Eucharistic Miracles of Lourdes in France, 1888

On August 22, 1888, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, there took place for the first time at Lourdes the procession together with the benediction of the sick with the Blessed Sacrament.  It was a Priest who proposed this pious practice and it has not been abandoned since that time.  Once, on August 22, 1888, when the Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament was imparted to the sick gathered in front of the grotto of the apparitions, Pierre Delanoy, who had been suffering for years from ataraxy (an illness which impedes the coordination of voluntary movements, and leads to certain death), was healed instantly as the monstrance passed by him.  It was the first
Eucharistic Miracle that took place at Lourdes.

From that day on, the sick who make their way to Lourdes on pilgrimage are blessed with the Blessed Sacrament, and the miraculous healings that have been confirmed through the Blessed Sacrament passing by are innumerable.  The Shrine of Lourdes is a shining example of faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Eucharistic Miracle Alatri, Italy 1228

The most authoritative testimony regarding this miracle is found in the Bull Fraternitas tuae (March 13, 1228) written by Pope Gregory IX in response to Bishop Giovanni V of Alatri. The text reads: “Gregory, Bishop and Servant of the Servants of God, to Venerable Brother Bishop of Alatri, greetings and Apostolic blessing. We have received your letter, dearest brother, in which you informed us of a certain young woman misguided by an evil woman, who, after having received from the priest the Most Holy Body of Christ, held the Sacred Host in her mouth until the right moment to conceal the Holy Eucharist in a cloth. After three days, she discovered the same Body which she had received in the form of bread transformed into flesh, as everyone has been able to verify with their own eyes.

Thus, dearest brother, by means of this apostolic letter, we dispose that you inflict a milder punishment on the young woman, whom we hold to have done this more from weakness than malice, especially because it can be believed that she has sufficiently repented in confessing her sin. To the instigator, who with her perversion pushed the young woman to commit sacrilege, apply those disciplinary measures that we believe opportune to leave to your judgment. She should also visit the nearest bishop so that she can humbly confess her crime, imploring pardon with devout submission.” 

 The Pope interpreted this episode as a sign against the widespread heresies regarding the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and pardoned the two repentant women. A commemorative medal was coined on the 750th anniversary of the miracle; one side showed the cathedral façade and the reliquary, while the other a bust of Pope Gregory IX with the Papal Bull.

Because both women have humbly revealed this to you, you desire our opinion regarding the punishment that should be imposed upon them. First, we give thanks with all our strength to Him Who, though He always operates in marvelous ways, in this case repeats miracles and produces new wonders so that He calls to sinners, converts evildoers and confounds heretics while strengthening faith in the truth of the Catholic Church, sustaining hope and reigniting charity.

Eucharistic Miracle, Cava Dei Tirreni, Italy 1656

In May of 1656, a terrible epidemic of the plague overtook the city of Naples as a result of the invasion by Spanish troops from Sardinia. The plague spread so quickly to the neighboring villages and surrounding countryside that it was soon at the gates of the city of Cava dei Tirreni. The victims numbered in the thousands both in the villages and the urban centers. Fr. Paolo Franco was one of the few priests who had been spared and who had not succumbed to the epidemic. Despite the danger of contagion, he was divinely inspired to lead the people in a procession of reparation within a few kilometers of the summit of the Castello. When they arrived at the summit of the mountain, Fr. Franco blessed Cava dei Tirreni with the Blessed Sacrament. The epidemic miraculously stopped. To this day the townspeople commemorate the miracle with a solemn annual procession during the month of June.

Eucharistic Miracle of Scete, Egypt - 3rd or 5th Centuries

In the sayings and deeds of the Fathers of the Desert, we find the description of an ancient Eucharistic miracle. Fr. Daniel the Faranite attests: “Our Fr. Arsenius told us of a monk of the Scete who was a hard worker but lacked instruction in the Faith. In his ignorance he would say: ‘The Bread we receive is not really the Body of Christ, but is a symbol of that Body.’ Two of the more experienced monks heard his statement and, aware that he was a good and pious monk, decided to speak to him since they attributed his words to his ignorance and not to malice. So they informed him: ‘What you are saying contradicts our Faith.’ The accused replied: ‘Unless you can show me evidence, I will not change my mind.’ The older monks told him:  ‘We will pray to God about this mystery and we believe God will show us the truth.’

 “A week later, on Sunday, all went to the church. At the consecration, in place of the Host, a Young Boy was seen. When the priest raised the Eucharistic Bread an angel appeared with a sword and pierced the Boy and when the priest broke the Host, Blood ran into the chalice. At the Communion, the angel took Bloodied Particles from the Host and brought them to the monks to receive. At this the doubter cried out ‘Lord, I believe that the Bread is Your Body, and that Your Blood is in the chalice.’  Immediately the Bloodied Flesh he had in his hand became the Eucharistic Bread and he communicated reverently.”

Eucharistic Miracle of Herkenrode-Hasselt, Belgium 1317

In July 25, 1317, the pastor of the church in Viversel was called to the bedside of one his parishioners who was seriously ill, to receive the holy sacraments. Upon his arrival at the house of the sick person, he rested his handbag containing the consecrated Host on a table at the entrance and went to hear the confession of the sick person. One of the family members, curious about the handbag, opened it without being noticed. From it he pulled out the pyx, opened the cover and put his hand into it. As soon as he realized that inside there was a Host, he put everything back in order. In the meantime, the priest came out from the room of the sick person to take out the Host with which to give him Communion. He took the handbag with the pyx inside, and when he opened it he saw that the Host he himself had consecrated during Mass was stained with Blood and was in some way stuck to the linen that covered the bottom of the container. Troubled and panic-stricken with the excuse that he had forgotten something, he rushed out of the house and went to the pastor of nearby Lumen to tell him what had happened. The latter advised him to bring the Particle to the Abbey of Herkenrode. It was August 1, 1317.

The priest left, taking the pyx with him. Along the road, extraordinary things happened. As soon as he arrived at the Benedictine monastery, he showed everybody the Host stained with Blood. Then, the face of Christ crowned with thorns appeared on the Host. This was attested to by numerous witnesses.  In the Cathedral of Hasselt there is a painting in which there is depicted a flock kneeling as the priest, carrying the sacred relic, passes by. In this place, called Sacramentsberg, a chapel was built as a perpetual memorial. From that time on, “the Blessed Sacrament of the Miracle,” which had been placed in a reliquary and exposed to public veneration, more than once protected the monastery of Herkenrode from fire. The reliquary of the miracle was kept at the Abbey until 1796, and in 1804, it was transferred to the Church of St. Quintinus in Hasselt.

Eucharistic Miracle of Mogoro, Italy 1604

In Mogoro on the Italian island of Sardinia, on the Monday after Easter in 1604, Father Salvatore Spiga, pastor of he church of Saint Bernard, was celebrating Mass. After the consecration he began distributing Holy Communion to the faithful. At a certain point, he saw in the Communion line two men who were well-known for the dissolute lives they led. The pastor gave them Holy Communion and as soon as they had taken the Host in their mouths, they spit the Holy Eucharist out on the stone floor below the altar rail. The two men justified themselves by saying that the Hosts had become as hot as burning embers, and that the Blessed Sacrament was burning their tongues. Then, taken by remorse at not first having gone to Confession, they ran away. Father Salvatore went to gather the Sacred Hosts that had fallen and saw that the imprints of the Sacred Hosts remained in the stone as if they had been sculpted there. He ordered the stone to be thoroughly washed in the hope that the imprints would be erased. But every attempt failed miserably. Many historians, including Father Pietro Cossu and Father Casu, described the findings made by the bishop at that time, Antonio Surredo, and by his successors.

Among the most important documents that confirm the miracle is a public act written by the notary Pedro Antonio Escano on May 25, 1686, in which the rector of Mogoro stipulates a contract for the construction of a wooden tabernacle over the main altar. At the base of the tabernacle, there was to be an opening for the “stone of the miracle,” which was to be enclosed in a decorative case and placed in such a way that the faithful could see it. The stone bears the imprint of the Hosts to this day.

Eucharistic Miracle of Erding, Germany 1417

A poor peasant of Erding could find no way to improve his economic state, despite working many hours every day. His neighbor on the other hand, who did the same work, succeeded in living prosperously. One day the peasant asked his neighbor how he had succeeded in earning so much and the man confided to him that his success was owed to the fact that he kept the Blessed Sacrament in his house. The poor peasant, ignorant in the faith, thought that the Blessed Sacrament was a type of amulet, and decided to imitate his neighbor. He went to Mass on Holy Thursday and after having received Communion, hid the Host in his clothes and left the church with the Holy Eucharist. During his journey, however, his conscience began to accuse him, so he decided to bring the Sacred Particle

back. During the trip, however, the Host slipped from his hand and disappeared in the air. He searched everywhere, to no avail. Frightened by what had happened, he immediately ran to inform the pastor, who immediately went to the spot where the Host had disappeared.

As soon as he arrived the priest saw the Sacred Particle resting on a clump of dirt, emitting a bright light. He reached for the Sacred Host, which again flew up in the air and disappeared. The priest alerted the Bishop who wanted to go in person to the site of the miracle.  And again the Sacred Particle flew up in the air. The Bishop and the townspeople then decided to build a chapel in honor of the Eucharistic Wonder. There were so many

crowds of pilgrims that flocked there that in 1675, local authorities decided to construct a new and bigger sanctuary in the baroque style.  On Sept 19, 1677, Bishop Kaspar Kunner of Freising blessed the new church, which was dedicated to the Most Precious Blood. Various relics were brought to the sanctuary among which was that of the Most Precious Blood of Christ. Since 1992 the sanctuary has been under the care of the monks of St. Paul of the Desert.



Eucharistic Miracle of Douai, France 1254

Bonum universale de Apibus is the work written by an eye witness of the miracle: the Dominican Father Thomas de Cantimpré, doctor of theology and “suffragan” Bishop of Cambrai. On the day of Easter in 1254 in the Church of St. Amato in Douai, a priest who was distributing Holy Communion unintentionally dropped a consecrated Host to the ground.  Immediately he bent down to pick up the Sacred Species, but the Host lifted up in flight and lighted on the purificator. A little later, a wonderful Child appeared there Who all the faithful and religious present in the celebration could contemplate.  The news spread quickly, and the Bishop of Cambrai, Thomas de Cantimpré, came immediately to Douai to verify the facts in person, which he described in this manner: “I went to the Dean of the Church, followed by many faithful, and I asked to see the miracle. The Dean opened the small case in which he had reposed the Host of the miracle, but initially I didn't see anything special.

“I was conscious though, that nothing could prevent me from seeing, as was true of the others, the Sacred Body. I didn’t even have time to ask myself this type of question, when I scarcely looked at the Host and saw the face of Christ crowned with thorns with two drops of Blood that descended on His forehead.  Immediately I knelt, and crying, I began to thank God”. It is certain that already by the year 1356, that is, one century after the apparition,  every year on Wednesday of Holy Week, a feast  in memory of the miracle of the Blessed Sacrament was celebrated, and the document which records it indicates that this event was in existence already for a long time. The precious relic of the miracle was conserved and honored until the Revolution. Then all signs of this marvel were lost for many years. In October 1854, the Pastor of the Church of St. Peter by chance discovered underneath the Christ in the Altar of the Dead, a small wooden box containing a small Host, still white, but with damaged edges. A letter written in Latin gives witness: “I, the undersigned, Canon of the distinguished collegial Church of St.Amato, certify it to be the real and true Host of the holy miracle, which I removed from imminent danger of profanation and which I have happily collected. I have placed the Host in this pyx and have left this witness, written by my own hand, for the faithful who will discover the Sacred Miracle in the future (January 5, 1793)”.

Eucharistic Miracle of Middleburg- Louvain, Belgium 1374

There exists much documentation on the Eucharistic miracle.  In a monograph

written in 1905 by historian Joseph Wils, professor of the Catholic University of Louvain, entitled Le Sacrement du Miracle de Louvain, are cited almost all the contemporary documents and testimonies. In Middleburg lived a noble woman known by everybody for her great faith and devotion. The woman was also very attentive to the spiritual formation of her family and household staff. During the Lent of 1374, as she did every year in her house, she began to do penance in preparation for the coming of Easter. A few days before, a new manservant by the name of Jan was hired, who had not gone to confession for many years, in spite of the dissolute life he was living. The woman invited all the household staff to go to Mass. Jan did not dare oppose this invitation so as not to disappoint her. He attended the whole Eucharistic celebration, and when it was time to receive Holy Communion, the man approached the altar with much superficiality.

As soon as he received the Host on his tongue, the Sacrament changed into

bleeding Flesh. At once Jan took the Particle from his mouth; Blood dripped from the Sacred Flesh onto the cloth covering the altar rail. The priest realized at once what was happening, and with great emotion, carefully placed the miraculous Particle in a vessel inside the tabernacle. Jan repented and confessed his sin before everyone.

From that day on, he led an exemplary life and nourished a great devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament to the end of his life. All the church and civil authorities of the city were informed of the miraculous event and after diligent investigation the Archbishop authorized the cult of this miraculous event.

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.

Eucharistic Miracle, Cimbala, Spain 1370

The “Most Holy Doubtful Mystery” is what they call the Eucharistic miracle that took place in Cimballa in 1370, in the Church of the Purification of Our Lady. The pastor of the church, Don Tommaso, had been for many months plagued by doubt concerning the true presence of Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist. During the celebration of Holy Mass on Sunday, after having pronounced the words of the consecration, Don Tommaso saw Blood flowing from the Host which had transformed into flesh;  so much that the altar-linens were saturated.

The penitent priest began to weep from remorse. The faithful, seeing how he was troubled, quickly looked to the altar and saw the miracle. The relic was then taken in procession and the news spread everywhere. There were many miracles attributed to the “Most Holy Doubtful Mystery” and since then has always been a great object of devotion on the part of the faithful. The relic of the altar linen soaked in the Precious Blood has been exposed on the 12th of September every year; the anniversary of the feast of the miracle of the Precious Blood.

Eucharistic Miracle Glotowo, Poland 1290

In 1290, due to the invasion of the Lithuanians, a priest from the village of Glotowo buried in a field a silver ciborium plated in gold, with a consecrated Host still in it which he missed by mistake.  The Lithuanian’s troops destroyed the village and the church. None of the survivors knew about the hidden Host.  Only a number of years later, while plowing the field in the spring, a farmer found it by chance, thanks to the strange behavior of his oxen.  They had bowed to the ground in adoration of the Host which was emanating a very bright light.

The animals stopped as if frozen. At first the farmer scolded the beasts, yet paused surprised at the sudden change around him. The light on the field was as if it were noon and a very intense light was coming from the ground shining on the kneeling oxen. The farmer began to dig and noticed that the bright light was coming from a little ciborium covered with dirt. It contained a perfect Host as white as snow.The most ancient documents describe how the miracle happened. The oxen were pulling the plow, behind which the farmer was walking. The sun was setting at the horizon, creating long shadows. The man lifted his eyes and prodded the animals which were going slowly up the hill. All of sudden, the plow got stuck, the oxen pulled harder and on the side they turned over a big clod of earth. 

 

The news of the extraordinary event spread rapidly among the people, who rushed immediately to the site. The local authorities organized a solemn procession to bring the Host to the church of Dobre Miasto, though according to an ancient chronicle, inexplicably, the Host disappeared and was found at the same spot as the first time. The event was interpreted as a sign from above and a little church dedicated to the Corpus Christi was built on that location. The popularity of Glotowo grew through the centuries and in the eighteenth century the old medieval church was enlarged and consecrated by the bishop Krzysztof Potocki, on July 24, 1726. Even today, every year, the shrine of Glotowo attracts numerous pilgrims who come to venerate the relic

Eucharistic Miracle, Herentals, Belgium 1412

In 1412, a certain Jan van Langerstede went for lodging to a hotel not far from the little city of Herentals. This professional man was stealing sacred objects from churches and selling them all over Europe. The day after his arrival at Herentals, he went to the nearby village of Poederle. He entered the parish church and without being noticed, stole the chalice and the ciborium containing five consecrated Hosts. As he was returning to Herentals in the place known as “De Hegge” (“the fence”), he felt as if pulled by a mysterious force that was keeping him from continuing his journey. So he tried to get rid of the Hosts by throwing them into the river, but his every attempt to do so was useless. Jan was on the verge of despair when he saw a field not very far away with a big rabbit burrow where he straightaway hid the Hosts. The task took place without any trouble, and the man was able to peacefully return to Herentals. In the meantime, the city judge, Gilbert De Pape, began an investigation to discover the author of the theft in the church of Poederle. Among the suspects was our Jan. The police searched his luggage and found the chalice and the ciborium.

Jan then confessed everything except the fact that he had thrown the Hosts away. He was to be immediately hanged, and Jan had already climbed the scaffold when, encouraged by the priest to cleanse his soul before dying, completely confessed his guilt. The judge then suspended the execution and ordered Jan to indicate the exact place where he had left the Hosts. A large crowd followed them. As soon as they arrived at the field, they saw the Hosts all radiant, arranged in the form of a cross. Strangely, the Hosts remained intact, notwithstanding the weather, and they were at once brought back in procession, some to Herentals and some to Poederle, where they remained until the 16th century. On January 2, 1441, the miracle was declared authentic by the magistrate of Herentals. At the place where the Hosts were found a small chapel was built which was visited by numerous prelates, such as Jean Malderus, Bishop of Anvers in 1620, and Pope Benedict XIV in 1749. The daughter of John of Lussembourg, Elizabeth Van Görlitz, paid for the enlargement of the chapel, which later on was transformed into a shrine.

Eucharistic Miracle Faverney, France 1608

In the 17th century, Protestantism and Calvinism spread quickly in France by means of the many material benefits conceded by the new religions to the members of the nobility and the clergy coming from the Catholic Church. This placed at risk the faith of many and created many uncertainties, even in the monasteries. In the city of Faverney there was a Benedictine Abbey whose monks had departed a great deal from the rule of their founder.  They held only the highest esteem for the devotion to the Lady of Notre-Dame la Blanche, known in all the area for its many miracles. Through her intercession many miracles had in fact been verified, among which was even the returning to life of two infants who were not yet baptized. In 1608, on the Vigil of the Feast of Pentecost, the monks decided to prepare an altar for the exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The lunette of the monstrance was very large, and because of this, they decided to put in two Hosts. When Vespers had finished the monks left the monstrance exposed on the provisional altar. 

On the next morning, the sacristan opened the church and found it full of smoke, with the provisional altar completely reduced to ashes.  He started to yell, and immediately the religious and other people hastened and proceeded to remove the ashes with the hope of finding some part of the monstrance. When the smoke began to clear, they were astonished on seeing that the monstrance was suspended in the air. The multitude increased and crowded to see the Eucharistic marvel, in which the Hosts had remained unharmed regardless of the fire.  The religious were astonished and unable to make a decision. They asked the counsel of the Capuchin friars of Vesoul. The friars immediately prepared a new altar over the burned one and celebrated Holy Mass. During the elevation of the Host, the monstrance slowly descended upon the new altar.

When the canonical process finished, on July 10, the Archbishop of Besançon declared that the miracle was authentic, and on September 13, the Archbishop of Rodi, who was the nuncio in Brussels, made it known to Pope Paul V who granted a Bull of Indulgence. The miracle rekindled the faith of many. In 1862, the Congregation of Rites authorized the celebration of the miracle. In 1908 the third centenary of the miracle was solemnly commemorated with a National Eucharistic Congress. Even today it is possible to see and venerate the relic containing one of the two Hosts which remained unharmed. The other Host, unfortunately, after it was donated to the Church of Dole, was destroyed by the revolutionaries in 1794.

Eucharistic Miracle of Bergen, Netherlands 1421

Bergen op Zoom (City on the Border), is located along the estuary of the Schelda River and has many canals running across it. In 1421, on the Sunday before the Feast of Pentecost, the pastor of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, not believing the truth of the transubstantiation, threw consecrated Hosts left over from Mass into the canal.

Several months later, some fisherman found the Hosts floating in the water and soaked in coagulated Blood. News of the miraculous recovery of the Hosts spread quickly, and immediately many pilgrims came to see. Devotion was approved by the bishop and, though it was banned for a long period during the Protestant Reformation, Catholics silently continued to keep alive the memory of the miracle.  Devotion was restored in the twentieth century and there are numerous public events to commemorate the miracle.

Reference:  http://www.therealpresence.org/

Eucharistic Miracle of Rome, Italy 1610

Santa Pudenziana is one of the oldest churches in Rome. According to a great number of historians, the Roman Senator Pudente gave hospitality to the Apostle Peter in his home, which stood exactly where the church’s foundation lies. The name of the church is said to derive from the name of the Senator’s daughter:  Pudenziana.

Pudenziana and her sister Prassede, although never martyred, became famous because they wiped off the blood of the martyrs after they were executed. The church is adorned by numerous Roman mosaics from the early Christian era and was constructed in 145 A.D. on the site where there stood the house of Senator Pudente, according to the wishes of his daughters Prassede and Pudenziana. On the altar steps of the Caetani Chapel, constructed by the Caetani family, to this day there is the imprint and the stain of Blood left by a Host which fell from the hands of a priest while celebrating the Mass. The man was overtaken by doubts about the Real Presence of Jesus in consecrated Host, and immediately after the consecration, he inadvertently let the Host fall to the ground, where the imprinted mark is still visible today.

Eucharistic Miracle of Eten, Peru 1649

The Eucharistic miracle of Eten happened about 365 years ago in the Peruvian town of Port Eten. In a host exposed for public adoration, there appeared the Child Jesus and three interconnected hearts of a brilliant white color. Every year, the feast in honor of this event begins on July 12, with the transfer of the Host of the miracle from its Sanctuary to the church in the City of Eten, and ends on July 24.

The first apparition of the Divine Child in  the Most Holy Sacrament took place on the  night of June 2, 1649, during the Vespers and the solemn exposition in honor of the feast of Corpus Christi. At the end of the service, the Franciscan monk Jerome de Silva Manrique, was about to return the monstrance to the tabernacle, but he suddenly stopped. In the Host there appeared the brilliant face of a Child, framed by thick brown curls falling to the shoulders.  All the faithful present in the church observed the same vision.

The second apparition took place a few days later, on July 22nd of the same year, during the celebrations in honor of St. Mary of Magdalene, Patroness of the city. According to the testimony of Brother Marco Lopez, superior of the convent in Chiclayo, during the exposition of the Most Holy Sacrament, “The Divine Child Jesus again appeared in the Host, dressed in a purple tunic. Beneath it he wore a shirt up to the middle of the chest, according to the custom of the South American Indians.”

Through this sign, the Divine Child wanted to identify with the Mochican inhabitants of Eten, to demonstrate His love for them. In the same apparition, which lasted about 15 minutes, many also saw appearing in the Host three small white hearts, united among themselves.  These symbolized the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, present in the consecrated Host. To this day, the feast in honor of the miracle of the Divine Child of Eten, continues to attract thousands of faithful yearly.

Eucharistic Miracle of Saint Andre de la Reunion - 1902

On January 26, 1902, at the parish church of Saint-André, a city on the island of La Réunion (French colony), Abbot Henry Lacombe, pastor of the church, was witness to the miracle that he would recount to thousands of people during the Eucharistic Congress of Angouleme (1904), as well as to the group of priests gathered for a spiritual retreat in the town of Perigueux.  The face of Jesus appeared in the Host which was for many hours witnessed by thousands of people.

Let’s look at Abbot Lacome’s report:

“It was January 26, 1902. We were celebrating

perpetual adoration (the Forty hours devotion). The Most Holy Sacrament was exposed in the tabernacle. I began to celebrate the Mass.  After the elevation, at the moment of the Our Father, my eyes were lifted toward the Host and I saw a bright halo around the rays of the monstrance.  I continued to recite the prayers of the Mass with great agitation in my soul but which I tried to overcome.

We came to the moment for Communion and again I looked toward the monstrance. This time I saw a human face, with lowered eyes and a crown of thorns on the forehead. What moved me the most was the dolorous expression painted on the face. The eyelashes were long and thick. I tried not to let on to the presence of the turmoil agitating inside of me.  After Mass, I went to the sacristy and summoned the older children from the choir to go to the altar and closely observe the monstrance.  “The children raced back and told me:  ‘Father, we see the head of a man in the Host. It is the good Lord revealing Himself!’  I understood then that the vision was authentic.

A young man of 16, Adam de Villiers, who had studied in a college in France, also arrived.  I said to him as well: ‘Go in the church and see if you notice something strange in the tabernacle’. The young student went to the sacristy and returned immediately, saying: ‘Father, it is the good Lord who appears in the Host. I see His divine face’. Since then, all my doubts disappeared. Slowly the entire town went to the church to see the miracle.

Journalists and people from the capital of Saint Denis also arrived. The face on the Host suddenly became animated and the crown of thorns disappeared. I used every possible precaution, and fearing the effects from the rays of light, I had all the candles extinguished and the shutters closed. The phenomenon became even more clear. There was a young artist among the visitors who faithfully reproduced the face in the Host. Later, the vision changed again and a crucifix appeared which covered the entire Host from top to bottom. After the Eucharistic blessing and recital of the Tantum Ergo, the vision disappeared.”

Reference: http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharist

Eucharistic Miracle - Augsburg, Germany 1194

In 1194, a woman from Augsburg who was particularly devoted to the Most Holy Sacrament, received Holy communion.  After communion, without being noticed, she put the Host in a handkerchief, took the Blessed Sacrament home and placed the Eucharistic Species in a container of wax inside a cupboard. In those days it was very difficult to find tabernacles in the church so as to be able to practice Eucharistic worship. Only in 1264, with the introduction of the Feast of Corpus Domini (Corpus Christi) did such devotion become commonplace.

Five years passed and on the 11th of May 1199, the woman, tormented by remorse, confessed to the superior of the convent of the Heilig Kreuz, Father Berthold, who had her bring the Host back. The priest opened up the wax covering that enclosed the Host and saw that the Holy Eucharist had been transformed into bleeding Flesh. The Host appeared “divided into two Parts connected together by the thin threads of the bleeding Flesh.” Father Berthold went immediately to the bishop of the city of Udalskalk who ordered that the Miraculous Host be "transferred, accompanied by the clergy and by the people into the cathedral and exhibited in an ostensorium of crystal for public worship.”

The miracle continued:  the Host began to grow and to swell up and this phenomenon lasted before the eyes of all from Easter Sunday until the Feast of St. John the Baptist. Following this, Bishop Udalskalk had the Host brought back near the convent of the Heilig Kreuz and proclamed that “in memory of such a memorable and extraordinary event,” there should be a special commemoration each year in honor of the holy relic.  In 1200, Count Rechber donated to the Augustinian Fathers a rectangular chest of silver with an opening in the front for the placement of the Host of the miracle. Besides the Eucharistic miracle, other extraordinary incidences took place, such as the apparition of the Host with Baby Jesus dressed in white with radiant face and His forehead encircled with a crown of gold, or in another case the bleeding of the crucifix of the church, or the apparition of Jesus.

Reference:  http://www.therealpresence.org/

Eucharistic Miracle of Rochelle, France - 1461

During Easter of 1461, Mrs. Jehan Leclerc brought her twelve year old son, Bertrand, to the Church of St. Bartholomew. Bertrand had been paralyzed and mute since the age of seven due to a terrible fall.  When the time for Holy Communion arrived, he indicated to his mother that he also wanted to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Initially the priest did not want to give the young man Communion, because the boy was not able to go to Confession given his muteness. The young man, however, continued to beseech the priest for Communion and, in the end, the priest did permit him to receive the Blessed Sacrament.

From the first moment that Bertrand received the Host, he began to feel shaken by a mysterious force. He was able to move and to speak. He was cured. According to the hand-written document, immediately after the miraculous event Bertrand’s first words were, “Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini!” (“Our help is in the name of the Lord!”) The most authoritative document that visually describes this miracle is the painted manuscript preserved to this day in the Cathedral of La Rochelle. 

Reference: http://www.therealpresence.org/