thomas m cabeen

Christening a Church, by Ryan P. Hanson When a new Catholic Church is built, it cannot be used right away; it begins as just a beautiful building. For it to become a church it has to be christened by the bishop of the diocese. This happens by giving the new church three things that reflect the Sacraments of Initiation, that is, Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation. The Baptism of a Church happens when the bishop sprinkles holy water on the new building and on the people, called the living stones of the church, and the altar....

Unconsecrated Hosts, by Emma Bidelspach Communion hosts are the small, circle shaped pieces of bread that are transformed into the Body of Christ during the Mass. Once the communion hosts (also called communion wafers) become Christ’s Body in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, they are consecrated hosts. The unconsecrated communion wafer consists of only wheat and water, and in the Roman Rite is unleavened, which means it contains no yeast. The Vatican officially stated that the host must include some amount of gluten, which is in wheat, in order to be used in the Sacrament of the Eucharist....