THE EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE OF LANCIANO

Lanciano, in the province of Chieti in Abruzzo, is a few kilometers from the Adriatic, situated in the heart of the commercial southeastern corner of Abruzzo. The city is rich in art and history, and a special religious destination for its famous Eucharistic Miracle.

The Eucharistic Miracle

In the city of Lanciano, around the year 700 AD, there was a priest of the order of St. Basil who was not strong in his faith. He was plagued by a doubt as to whether the consecrated Host was truly the Body of Christ, and the consecrated wine truly His Blood. He had difficulty believing in the mystery of transubstantiation (the miraculous changing of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ). One morning, as he was celebrating Mass (he had already said the most holy words of consecration, “This is My Body . . . This is my Blood . . .”), his doubts weighed upon him more heavily than ever. By a most singular and marvelous grace, he saw the Bread changed into Flesh and the Wine into Blood. Frightened and confused by such a great Miracle, he stood quite a while as if in a divine ecstasy; but eventually, his fear gave way to spiritual happiness, and he turned his joyful yet tearful face to those around him, exclaiming “Behold the Flesh and the Blood of our Most Beloved Christ.” At those words, the bystanders ran to the altar and began to cry for mercy. The faithful who, having become witnesses themselves, spread the news throughout the entire city.

Today, twelve centuries after the miraculous occurrence, it remains intact. The actual spot of the miracle is located beneath the present day tabernacle of the Church of St. Francis. The Miracle Itself is preserved in the second tabernacle, which is found in the high altar. The Host, now changed to Flesh, is contained in a silver monstrance, or ostensorium (a receptacle that holds the Host). The Wine, now changed to Blood, is contained in a crystal chalice. Upon a superficial examination, the Host of Flesh, which is still in one piece and has retained the dimensions of the original “Large Host”, has a fibrous appearance and a brown color, which becomes light reddish if one places a light in the back of the a monstrance. The blood, contained in the chalice, has an earthly color and consists of five coagulated globules.

Local Church and Vatican officials have authenticated the Eucharistic Miracle on many occasions since the Middle Ages. In 1672, Pope Clement X declared the altar of the Eucharistic Miracle a privileged altar on all Mondays of the year. In 1887, the Archbishop of Lanciano obtained from Pope Leo XIII a plenary indulgence in perpetuity to those who visit the Church of the Miracle during the eight days preceding the annual feast day, which falls on the last Sunday in October.

Scientific investigations have been taken place since 1574, with the following conclusions: the Flesh is real Flesh; t he Blood is real Blood; the Flesh consists of the muscular tissue of the heart; and the Flesh and Blood have in them AB type blood, the same blood type found in the Holy Shroud of Turin.