<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

"Some suggested that, the Catholic Church has changed other things, why
not this?  As I said in the opening paragraph-- you don't want
non-celiacs telling you what to eat, do you?"

The above analogy implies that we have a choice as to whether we can eat
wheat or not.  We do not.  This is not a case of proselyting.  It is, at
some level, a decision by a religious organization whether they will--or
will not--accomodate members of their church who, due to physical
constraints, cannot participate in certain rituals.  It is truly a shame
that (leaders of) some religious organizations fail to understand the
unnecessary hurt they inflict by lack of empathy.

"When we contacted the Archdiocese of Hartford to ask for permission to use
an alternative host, we were told that it was not permitted because (and I
quote), 'The essence of the Lord is in the gluten.' "

If the above quote was both accurate and true, then logic would dictate that
celiacs cannot have the essence, therefore the "spirit" of the Lord within
them.  This would be truly absurd.  It has been said that neither logic nor
religion can stand on their own.  Logic, without religion, has given us
communism and Marxism.  Religion, without logic, has given us the crusades.
It is both sad and frustrating to see men impose restrictions upon other men
and women that is so incongruent with the teachings of that religion.

Fortunately, in those cases where accomodations are not made, the church
member can decide their individual course of action.  These decisions are
ours to make, just as the decision as to whether someone can substitute a
rice wafer for a wheat-based one falls to a different authority.
Craig