Communion supplies are consumed every week, so the questions are about counts, shelf life and fit: how many hosts a parish of this size goes through, whether a prefilled cup suits a congregation, and which charcoal lights without a fuss. This guide covers Catholic altar bread and Protestant communion cups side by side, because both are bought by the case.
Altar bread: sizes and counts
Catholic altar bread comes in two sizes. The people's host is about 1 3/8 inches across and is sold in boxes of 500 or 1,000. The priest's host, used for the elevation and broken at the fraction, is 2 3/4 inches or larger and comes in boxes of 50 or 100. Both are made from wheat flour and water only, which is a requirement for valid matter in the Roman Rite.
Whole wheat hosts are darker and have a slightly fuller taste; white hosts are the traditional pale wafer. The choice is pastoral, not liturgical. A parish with 600 communicants a weekend uses about 2,500 to 3,000 people's hosts a month, so a 1,000-count box lasts under two weeks. Sealed boxes keep for a year or more in a dry cabinet; opened bags should be used within a few months.
Low-gluten hosts, made under Church norms with a trace of wheat gluten, are available for communicants with celiac disease and are kept and consecrated separately in a small pyx. Gluten-free wafers sold for Protestant communion contain no wheat and are not valid matter for the Catholic Mass; the product page states which kind it is.
Prefilled communion cups
Prefilled cups are sealed plastic cups of grape juice with a wafer in a second compartment on top. They are used in Protestant congregations, hospitals and care homes, and anywhere individual servings are wanted without a filling station. Counts run from 100 to 1,000 per case, and unopened cups keep for about a year at room temperature.
Juice-only cups pair with bread baked or bought separately. Look at the cup design: some peel from the top in one motion, others have two seals. For a large congregation the difference is minutes at the rail. Gluten-free wafer versions exist for congregations that need them.
Cups, trays and fillers
Congregations that fill their own cups buy disposable plastic cups by the 1,000 and a stacking tray set: a base, several trays with 40 holes each, a bread plate and a cover. Stainless steel is the usual material; brass-tone finishes exist for churches that want them to match the altar ware. One tray serves 40, so a church of 160 needs four trays and a cover.
A cup filler, a squeeze bottle with a spout, fills a tray in a minute. Small glass cups are reusable and sold in boxes of 20 to 40 for churches that prefer them.
Portable communion sets, a small case with a bottle, cups, a host box and a paten, are for visiting the sick and homebound. Catholic parishes use a pyx with a burse instead for the host, and a sick call set with a crucifix, candles and holy water for the home.
Incense and charcoal
Church incense is sold by the pound in jars or boxes. Frankincense is the traditional base; blends add myrrh, benzoin or floral resins and are named by the maker: Pontifical, Gloria, Three Kings and the like. A pound lasts a parish that incenses on Sundays and feasts for a year. Granule size affects the smoke: finer grains flare quickly, coarse resin smoulders longer.
Self-lighting charcoal tablets contain a lighting agent so they catch from a match or taper. The common sizes are 33 mm and 40 mm; a 40 mm tablet holds a spoonful of incense for a full procession. Keep the roll sealed, because damp charcoal will not light. Lighting the tablet five minutes before it is needed, and waiting until it greys over, gives smoke without sparks.
Ashes and palms
Blessed ashes for Ash Wednesday are sold in small jars or bags of palm ash, enough for a parish's Masses. Order in January. Palm strips for Palm Sunday are shipped fresh in the week before the feast and are sold by the 25, 50 or 100 strips; some suppliers sell folded palm crosses instead. Both are seasonal listings and disappear from stores after Easter.
A yearly estimate
| Supply | Parish of 300 communicants a weekend | Parish of 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| People's hosts | 15 to 18 boxes of 1,000 | 50 to 60 boxes |
| Priest's hosts | 4 boxes of 100 | 6 boxes |
| Low-gluten hosts | 1 to 2 boxes | 3 to 4 boxes |
| Incense | 1 lb | 2 to 3 lb |
| Charcoal, 40 mm | 2 rolls of 10 | 6 rolls |
| Palms | 300 to 400 strips | 1,000 to 1,200 strips |
Questions
Are gluten-free communion wafers valid for the Catholic Mass?
No. Catholic norms require wheat bread; low-gluten hosts made with a trace of wheat gluten are permitted and are the option for celiac communicants. Gluten-free wafers with no wheat are made for Protestant communion.
How long do prefilled communion cups keep?
Makers state about 12 months unopened at room temperature. Check the date printed on the case and rotate stock.
How many communion trays does a church need?
Each standard tray holds 40 cups. Divide the number of communicants at the largest service by 40 and add one tray as a spare, plus one cover and a bread plate.
Why will the charcoal not light?
Self-lighting charcoal absorbs moisture once the roll is opened. Store opened rolls in a sealed jar and light the tablet with a taper until it sparks across the surface.