Cavanagh
Cavanagh White Altar Bread, 1 1/8 in (1,000)
White congregation hosts with a cross design, 1 1/8 inches across, packed 1,000 to a sealed container by Cavanagh.
Communion & Altar Supplies
Altar Bread & Hosts
Altar bread is the unleavened wheat bread consecrated at Mass or served at the Lord's Supper. Catholic parishes use round pressed hosts. The people's host is 1 1/8 or 1 3/8 inches across. The celebrant host is 2 3/4 inches. Protestant churches often use round wafers or soft bread squares. Products differ in diameter, count per container, white or whole wheat flour, embossed cross design, and whether the maker offers a low gluten recipe.
Count communicants first. A container of 1,000 people's hosts from Cavanagh covers a parish of 250 for about four Sundays. Celebrant hosts come 50 to a box and last months. Choose 1 3/8 inch hosts if communicants find the smaller size hard to handle. Keep a sealed container of low gluten hosts, such as the 50-count from Needzo or the 10-count concelebrant hosts, for those who ask. Broadman's wafers and soft squares suit tray service.
10 altar bread & hosts
The eight products below include Cavanagh people's and celebrant hosts, Broadman wafers and bread squares, and two low gluten options.
Cavanagh
Cavanagh Whole Wheat Altar Bread, 1 1/8 in (1,000)
Whole wheat version of the standard 1 1/8 inch congregation host, cross design, supplied in a container of 1,000.
Cavanagh
Cavanagh Priest Altar Bread, 2 3/4 in (50)
Large white celebrant hosts measuring 2 3/4 inches with a cross design, boxed 50 to a package for the presider.
Cavanagh
Cavanagh White Altar Bread, 1 3/8 in (750)
Slightly larger 1 3/8 inch white congregation hosts with cross design, packed 750 to a container for easier handling at distribution.
Broadman Church Supplies
Broadman Round Communion Wafers, Cross Design (1,000)
Round white unleavened wafers made of wheat flour, shortening, salt and water, with a cross design, 1,000 per box.
Broadman Church Supplies
Broadman Soft Communion Bread Squares (500)
Soft unleavened bread cut into uniform squares, about 500 pieces, made from wheat flour, shortening, salt and water, in a resealable bag.
Cavanagh
Cavanagh Low Gluten Concelebrant Hosts, 2 3/4 in (10)
Low gluten 2 3/4 inch celebrant hosts made of wheat starch and water, 10 per package, which the maker states are USCCB approved.
Needzo
Needzo Low Gluten Communion Hosts (50)
Low gluten people's hosts with embossed cross, 50 per resealable screw-top container, described by the maker as approved for Catholic Mass.
Kingdom
Individually Wrapped Gluten-Free Wafers (25)
Box of 25 individually wrapped cross-design wafers tested at 6 ppm gluten and baked in a dedicated gluten-free bakery.
BROADMAN CHURCH SUPPLIES
Broadman Gluten-Free Communion Wafers (50)
Fifty gluten-free communion wafers made with potato starch, packed in a resealable pouch for storage between services.
Side by side
The specifications the makers publish, in one table.
| Product | Size | Unit Count | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cavanagh White Altar Bread, 1 1/8 in (1,000) Cavanagh | 1000 Count (Pack of 1) | 1 | Check availability |
| Cavanagh Whole Wheat Altar Bread, 1 1/8 in (1,000) Cavanagh | 1000 Count (Pack of 1) | 1 | Check availability |
| Cavanagh Priest Altar Bread, 2 3/4 in (50) Cavanagh | 50 Count (Pack of 1) | 81 | Check availability |
| Cavanagh White Altar Bread, 1 3/8 in (750) Cavanagh | 750 Count (Pack of 1) | 1 | Check availability |
| Broadman Round Communion Wafers, Cross Design (1,000) Broadman Church Supplies | 1000 Count (Pack of 1) | 1 | Check availability |
| Broadman Soft Communion Bread Squares (500) Broadman Church Supplies | — | 1 | Check availability |
| Cavanagh Low Gluten Concelebrant Hosts, 2 3/4 in (10) Cavanagh | 2 3/4 inch | 10 | Check availability |
| Needzo Low Gluten Communion Hosts (50) Needzo | 50 Count | 50 | Check availability |
| Individually Wrapped Gluten-Free Wafers (25) Kingdom | 25 Count | 1 | Check availability |
| Broadman Gluten-Free Communion Wafers (50) BROADMAN CHURCH SUPPLIES | 0.32 Ounce (Pack of 1) | 1 | Check availability |
Questions before you order
How many hosts does a parish need per month?
Multiply average communicants per Mass by the number of Masses each week, then by four. A parish with 300 communicants across its weekend Masses uses about 1,200 hosts a month, or just over one 1,000-count container. Add a box of 50 celebrant hosts for the presider.
What is the difference between 1 1/8 inch and 1 3/8 inch hosts?
Both are people's hosts with a cross design. The 1 1/8 inch host is the most common size and is packed 1,000 to a container. The 1 3/8 inch host is slightly larger and easier to see and handle, so it ships 750 to a container of the same volume.
Are low gluten hosts valid for Catholic Mass?
The makers state their low gluten hosts are made of wheat starch and water. They also state the hosts are approved for Catholic Mass by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Parishes should follow their diocesan guidance and keep these hosts in a separate pyx to avoid contact with regular hosts.
How should altar bread be stored?
Keep hosts sealed in the original container or a resealable bag in a cool, dry sacristy cupboard. Humidity softens hosts and dry heat makes them brittle. Rotate stock so older containers are used first, and open only what the week's Masses require.