Courtney McGrailDear Editor, I write as we mark Coeliac Awareness Week. Five years on from diagnosis, I could recount several episodes where I have returned from Mass exasperated and wondering how more complicated sharing in Holy Communion can get. Many queries and letters later, I am perplexed as to why there cannot be agreement and clarity on Church policy and practice. It seems that there are as many different practices as there are parishes! It would be wonderful if we could partake in Mass in any church without the absolute need for prior consultation, and be safe in the knowledge that priests are aware of and cater for coeliacs. A simple notice at a church door could indicate the location of a coeliac ‘station’. The procedure for coeliacs should not depend on the vagaries of a particular celebrant.
Coeliacs are being diagnosed at a younger age every day. Does the Church wish to alienate them or welcome them? Observing a strict gluten-free diet is a serious concern. However, it should not be necessary to position ourselves in the ‘front seat’ or to wait on a ‘high altar’ at any point. We merely wish to partake in ceremonies without facing obstacles before, during or after Mass. As things stand, sharing in Holy Communion in some churches, presents a scenario so fraught with difficulty that many coeliacs are likely to abandon the practice, if indeed they have ever begun.
Yours etc.,
Laurena O’Donoghue,
Drogheda,
Co. Louth