Whitley County's Catholics participate in Eucharist without wine as a means of illness prevention
(Talk of the Town photo by Jennifer Zartman Romano)
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
Masses held in Whitley County’s three Catholic churches over the weekend were a little different without the presentation of wine in the Eucharist – but according to Father Larry Kramer of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in Columbia City, parishioners are receptive to concerns about preventing the spread of illness.
A little over a week ago, Bishop John D’Arcy of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese announced the suspension of offering wine as part of the eucharist during Catholic Mass. The change, he and church leaders hope, may diminish the spread of flu among parishioners in 81 parishes which dot the 14 counties in the diocese. 
D’Arcy consulted with vicars throughout the region before coming to the decision to not allow the presentation of a single cup of wine for all parishioners during Holy Communion during masses. This change was implemented in most parishes for the first time last weekend. Instead, parishioners were presented with Eucharistic wafers only.
“Most of the people I talked with said they’d rather be safe than sorry,” Kramer said.
“The body and blood of Christ are sacramentally present under both bread and wine, so that if only one is present, it is fully the Eucharist.”
Kramer said the change is only temporary.
“When the health authority has determined it is safe, we’ll return the cup to the people,” Kramer said. “It is a little more complete when you do both,” Kramer added of providing both the wine and the wafers for Holy Communion.
Kramer said it is not uncommon for parishioners to accept only wine or only wafers, but it is unique for the Church to only offer one option.
Bishops, deacons and priests will continue to consume the sacramental wine during Mass, but the cup is not shared.
Certain issues have arisen that have taken a little extra planning. Kramer said that in the past, individuals who have certain allergies, gluten issues or who have Celiac disease have tended to consume only sacramental wine during mass and for those people, the Church has options.
“We have to know who they are and we can prepare separate cups of wine for them if they cannot consume the bread,” Kramer said. “Or, we can substitute a low gluten bread for them.”
Concerns over illness did not just come to light recently in the Catholic Church.
“We’re pretty careful,” Kramer said, adding that providing Communion to the sick is a common occurrence and requires that priests and Eucharistic ministers be especially concerned about the spreading of germs. Additionally, small bottles of hand purifier are present in the sanctuary so that those participating in the Eucharist can keep their hands as germ-free as possible.
Kramer said it is also up to personal choice whether parishioners choose to extend their hands to one another for a sign of peace at that point during Mass. They may choose, instead, to nod or smile and keep their hands to themselves.