A recent sampling of church supply houses would imply that few of them offer gluten-free altar bread. An exception is CM Almy of Greenwich, CT. Their wheat free communion wafers are advertised as being "free of wheat, gluten, dairy, egg, sugar, nuts and corn...perfect for those with dietary restrictions." A box of fifty wafers sells for $10. For further information, Almy may be contacted through its toll-free number, 1-800-256-922-2377 or web site, www.almy.com

Those parishes preferring to provide baked bread as their altar bread may wish to use gluten-free flour, available through Ener-G Foods Inc., Seattle, WA. The flour was developed by Bette Hagman, author of the book, The Gluten Free Gourmet. Flour ingredients are: white rice flour, potato starch and tapioca starch. According to the company's web site, the "flour will exchange cup for cup with wheat flour." A five pound bag costs $10. The toll free number is 1-800-331-5222, and its web site can be found at www.ener-g.com

Readers interested in sharing their recipes for gluten-free communion wafers or bread with other Epistle readers are invited to mail a copy to Ms. Dolores J. Miller, 4205 Byrnes Blvd., Florence, SC, 29506 or to e-mail it to djmfle@aol.com