Last year, Indianapolis hosted the National Eucharistic Revival, and now they’re wondering whether a Eucharistic miracle might have occurred with a consecrated host. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has begun an investigation into a possible Eucharistic miracle at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Morris, a small town southeast of the city.
Local 12 reports on a parishioner’s claim that the Eucharist visibly took on the appearance of the physical body and blood of Christ. The claim traces back to a post from the Facebook account of Corpus Christi for Unity and Peace, in which a young woman from the parish explained that it began with an accidental dropping of the host.
After being dropped, the host was put in water to dissolve and placed in the tabernacle, only later to be joined by another host that was dropped a few hours later. The following day, when the sacristan opened the tabernacle to prepare for Saturday night Mass, there appeared to be spots of blood present. It was described as “a thin piece of skin with blood on it.”
It is unclear if the image provided in the Facebook post is of the host in question, or a visual aid to illustrate the post. The young woman does claim, however, to have seen it first hand.
According to the report, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has launched an investigation to identify whether or not a Eucharistic miracle has actually occurred. In addition, it has drawn on the expert help of a professional laboratory to analyze the dissolved host, and determine its physical make-up.
Father Jacob DuMont, deputy superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, told Local 12 that, while a Eucharistic miracle would be exciting, it’s too soon to tell if this is the real deal:
"We don't know for sure yet — but if eventually that does come to be, that's a great — something very special. That's a great sign that yes, Christ's living presence is here among us," Father DuMont said.
He also cautioned the faithful not to assume that a Eucharistic miracle occurred, noting that even if the lab’s findings support a miraculous circumstance, it is ultimately up to the Vatican to recognize any Eucharistic miracle.
