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