A bleeding host in Argentina? Bishop investigates alleged Eucharistic miracle

Credit: AICA photo agency

Catholic News Agency (CNA): 'via Blog this'

Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 13, 2017 / 12:43 am (CNA/EWTN News)

A bishop in the Argentine province in Santa Fe is investigating a Eucharistic host that appeared to bleed during adoration at a drug rehabilitation home.

Bishop Luis Fernandez of the Rafaela diocese announced that an investigation will be carried out to examine what took place earlier this week, when a group of young people were in Eucharistic adoration and saw a substance in the consecrated host that appeared to be blood.

On April 11, Tuesday of Holy Week, a group of young people were praying before the Blessed Sacrament at the San Miguel drug rehabilitation home in the Guemes neighborhood, when they noticed a change in the Eucharist.

Read more: Catholic News Agency

Scientific Evidence of Eucharistic Miracles

News excerpt from RomeReports.com

These two authors are on a journey: For 10 years they've studied countless documents and traveled throughout Europe to show scientific evidence of Eucharistic miracles. The recently presented their findings in Poland's embassy to the Vatican.

It's a book that includes more than 40 photographs of miracles and scientific conclusions explaining what happened.

JANUSZ ROSIKON, Photographer

"On the exhibition, I show the small Host that changes into a piece of heart. That was unbelievable. When I saw that through my camera that one little piece was a Host and the rest was a human heart. We meet also with this scientist who examined it, and he told us that it's absolutely a piece of human heart. We have to believed it.”

The book's title roughly translates to: 'Secret Evidence: Investigating the Supernatural.'

Gazergorz Gorny and photographer Janusz Rosikon are very proud of the final product.

JANUSZ KOTANSKI, Ambassador of Poland to the Vatican

"We live in the 21st century and people are thinking 'well no more miracles, Jesus has done some miracles but a long time ago.' But that exhibition proves that there are still miracles and that Christ is still alive. And people they don´t have to just believe in miracles because they are also scientifically proven.”

Read more: Eucharistic Miracles

A DECADE OF GRACE, CENTURIES OF MIRACLES

Reprinted with permission from The Standard-Times and www.SouthCoastToday.com

A DECADE OF GRACE, CENTURIES OF MIRACLES

By LINDA ANDRADE RODRIGUES

NEW BEDFORD,  Massachusetts — Catholics believe that Jesus Christ dwells in their midst and is present in the Eucharist because He said this is so.

"While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it, he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take and eat; this is my body.'" (Matthew 26:26)

Catholics believe this through an act of faith, yet there are prodigies of Eucharistic miracles recorded throughout the world.

The most preserved and scientifically studied Eucharistic miracle occurred during the 8th century in Lanciano, Italy.

According to an ancient document, a monk spoke the words of consecration, and the host changed into flesh and the wine into blood.

They are still intact and on display in the Church of St. Francis, built on the site of the original church.

In 1971, the latest team of medical and scientific experts examined the flesh and confirmed that it is striated muscular tissue of the human heart wall and the human blood is type "AB" — with both having no trace of agents used for preservation.

The extract summarizing the scientific work of the Medical Commission of the WHO and the UN, published in December 1976 in New York and Geneva, declared that "science, aware of its limits, has come to a halt, face to face with the impossibility of giving an explanation."

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, Our Lady's Chapel will celebrate "A Decade of Grace," a six-day observance that will feature the Vatican International Exhibit "Eucharistic Miracles of the World," which will be on display from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 8-12 in Blessed John Duns Scotus Hall.

"When I go to the church (in Italy) and see the host, I see a miracle that is continual, our Lord is still really present. He has worked these miracles to help people who struggle with their faith to believe in Him," said the Rev. Louis Maximillian, FI, Father Guardian of the Chapel. "But I don't have to go to Lanciano. I can go to Our Lady's Chapel or one of the Catholic churches here in New Bedford, where the Lord is really present."

During the past 25 years, there has been an explosion of Eucharistic Adoration taking place, according to the friar.

"Maybe this is our Lord's way of helping people, particularly Catholics, rediscover their faith at a very critical moment in our history," he said.

The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate instituted Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration a decade ago with the blessing of the bishop.

"It's really a gift from our Lord, something our Lord wanted all along," said Father Louis. "We are simply trying to respond to our Lord's desires that He become better known and loved. We truly want Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration instituted in every Catholic parish."

Fifteen years ago, Father Louis was a young man attending The Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, Ga., one of the few churches for miles around that offered Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.

"Words cannot describe the impact this had on my own faith life," he said. "I had the privilege of being able to adore our Lord on a regular basis. There's no question that Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration and devotion to Our Lady — the two pillars — were instrumental in my eventually being a priest."

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is the adoration of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

For the past 10 years, the Holy Eucharist has never been unattended at Our Lady's Chapel. The friars are responsible for covering adoration several hours each day, but most of the hours are covered by adorers, who pray the rosary, read Scripture or just sit quietly in the presence of the consecrated host in the monstrance.

"Whoever decides to participate commits to a fixed hour per week with the resolve to remain faithful to that commitment," said Father Louis. "It is a great act of faith that they make."

The celebration of the10th anniversary of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at Our Lady's Chapel will include talks on "Our Lady and the Eucharist" at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 8-12, featuring the Rev. George Roth, FI, of the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Griswold, Conn., on Oct. 8; the Rev. Edward Murphy, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford, on Tuesday, Oct. 9; the Rev. Ron Floyd, parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in Wareham, on Wednesday, Oct. 10; the Rev. David Mullen, pastor of St. Brendan Parish in Bellingham, on Thursday, Oct. 11; and the Rev. Monsignor Gerard O'Connor, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet, on Friday, Oct. 12.

All talks will be preceded by recitation of the Holy Rosary and followed by Benediction.

A Solemn Holy Mass will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, with principal celebrant Bishop George Coleman. The Mass will be preceded by the recitation of the Holy Rosary and followed by a reception.

For more information, call Our Lady's Chapel at (508) 996-8274. If you are interested in becoming an adorer, drop by the chapel anytime at 600 Pleasant St. in New Bedford, Massachusetts and talk to any of the friars.

Communion Miracles on Display in Hilton Head

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Communion miracles on display in Hilton Head - SavannahNow.com

Church exhibit features photos, descriptions of miracles around Eucharist

By Dana Clark Felty

The 14th-century nun Juliana Falconieri was so ill during the last days of her life, she could not take communion.

But so strong was her devotion, she asked that the Eucharist be placed on her chest.

As she recited a prayer, the bread disappeared and left on her skin an image of the cross.

This and roughly 125 more stories of miracles involving communion will be featured in an exhibition opening June 5, 2010 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Hilton Head.

The display is part of the Vatican International Exhibition of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World sponsored in the United States by the Illinois-based Real Presence Association.

Each of the 126 panels includes features, images and descriptions of the "Eucharistic Miracles" recognized by the Vatican.

The weekend also includes Sunday Mass celebrated by the Most Rev. Robert E. Guglielmone, bishop of the Diocese of Charleston.

Exbition Information:

What: Vatican International Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition

When: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. June 5; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. June 6

Where: Holy Family Catholic Church, 24 Pope Ave., Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Eucharistic Miracles Exhibited at Madison Church in Ohio

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Eucharistic miracles through the ages exhibited in Madison church - The News-Herald Life : Breaking news coverage for Northern Ohio

By Janet Podolak

Those who visit Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Madison Thursday through June 9 will be able to see purported evidence of miracles from around the world that took place in conjunction with the Eucharist.

"The Eucharistic Miracles of the World" international exhibit, which has been approved by the Vatican and has visited many countries, has 140 panels that show miracles through the centuries.

All will be on display at the church, 2846 Hubbard Road, and available for viewing from 4 to 8 p.m. weekdays and 1 to 8 p.m. on the weekend.

The belief that the bread and wine taken at communion is the actual body and blood of Christ is central to being a Roman Catholic. Called transubstantiation by Catholics, it's the transformation that takes place on the altar when the priest calls upon the Holy Spirit to make the change.

In both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox church, communion is called the Eucharist and, once consecrated by a priest, the bread tangibly becomes the Host.

Protestant and other churches practicing communion tend to believe that the bread and wine are a spiritual symbolism of Christ's body and blood.

The Rev. John Hardon, a religious scholar who was raised in Cleveland, devoted much of his life to researching the Real Presence of the Lord in the sacrament.

"Scripture tells us that the night before Jesus died he gave his apostles the power to do what he did at the Last Supper — change bread and wine into himself," he wrote. "This is the Catholic faith: it is what Reality means."

Many of Hardon's findings and conclusions are found on the website reached after Googling "The Eucharistic Miracles of the World."

The Last Supper account in Matthew 26: 26-28 is what usually is cited: "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said ‘Take, eat: this is my body.' and he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

The Rev. Sean Donnelly, pastor at Immaculate Conception Catholic, recently has returned from a trip to shrines in Italy, including the Shroud of Turin, believed by many to have held the body of Jesus after he was crucified.

His group of 27 included seven members of his church — all Catholic except for two Anglicans. The group visited many other shrines in Italy, including the one in Sienna where the Eucharistic Miracle depicted in the exhibit took place.

As visitors to the exhibit walk among the placards explaining and illustrating the various miracles, each person will likely have a favorite. A map shows where each miracle took place, so those whose families originate in other countries can easily find miracles that may also be embodied in that country's lore.

Here are a few of them:

Amsterdam, Holland, 1345

In March 1345 in Amsterdam, a devoutly Catholic man who was very ill told his family he would like to receive Holy Viaticum. The priest administering the sacrament told the family that if the ill man threw up they were to empty the contents in the fire. The man threw up and his family did as they'd been told. The next morning as a woman raked the fire she noticed the Host in the middle of the grate. When she put her hand in to get it she found that the host was cold.

A neighbor took a clean cloth and placed the host on it, locked it in a box, and summoned a priest. The priest could not lift the host but took the cloth away to wash it. When he returned to put it back in the box the host was gone. The next day it was back again inside the locked box.

A procession was organized to carry the host to the church and the home of the sick man soon became a chapel. By 1360 pilgrims were traveling there. In a 1452 fire which burned most of the city, the Miraculous Host was spared. In 1456 a new church was built surrounding the Holy Room where the host was kept.

By the second half of the 16th century the city had fallen to Protestant rule. The chapel was torn down, and the Host was lost. To this day devotion to the Eucharistic Miracle takes place on March 12 at a church near the original site.

Sienna, Italy, in the 1700s

In the eighth century in the Church of St. Legontian, near Siena, Italy, the host was changed into live flesh and the wine into live blood, which coagulated into five globules. The host flesh is light brown and appears rose colored when lighted from the back. The blood has an earthy color resembling ochre. Various ecclesiastical investigations were conducted beginning in 1574. In 1971 a series of microscopic photographs documented that the flesh was muscular tissue of the human heart and the blood had proteins in he same proportion as fresh human blood. The flesh and blood had the same blood type: AB. That's the same blood type that was found in the Shroud of Turin.

Austria 1310

In 1310 in the Austrian village of St. Georgenberg-Fiecht during the consecration the wine turned into blood and began to boil and overflow the chalice. In 1480, the chronicler of that day wrote that after 170 years "the Sacred Blood was still fresh as though coming out of a wound." Today the blood is contained in the reliquary of the Monastery of St. Georgenberg.

Martinique, French West Indies 1902

On the Caribbean island of Martinique on May 8, 1902, the volcano Mount Pelee began to erupt lava and ashes, threatening the town of Morne-Rouge. The people rushed to the church and prayed for deliverance. The priest distributed Holy Communion and then exposed the Blessed Sacrament for public adoration. The people witnessed an apparition of Jesus in the host, and some said they saw the blood of Jesus dripping from his sacred heart. The vision lasted several hours and the village was spared. But the population had a chance to reconcile themselves with God so when the volcano erupted again on Aug. 30 and destroyed the town, they were able to die in a state of grace.

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
2846 Hubbard Road
Madison, Ohio

Eucharistic Miracles of the World International

Exhibit: June 2 through June 9, 2010

Hours: 4 to 8 p.m. weekdays; 1 to 8 p.m. weekend

Information: 440-298-1219; 440 428-5164