For forty years Antoine de Bakker earned his living making and improving machines used to produce hosts for the Catholic Church. On the eve of his retirement, he tells his story to his daughter in this award-winning program.

Lisbeth de Bakker - Baking Holy Bread

Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods we eat – dating back to the Stone Age. Called the Staff of Life, it’s become a metaphor for making a living, as in the breadwinner. It’s also an important symbol in Christianity since Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Both of these meanings have special significance to Antoine de Bakker.

Old fashioned methods

In the early 1960’s, an acquaintance of de Bakker’s suggested that with his background in mechanics he might be able to help the Carmelite Order of nuns. Based in Hulst, Zeeland, the nuns had been supplying alter bread, or hosts, for many years for Dutch churches.

“I had no idea how they produced the hosts,” remembers de Bakker. “So the Mother Prioress showed me all the machines. It was very old fashioned.” The main problem he saw was the time it took to cut the hosts. They were cut one at a time and thousands were needed every week. Also, the number of nuns available to do the work had been gradually decreasing.

Transformation

The first solution de Bakker found was to design a machine which could cut one hundred hosts at a time. One nun could then cut approximately 30,000 hosts per hour. Word spread quickly and soon the machines were being used by other orders. “The new machines transformed the nuns life,” according to Sister Theresa, Prioress of the Carmelite Order in Dumbarton, Scotland.

In 2001 at the age of 79, de Bakker decided to retire. His youngest daughter, Liesbeth de Bakker, talked with him about his many years of working with the nuns to improve their production of alter breads. She also travelled to Scotland to see first hand how her father’s machines had made such a difference to the Carmelite Order there.

Baking Holy Bread was produced by Liesbeth de Bakker. The documentary was originally broadcast in October 2001 and was awarded a Bronze Medal at the 2002 New York Festivals.