Miracles & "Scientism"       One of the toxic and false ideas of our age might be called scientism, the idea that science is the only path to truth.       One online definition of “science” is, “the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained.” The earlier, classic definition of “science” was “knowledge of any kind,” meaning, of course, human knowledge.       Is human knowledge the only path to truth? To knowing “what is”? (The best definition of “truth.”) Is, “systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world,” the only path to truth? Even if we don’t understand everything about a cell, an atom, and how the universe works today, might we someday expect human science to figure it all out?       No.       Why ...

  Eucharistic Miraculous Fasts.       These articles have reviewed many different kinds of genuine miracles associated with the Holy Eucharist – the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus. Another kind of Eucharistic miracle is where God’s grace physically sustains a person with no other food than solely the Eucharist.       Following a vision of the Lord Jesus, St. Catherine of Siena, Italy (d. 1380) no longer required food for her sustenance. Her confessor and biographer, Blessed Raymond of Capus, wrote that if she was required to take food, it would not stay in her stomach and she had severe pains. In fact her prior confessor had required her to take food daily, but always she had the same result of vomiting with considerable pain. Finally she asked him why he keeps on commanding her when always there was the same result. He replied, “Henceforth act according to the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, for I perceive that God is accomplishing marvelous ...

Eucharistic Miracle of Saint Anthony.       This event had so many eye witnesses that its authenticity cannot be doubted – as fantastic as it may seem.       St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and initially became an Augustinian monk, studying Scripture and theology, and ordained a priest. Impressed with the witness of early Franciscan martyrs, St. Anthony transferred to the Franciscans. He went to Italy and met St. Francis. Initially he was often sick, and so laid low on his background. No one knew of his theological training and preaching skill. He was happy to cook and keep a low and humble profile. However, it happened that he was once asked (as in, required) to give a sermon, “just something simple” he was told, as they presumed he had no education. While maintaining his humility, his evident love of Scripture, gift of speaking, and holiness of life was so evident, all were greatly inspired by God’s grace in Anthon...

Eucharistic Miracles Preserving Consecrated Hosts.       On June 6, 1453, two scoundrels pillaged the Catholic Church in Exilles, Italy, where they stole many items of value, including a costly monstrance containing a consecrated Host which they had stolen from the Tabernacle. They loaded all the items on their mule and set off for Turin, intending sell them there. As they approached the gates of the city, the mule stumbled and fell to the ground, and everything loaded on its back fell off – except for the consecrated Eucharistic Host.       Instead of falling, the Host rose into the air and remained suspended far above peoples’ heads, surrounded by rays of light like a sunburst. People of Turin came to see the prodigy, including 10 men whose names have been preserved as the first witnesses. The Bishop of Turin also came with many nobles and members of the court. Upon seeing the suspended Holy Eucharist surrounded in light, the Bishop fell on his ...

Eucharistic Miracle of San Juan, Honduras, 2022.       The news this week informs us of a newly recognized Eucharistic Miracle which happened only last year. San Juan is an agricultural town of about 1000 persons in the highlands of western Honduras, in the county (“department”) of Intibucá. The area has natural beauties of waterfalls, creeks, cloud forests, canyons, and a nearby biological preserve. The principal crop is coffee. In the San Juan municipality lies the small community of El Espinal, which has about 60 families scattered along the “spine” of the mountains. In El Espinal is a small Chapel of St. James the Apostle, but they have no regular priest.       On Thursday, June 9, 2022, at 5:00 PM local time, about 15 families came together for a Communion Service led by José Elmer Benítez Machado, a lay Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Eucharistic Hosts previously consecrated by a priest at Mass are kept securely in a locked contain...

Eucharistic Miracle of Stich, West Germany, 1970.       In these articles on Eucharistic miracles, we have now looked at 10 different miracles where God changes the bread and/or wine, along with the “accidents” (sight, touch, taste) into human flesh and blood. (Normally the “accidents” remain that of bread and wine and do not change, presumably for human sensibilities.) In those analyzed by modern scientific methods, all were shown to be the human heart muscle and type AB blood of a person suffering greatly.       Today’s Eucharistic miracle is a bit different. At the time of the consecration at Mass, Blood appeared on the cloths on the altar, but completely separate from the bread and wine which were being consecrated into Christ’s Body and Blood.       Stitch is a small hamlet located in what was then (1970) called West Germany, in Bavaria, near the Swiss border. On June 9, during Mass, at the time of the consecration of...

  Eucharistic Miracle of Alatri, Italy, 1228.       The circumstances for this Eucharistic Miracle begin with a young girl infatuated with a young man who had many admirers, and sought the means to acquire his affection by a love potion wickedly promised her by a woman who required the young girl to bring her a consecrated Host from the Catholic Mass. (While many may doubt the Lord’s real presence in the Eucharist, the devil knows the truth.)       Almost immediately the young girl’s conscience was troubled, and instead of bringing the Eucharistic Host to the woman for the potent, she placed it in a small linen pouch and hid it in her family’s home. 48 hours later, the young girl looked into the linen pouch and found the Host no longer had the appearance of bread but now looked like living flesh.       Her sobs and contrite tears attracted her family. They attracted the neighbors. Soon the house was filled with people...

Eucharistic Miracle of America?       In light of this week’s celebration of America’s Independence Day on July 4 th , we did some research to try to discover whether there had been any documented Eucharistic Miracles in the United States. We did not find any which have been formally approved as Eucharistic Miracles, but we did find some recent occurrences worth noting.       We’ve seen in past articles on Eucharistic Miracles that after a Host is consecrated by a Catholic Priest and becomes the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus, and if it cannot be consumed (e.g., accidentally dropped on the floor and picked up dirt, or handled by someone who may be contagions), the proper way to dispose of the Host is to place It in a container of water. Ordinarily, the Host will dissolve within a few days.       In this first story, a custodian at St. Patrick’s Church in Rochelle, Illinois, found a consecrated Host, and the deacon placed...

  Eucharistic Miracle of Santarém, Portugal, 1266.       Evil things result from evil behavior. But God is Lord of all and well capable of bringing a greater good out of every evil for those who believe and trust (cf., Romans8:28 ). Sometimes God even intervenes publicly and miraculously to wake humanity up.       The events begin with an unfaithful husband who continually violates his marriage vows to his wife. (First evil.) The wife becomes more and more miserable. Instead of turning to God alone, she seeks the help of the devil by going to a sorceress. (Second evil.) The sorceress promises a result if the wife would bring her a consecrated Host from the Catholic Church to concoct a love potion. (Third evil, the sorceress’ intent.) The wife hesitates, but eventually agreed to commit the sacrilege. (Fourth evil, her intent, and subsequent action.)       It is February 16, 1266, Santarém, Portugal. The wife goes to Ma...

 Eucharistic Miracle of Ferrara, Italy, 1171.        It was Easter Sunday, March 28, 1171. A small church called St. Maria del Vado (St. Mary of the Ford), then 500 years old, was the scene. The priest was celebrating Mass with other priests and laity in attendance.       In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, after the priest pronounces the words of Christ over the bread (“This is My Body”) and wine (“This is My Blood”) – so after both have changed entirely to the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ – the priest then breaks the consecrated Host into two parts. As the priest did this breaking, all present were startled to see a stream of Blood spurt out from the Host at that moment. And it was no small stream! The stream was so strong and abundant that it not only fell on to the altar, but the Blood burst out above the altar and sprinkled a semi-circular vault that was above and slightly behind the altar. (From photos, it looks like the ...

  Eucharist Miracle of  Bolsena-Orvieto, Italy, 1263      This Sunday we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (formerly called Corpus Christi). It was instituted in 1264. The miracle happened the year before.      Bolsena is located in central Italy. Fr. Peter of Prague, a Bohemian priest, was traveling on pilgrimage to Rome and stopped in Bolsena on the way. Purportedly Fr. Peter’s spiritual director had recommended that Fr. Peter make the pilgrimage to Rome as a spiritual aid to his troubled soul about temptations to doubt that Christ was really present in the Eucharist.      The doctrine of transubstantiation had already formally been proclaimed in 1215 at the Fourth Lateran Council. Transubstantiation means that, pursuant to the command of Jesus to “do this in remembrance of Me,” the priest ordained in Apostolic succession, when calling down the Holy Spirit at Mass and speaking Jesus’ own w...

Eucharistic Miracle of Sokółka, Poland, of 2008.       Sokółka is a small town in NE Poland, near the border with Belarus. It was October 12, 2008, at an ordinary Sunday Mass. Accidently a consecrated Host was dropped during distribution of Holy Communion. Normally the priest might pick up and consume the Host, but it had picked up some dirt. So, as with our stories of the last few weeks, the Host was put into a container of water, expecting it to dissolve, and removed to a safe place. One week later, on the 19th, expecting the host to now be completely dissolved, instead part of the white Host remained, and it was partially covered by a solid red protruding stain, resembling a 1x1.5 cm. blood clot. Yet the water was clear. It was photographed, the diocese was informed and did a preliminary investigation. The bishop then ordered it be preserved, not in water, but that what appeared to be a blood clot to be removed from the remaining white Host and placed on a corporal (th...

Eucharistic Miracle of Tixtla, Mexico, of 2006.       In this account, you will recognize similarities to the last two articles on Eucharistic miracles from Buenos Aires. The same investigator from Buenos Aires, who had associates and funding from Australia, again provided the means for extensive investigation of the Tixtla miracle.       Tixtla is in southwestern Mexico, about 100 kilometers inland from Acapulco. It happened on Sunday, October 22, 2006, at the concluding Mass of a spiritual retreat of about 600 persons. An extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, a religious sister, noticed that in the ciborium of consecrated Hosts she was holding as she gave out Communion, one of the Hosts appeared to be stained with Blood. She brought it up to the priest. The diocese was informed. Testimonies of those directly involved, plus 17 persons who were also present, were taken, all in agreement.       The bishop was not inclin...

Eucharistic Miracle of Buenos Aires of 1996.   The same church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, had a series of Eucharistic Miracles in 1992, 1994, and 1996. It was a regular Sunday Mass, August 18, 1996. A woman noticed a Host that had somehow been partially hidden at the base of a candlestick standing before a crucifix at the side of the church. It appeared to have been put there by someone intending to desecrate it. The Host was dirty and dusty so it was submerged in water for dissolution (as described in last week’s article). However, eight days later, the Host in the water was seen to be transforming into something red in color. Over the next weeks, the Host became less and less distinguishable and the water more turbid by a red cloud-like substance and darker jelly-like clumps resembling clotted blood. After a month, the remaining material was transferred to a closed bottle of distilled water, where it remained for three years.  In 1999, Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergogl...