Girl's 'invalid' Communion

National Catholic Reporter, Sept 3, 2004 by Mark M. Smith, Paul Veliyathil

I am writing regarding the story of 8-year-old Haley Waldman (NCR, "People," Aug. 27), who suffers from a wheat gluten allergy and for whom a priest used a rice-based wafer for her first Communion: Trenton, N.J., Bishop John Smith said the sacrament was invalid because of the substitute.

I cannot understand the mentality of the church's hierarchy when it turns away the faithful. Are they implying that the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist takes place only if the bread contains wheat? Are sacraments gifts that can only be conferred upon the faithful by the "church"? Would Christ say: "I am not going to be present in the Eucharist of Haley Waldman since the 'bread' does not contain wheat?" I admit that I find it hard to consider the "Communion wafer" bread. I suppose that the church decided to consider "Communion wafers" as bread out of convenience. I hang my head in shame when the Catholic church embarrasses itself and its faithful in decisions like this. I can visualize God wondering, "What is wrong with these people?"

MARK M. SMITH

Jackson, Mich.

* Joseph Cunneen thinks that by leaving the church, Colman McCarthy is chasing a mirage (NCR, Letters, Aug. 18). I think that Mr. McCarthy is actually leaving a mirage, the Catholic church. The latest example of this mirage-like behavior is the story out of New Jersey that the first Communion of an 8-year-old girl is invalid because the wafer she received was gluten-free! It is as if Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me--but please, wheat bread only!" Msgr. James Moroney, executive director of the secretariat for the liturgy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, justified the action of the Trenton bishop by saying, "We do need to take what Jesus did literally; we try to do what he did."

If Msgr. Moroney is being faithful to what Jesus did, he should eliminate the candles, incense, vestments, Lectionary, scripture readings, offertory, collection and so on from the Mass. Additionally, he should not use a fax, phone or a copy machine; neither should he drive a car, travel by plane, eat with a fork, take a shower or play golf. You get the idea. Trying to do what Jesus did by using a host made of wheat is behaving like the Pharisees of Matthew 23:23-2A, whom Jesus condemned. What a mirage the church today is!

PAUL VELIYATHIL

Coral Springs, Fla.