ACTION ITEM: 2 3/8″ hosts!

Dear readers, I received this.   Can you help?

We are looking for hosts of the 2 3/8 size. We have two monstrances and lunas that take that size but no one seems to make them anymore.
Previously we have gotten them from Angus Dei but they no longer have them.
I have looked everywhere I can think of. And even had one of our priests in Rome look as I am told it was a common European size at one time.
The only possible solution may be to purchase a host cutter but it would be better to not have to do that.

Any thoughts on where to look? We can’t be the only ones with this issue.

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8 Comments

  1. Fr. Kelly says:

    I had a similar difficulty.
    The Benedictine sisters of Clyde Missouri stopped making their own hosts and became a distributor for Cavanagh. They had made 2 1/2″ hosts but no more. All that is available from Cavanagh, and hence from the majority of producers of hosts is 2 3/4″.

    I found that Saint Rita Abbey of Trappist nuns in Arizona makes 2 1/2″ hosts as a standard thing and so much more inexpensively than those who have to custom cut them. they are: https://santaritaabbey.org/altar-breads/

    I presume you have measured carefully, but if you can get by with 2 1/2 ” hosts then you can use the Saint Rita hosts at $4.75 for 50 count rather than $1.30 per host at IHM.

    If you actually need 2 3/8″ then I have not found any other that is better than the recommendations given above.

  2. JustaSinner says:

    The effects of a monopoly…Cavanaugh having nearly 90% market share.

  3. Fr. Kelly says:

    Looking further, I found this:
    https://www.churchsupplywarehouse.com/2-3-8-low-gluten-priest-hosts-licit-for-catholics-cavlg238.html

    They are low gluten hosts in the 2 3/8″ size and the picture indicates they are made by Cavanagh. They say they are licit for Catholics – a distinction necessary because they also carry Gluten Free hosts (which would be invalid matter for the Eucharist)

    Caveat emptor!

  4. Fr. Kelly says:

    One more but this is in UK:
    https://oscfreeland.wordpress.com/work/altar-breads/

    They have 63 mm hosts (approx. 2 3/8″)

    sold in packets of 40, they are 7p, 8p or 9p each depending on design (plus shipping and handling, which I imagine is considerable)

    That is what I have managed to come up with.

    Not sure whether it advances the effort….

  5. Hb says:

    The Poor Clares in Langhorne, PA may be able to help you.

    https://poorclarepa.org/

    2159685775

  6. claddah76 says:

    Passionist Nuns
    15700 Clayton Road
    Ellisville MO 63011
    636.527.6867

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