Host

Host [Lat.,=sacrificial victim], in Roman Catholic practice, consecrated wafer of the Eucharist. The bread used is pure white and unleavened, baked in small disks. The Hosts not consumed at Mass are set aside especially for the viaticum, for the sick, and for adoration, as at benediction.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches: General Terms and Concepts