Dear Editor: Prudence trumps miracles is basically what my parish priest told me when I confronted him why our parish stopped serving the “chalice” of consecrated wine because it is flu season and we might get sick from other people’s germs!

The Holy Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church are the only two religions that truly believe in the actual miraculous transformation that when a duly ordained priest consecrates bread and wine during Mass it becomes the literal Body and Blood of Our Savior Jesus Christ! Not a representation as the Protestants believe!

The holy vessel that holds the consecrated wine becomes purified as well, and sure as Immaculate Mary is free from sin so shall the chalice and its contents be so purified totally free from germs! Simply put, the precautionary actions the Catholic pastors are taking undermines transubstantiation!

Surely we should be more concerned with millions of people kissing stone and plaster statues of Mary and the saints to the point of the paint wearing off!

Besides, a parishioner always has the option of not partaking of the chalice!

RICHARD CHRISTOPHER BURRIESCI
Woodside

Editor’s Note: Let’s be careful here! Transubstantiation refers to the changing of the substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. It has no effect on the material substance of the chalice.