dis2@houxm.UUCP (C.CLARK) (05/10/85)
Before Vatican II, there were two different kinds of hosts used
at Mass, a large celebrant's host and much smaller ordinary
hosts used for Communion. Both types of hosts were customarily
made by certain orders of women religious. All hosts were un-
leavened and the type of flour and proportion of flour to water
was specifically determined by the S.C.R. Even the irons, much
like waffle irons, upon which they were baked conformed to de-
tailed specifications. The hosts sold by commerical ec-
clesiastcial supply houses were usually purchased from an or-
der.
The celebrant's host was between 2 and 3 inches in diameter and
always had an embossed design on it, usually a depiction of the
Crucifixion. Designs were strictly limited to embossments,
since no dye or any other foreign matter could be used. Each
order made such hosts with a distinctive design. Those made by
the Poor Clares were particularly elaborate and graphic. Those
made by the Benedictine Sisters were, not surprisingly, con-
sidered to be the most aesthetically pleasing. This host was
large so that it could be seen. It was this host which was used
at the Elevation, Fraction (for which the host usually had a
wedge-like seam) and the Commingling. A consecrated
celebrant's host was also used for B.B.S.
The ordinary host was about 3/4 inch in diameter and rarely had
any design. The lack of design was due to the fact that in la-
bial reception with a pax brede they were rarely seen.
However, among Anglicans who practice manual reception and even
intinction, the ordinary host often had a simple design of an
embossed cross or a Chi-Rho, INRI, or some such alphabetic
design.
Creighton Clarke
sdcsvax!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxl!houxm!dis2