You are invited to learn about Eucharistic miracles described on more than 160 panels of the Vatican International Exhibition of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World. With an extensive assortment of photographs and historical descriptions, the exhibition presents some of the principal Eucharistic miracles that took place throughout the ages in various countries of the world and which have been recognized by the Church.
With an extensive assortment of photographs and historical descriptions, one can “virtually visit” the places where the miracles took place. The accounts ranged from well-known visions such as Our Lady of Guadalupe to lesser-known ones such as the Eucharistic miracle that occurred in 1412 in Herentals, Belgium.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to view these miracles. The exhibit will be on display at St. Patrick Church in the O’Gara Activity Center. St. Patrick Church is located at 950 W. Everett Road, Lake Forest, IL. The dates and hours are as follows:
Thursday, February 28
3:00pm - 8:00pm
Friday, March 1
8:30am - 6:00pm
Saturday, March 2
9:00am - 6:30pm
Sunday, March 3
8:30am - 2:30pm
Monday, March 4
8:30am - 12:00pm
The exhibit has been made available in the United States through The Real Presence Association, Inc. To learn more about the exhibit please visit The Real Presence Association's website.
Eucharistic Morning of Reflection
In conjunction with the exhibit please join us for a Eucharistic Morning of Reflection on Saturday, March 2 from 10:00am - 12:00pm in the Main Church. Please see the schedule below. Come Let us adore Him!
10:00am - Mass
10:30am - Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10:30am - Confessions (until 11:15am)
11:15am - Meditation on the Holy Eucharist
11:50am - Benediction
The Eucharistic Miracles of the World
Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. defines a miracle for us in his Modern Catholic Dictionary as “A sensibly perceptible effect, surpassing at least the powers of visible nature, produced by God to witness to some truth or testify to someone’s sanctity.”
“The Real Presence of Jesus Christ with His glorified Body is beyond the realm of purely sensory experience. The Eucharistic miracles, on the other hand, are extraordinary events concerning the Bread and Wine consecrated at Mass which can be experienced through the senses. They become a visible sign of the Real Presence of Jesus…By the way, as we shall see, a number of these miracles are continuing right through to the present time. Furthermore at Fatima, at Lourdes and elsewhere, Eucharistic miracles also continue to take place even though they are not always officially recognized by the Church but ‘How difficult it is to demonstrate the historical veracity of so many Eucharistic miracles. How difficult to grasp their real nature. How hard, if not possible, to distinguish between those accounts that when are rated with historical accuracy from those others where the sublime was spectacular which simply served for the instruction or edification of the faithful.’ (P. Giovanni Odoardi, o.f.m. conv). Italy is full of Eucharistic miracles. They are extraordinary events often unfortunately unknown even in the realm of Christianity.” (16 Eucharistic Miracles in Italy, Vocepiù, 1997)
“Our faith is not founded on Eucharistic miracles, but on the proclamation of the Lord Jesus, received with faith through the action of the Holy Spirit…A Christian is not obliged to believe in Eucharistic miracles,” Monsignor Raffaello Martinelli explains, however, “Eucharistic miracles can encourage us to understand, appreciate and love the Eucharist…They can help a person discover the mystery, the beauty and the riches of the Eucharist…We must never forget nor fail to mention that the Eucharist is the true, great, inexhaustible daily miracle…It is indeed true that the most important and astounding miracle is the one that takes place whenever the Eucharist is celebrated, during which ‘Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in a unique and incomparable way. He is present, in a true, real, substantial way, with his Body and Blood, with his Soul and Divinity. In the Eucharist, therefore, there is present in a sacramental way, that is, under the Eucharistic species of bread and wine, Christ whole and entire, God and Man’ (Compendium, n. 282). In making his Sacrifice of the Cross present and actual, he becomes our food and drink, with his Body and Blood, uniting us with him and with each other, becoming our viaticum on our earthly pilgrimage toward our eternal homeland.”