Communion will find individually wrapped GF hosts on the table behind the pews before mass. We ask that you open the package and place your GF host into the small, round gold-colored "pyx". Our Eucharistic Ministers closest to the tabernacle will be administering the GF hosts from the GF pyx during the regular Communion procession. Also provided are "Amulet" necklaces on the table for you to wear so that you may identify yourself as GF to the Eucharistic Minister. We look forward to serving the body and blood of Christ to all those in our parish as well as to those visiting us for our mass celebrations. 

*Gluten-Free is defined by the FDA as having a gluten limit of less than 20 parts per million (ppm). Cavanagh, our supplier of Gluten-Free hosts, provides low gluten wafers that are approved for use in the Catholic Mass by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. They are made of wheat starch and water. The gluten content of our low gluten free wafer is below 20 parts per million. The baking of the low gluten wafers is done in a dedicated bakery using positive air pressure to create a room that is totally free of contaminants. The equipment is also dedicated to the low gluten baking and is not used for regular altar bread production.