On December 8, 1991, a priest at the Shrine of Betania in Cúa, Venezuela was celebrating Mass. After the consecration he noticed the host begin to bleed from one side. The priest quickly preserved the host and studied it to make sure it was a miracle.
According to Eucharistic Miracles of the World, the local bishop took up an investigation to make sure it wasn’t explained by something natural.
During the Mass there were numerous pilgrims who immediately verified that thepriest did not have wounds from which the bloodpresent in the Host could have flowed. Besides, fromthe analyses, the result concluded that the blood of thepriest did not match the one of the Particle. The Hostof the Miracle was subjected to some special studies,requested by the then Bishop of Los Teques, H. E.Most Reverend Pio Bello Ricardo, and the results confirmed that the blood was human blood of type ABpositive which matches the one found in the cloth ofthe Shroud of Turin and in the Host of the EucharisticMiracle of Lanciano, that occurred in Italy in 750 ADand was analyzed by 500 commissions of the WorldHealth Organization.
Read more:
4 Incredible Eucharistic miracles that defy scientific explanation
The host was later enshrined in a convent in Los Teques and left exposed for thousands of pilgrims to see each year. In particular, one pilgrim from New Jersey named
Daniel Sanford arrived at the convent in 1998. He explains what happened next.
After the celebration ended [the priest] opened the door of the Tabernacle which contained the Host of the Miracle. With great astonishment I saw that the Host was as if in flames, and there was a Pulsating Heart that was bleeding in Its center. I saw this for about 30 seconds or so, then the Host returned to normal. I was able to film a part of this miracle with my video camera.
The video was sent to the local bishop, who encouraged the dissemination of the video for the purposes of spreading belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
The miraculous can still be seen today in the convent in Los Teques and the blood on the host is still fresh, as it was when the miracle first occurred.
Read more:
Between flesh and bread: The autopsy of a Eucharistic miracle
Read more:
The stunning Eucharistic miracle of Sokolka
And today we celebrate...