Eucharistic Miracle of Ettiswil, Switzerland 1447

The most important document that describes the miracle is the “Protocol of Justice”. This was compiled on July 16, 1447 by Hermann von Russeg, Lord of Buron.   Its translation reads: “On Wednesday, May 23, 1447, the Blessed Sacrament was stolen from the parish Church of Ettiswil, and soon after it was found by Margaret Schulmeister, a young lady who had a swineherd. The Holy Eucharist was not far from the parish church, close to the fence and thrown on the ground among nettles, and looked like a bright flower.” After close investigation, the police arrested a young lady, Anna Vögtli from Bischoffingen, who soon of her own accord, confessed everything: “Having slipped my hand in the narrow iron gate, I got hold of the large Host. But as soon as I went beyond the cemetery wall, the Host became so heavy that I was unable to carry the Sacred Host any longer.  Being unable to go forward or to go backward, I threw away the Host, close to a fence in the nettles”.

The Sacred Host was discovered by Fraulein Margaret Schulmeister.  She stated that “Once I arrived with my pigs close to the place where the Blessed Sacrament had been thrown, my animals did not want to go further. I asked the help of two men who were passing by on their horses. The two men saw in the grass the stolen Host divided in seven Sections. Six of the Sections formed a flower similar to a rose and a great light was surrounding Them.” The local parish priest was informed.  He at once, together with all the parishioners, went there to pick up the Host and to bring the Sacred Host back to the church. He picked up the six Sections, but when he wanted to pick up the main central Section, this stuck to the ground before everybody’s eyes. This partition was interpreted as a sign, and it was decided to build a chapel precisely at that place where the Host had disappeared. The six Sections were kept in the church of Ettiswil and became a Sacred Object of great veneration by the inhabitants of the village and of foreigners. God performed many miracles there.  The chapel and the altar were consecrated on December 28, 1448: a year and half after the events.