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Eucharistic Miracles
Eucharistic miracles refer to events recognized by the Catholic Church where the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist are said to visibly change into human flesh and blood. Additionally, there are cases where the bread and wine remain inexplicably preserved. These miracles affirm the belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
The stories of three miracles are provided below and are taken from https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/
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The Miracle of Bolsena, Italy
In 1263 a German priest, Peter of Prague, stopped at Bolsena while on a pilgrimage to Rome. He was celebrating Mass in the Basilica of Bolsena, and when the moment of consecration arrived, the Host was transformed into Flesh. This miracle strengthened the wavering belief of the priest in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Sacred Body was inspected by Urban Pope IV and by St. Thomas Aquinas. This miracle helped convince the Pope to extend the feast of Corpus Christi to the universal Church so that everyone could recognize the love God has for those who love and worship him.
| Photo by Davide Papalini, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons | |  |
The Miracle of Santarem, Portugal
The Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem, together with that of Lanciano, is considered among the most important. Numerous studies and canonical analysis were carried out on the relics. The Host changed into bleeding Flesh and Blood flowed out of it. Both relics are preserved to this day in the Church of St. Stephen in Santarem.
| Photo by Arquidiocese de Braga, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons | | |
The Miracle of Lanciano, Italy
An inscription in marble from the 17th century describes this Eucharistic miracle which occurred at Lanciano in 750 at the Church of St. Francis.
"A monastic priest doubted whether the Body of Our Lord was truly present in the consecrated Host.
He celebrated Mass and when he said the words of consecration, he saw the Host turn into Flesh and the Wine turn into Blood. Everything was visible to those in attendance."
The Flesh is still intact and the Blood is divided into five unequal parts which together have the exact same weight as each one does separately.
| Photo by AFC photo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons | | |
Understanding the Mass
Understanding the Mass as Biblical: A Walk-Thru (Part 1) - Explaining the Faith
| | The main reason people don't attend Mass or are not focused during the Liturgy is because they don't fully understand what is taking place. Once one understands the Mass fully, one comes to love the Mass fully and their life changes. Fr. Chris Alar give us a walk-thru of each and every line of the Mass and its Scriptural origin on this episode of Explaining the Faith: Understanding the Mass as Biblical. | |
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The Father Leo Show
Avoid These 5 Mistakes at Mass to Deepen Your Catholic Worship During the Liturgy!
| Father Leo identifies five common mistakes Catholics make during Mass that detract from the experience for both the congregation and the celebrant. These mistakes include arriving late or leaving early, failing to actively participate in singing and responses, not contributing to the collection, neglecting to confess mortal sins before communion, and judging the priest based on homily skills. He emphasizes the importance of active participation, proper reverence, and a spirit of generosity and prayer. | | |
View of the Vatican Gardens and Museum, Vatican City, and Rome.
Photo by Stefan Bauer, - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons
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Second Lenten meditation:
Truth and love are not an imposition
By Christopher Wells | Vatican News
In his second meditation for Lent 2025, Fr Roberto Pasolini, the Preacher of the Papal Household, reflects on a number of lesser-known aspects of Jesus’ public ministry, which manifest an attitude that aims at obtaining “a profound freedom both for ourselves and for those before whom we place ourselves in a spirit of service.”
Read more...
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What are the Corporal and Spiritual Works Mercy?
According to the USCCB, "The Corporal Works of Mercy are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a model for how we should treat all others, as if they were Christ in disguise.
They 'are charitable actions by which we help our neighbors in their bodily needs' (USCCA). They respond to the basic needs of humanity as we journey together through this life.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2447) lists the Works of Mercy as: "Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.
| | Some suggestions for giving alms to the poor: |
- Skip the morning latte and put that money in the collection basket at church.
- Find a charity that is meaningful to you and volunteer your time or donate.
- This Lent, give up eating out at restaurants. Pack you meals and donate the extra money to charities.
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Participate in CRS Rice Bowl
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Attendees of Sister Thea Bowman Conference encouraged to bring ‘whole self’ to Church
By Nicole Olea| Catholic Standard
Thirty-five years after her death, the witness of Sister Thea Bowman – a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, scholar, cultural advocate, and joyful daughter of the Church – continues to inspire a growing movement calling for her canonization.
Read more...
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Traveling for the holidays or thinking of organizing a Black Catholic pilgrimage? Here are some ideas!
So, what is a pilgrimage?
From Verso Ministries
Simply put, a pilgrimage is a spiritual journey.
It can be made anywhere, by anyone, for just about any spiritual purpose. For Catholics, it means traveling to a destination — whether it’s a holy site, outdoor space, or even near to home — to experience God in a unique way.
The goal is always transformation. Anyone can travel to a location, but the pilgrim seeks to encounter something deeper. In that way, a pilgrimage is never truly finished, because hopefully you will come back changed, unable to return to old ways of living or thinking. Read more...
Pilgrimage Destinations in the United States
Visit Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman's grave in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee; or the tomb of the Sisters of the Holy Family, located in St. Louis Cemetery No 2, in New Orleans, Louisiana, that holds the remains of Venerable Henriette Delille; or Servant of God Julia Greeley's burial site in Denver, Colorado’s Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception; or Venerable Mother Mary Lange's sarcophagus in Our Lady of Mount Providence Convent Chapel of the Oblate Sisters of Providence in Arbutus, Maryland; or Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton's grave in St. Peter Cemetery in Quincy, Illinois; or Venerable Pierre Toussaint's tomb in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, or Servant of God Martin de Porres Maria Ward's gravesite in the cemetery of the São Francisco de Assis Seminary in Andrelândia, Brazil. Or, you can visit the burial place of Daniel Rudd, founder of the National Black Catholic Congress, buried in Bardstown, Kentucky, or Father Cyprian Davis' grave in Saint Meinrad Archabbey's cemetery in Spencer County, Indiana, or St. Josephine Bakhita's tomb in The Church of the Holy Family is located in Schio, Italy.
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Image used with the permission of Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration | fspa.org/theabowman | |
Elmwood Cemetery on South Dudley Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Grave of Sister Thea, Dr. Jamison C., Dr. Theon E. and Mary E. Bowman
Photo by Thomas R Machnitzki - Own work, CC BY 3.0
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Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman
1937 to 1990
From the article, U.S. Bishops Conduct Canonical Consultation on Cause for Canonization of Sr. Thea Bowman, F.S.P.A., published on the USCCB website
"A self-proclaimed, 'old folks’ child,' Bowman, was the only child born to middle-aged parents, Dr. Theon Bowman, a physician and Mary Esther Bowman, a teacher. At birth she was given the name Bertha Elizabeth Bowman. She was born in 1937 and reared in Canton, Mississippi. As a child she converted to Catholicism through the inspiration of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity who were her teachers and pastors at Holy Child Jesus Church and School in Canton.
Read more...
Click the play button below to watch the documentary film, "Going Home Like a Shooting Star".
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Photo of Henriette Delille is Fair Use: This is the only known image of Delille, from the Sisters of the Holy Family.
Photo of the tomb of Henriette Dellile was taken by Rev. Rodney Ricard in 2020. The tomb is located in New Orleans St. Louis Cemetery #2.
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Venerable Henriette Delille
1813 to 1862
Based on the Biography of Henriette Delille found on the Sisters of the Holy Family website
Henriette Delille, born in 1812 in New Orleans, was a free woman of color dedicated to her community and family. After experiencing personal loss, she had a transformative religious experience at 24, expressing her faith in a declaration of love for God.
In 1836, she founded the Society of the Holy Family to care for the sick and educate the poor. By 1842, she established the Sisters of the Holy Family, who opened America’s first Catholic home for the elderly and served during yellow fever epidemics.
Recognized as "Servant of God" in 1988, the canonization process for Henriette has reached the "venerable" stage. She could become the first U.S. native-born African American saint pending validation of a miracle for her to be declared blessed.
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Tomb of Julia Greeley within the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, CO. Photo used with the permission of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
Click the play button to watch a video presentation on Servant of God Julia Greeley.
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Servant of God Julia Greeley
1833-48 to 1918
From the Julia Greeley Guild
Julia Greeley, Denver’s Angel of Charity, was born into slavery, near Hannibal, Missouri, sometime between 1833 and 1848. While she was still a young child, a cruel slave master, in the course of beating her mother, caught Julia’s right eye with his whip and destroyed it.
Freed by Missouri’s Emancipation Act in 1865, Julia subsequently earned her keep by serving white families in Missouri, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico—mostly in the Denver area.
Read more...
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Venerable Mother Mary Lange
c. 1789 to 1882
From the Oblate Sisters of Providence Website
We do not know very much about Elizabeth Lange’s early life. Recent research points to Santiago de Cuba as her birthplace. Most likely she grew up in the French speaking area of the city. Because she was well educated we believe that she came from a family of some means and social standing. In the early1800’s young Elizabeth left Cuba to seek peace and security in the United States. Providence directed her to Baltimore, Maryland where great influxes of French-speaking Catholic refugees from the Haitian Revolution were settling.
By 1813 Elizabeth Lange was living in Baltimore. She was a courageous, loving and deeply spiritual woman. She came as a strong, independent thinker and doer.
It did not take Lange long to recognize that the children of her fellow Caribbean immigrants needed education. She was determined to respond to that need in spite of being a black woman in a slave state long before the Emancipation Proclamation. She used her own money and home to educate children of color. Elizabeth, with a friend, Marie Magdelaine Balas, offered free education to children in their home in the Fells Point area of the city.
Read more...
| | Photo of Mother Mary Lange by Unknown author, Public Domain | Our Lady of Mount Providence Convent Chapel Crypt. Photo added by Mémoriaux Atlantique, Find A Grave. | | Image by Simmons, William J - Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. G. M. Rewell & Company, 1887. p. 439-446, Public Domain. | |
Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton
1854 to 1897
From the Archdiocese of Chicago website
Saints arise from the exigencies of the eras within which they live. Saints are of human stock but have the genius to step forward and bring the gospel message to the contradictions of their time. In the case of Augustus Tolton it is the long period of black slavery in this country and the nation’s Civil War foisting a resolution to uncompensated black servitude and the tumultuous period of Reconstruction of a nation torn to shreds over this issue. Augustus witnessed mistreatment of his people and became a victim himself of such mistreatment.
Without a national program to assist the assimilation of freed slaves into the fabric of the country, its schools, social and educational institutions and politics were found generally off limits to blacks especially where whites were invested. What Tolton experienced in that time of social ambivalence is stuff we read about in history books or view in certain documentaries.
Read more...
| Fr. Augustine Tolton's grave marker in St. Peter's Cemetery (Quincy, Illinois, USA). Image of grave marker inscription by Sullijo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | | | The marble slab marks the burial site of Venerable Pierre Toussaint. The brass plaque mounted on the slab includes the canonization prayer shown enlarged in another photo. NBCC Staff Photo | | This prayer for the Canonization of Venerable Pierre Toussaint is inscribed on a brass plaque on the ledger stone. NBCC Staff Photo | | |
Servant of God Martin de Porres Maria Ward
Meet the Most Recent American Black Catholic on the Road to Sainthood
By Brian O'Neel | National Catholic Register
A Black American priest who left his country because prejudice wouldn’t allow him to practice his ministry in the United States is ironically the seventh and most recent African American to be considered for beatification.
The Servant of God, born in 1918 as Matthias DeWitte Ward in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood to an interracial couple, he grew up as a Methodist. During his childhood, he, his parents and 11 siblings moved to Washington, D.C., where he experienced prejudice from both whites and Blacks.
Read more...
| | Image of Friar Martin de Porres Maria Ward, from the Friars Minor Conventual website | Shown are friars gathered for prayers at the grave of 'Frei Martinho Maria,' located in the cemetery of the São Francisco de Assis Seminary in Andrelândia, Brazil. Photo from Franciscan Friars Conventual | | | |
Fr. Cyprian Davis, OSB
Photo from St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology.
Fr. Davis is buried in Saint Meinrad Archabbey Cemetery, Spencer County, Indiana.
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Fr. Cyprian Davis, OSB
1930 to 2015
From Wikipedia.com
Cyprian Davis was born in Washington, D.C., on September 9, 1930. He converted to Catholicism in his teenage years and became interested in joining the priesthood as well as becoming a monk. Though many monastic communities (and most Catholic religious institutes) did not accept African Americans at the time, after high school Davis joined the seminary of St. Meinrad Archabbey (1949–1956). He became a novice on July 31, 1950, took the monastic name Cyprian on August 1, 1951, and was ordained a priest on May 3, 1956. He was the first African American to join that monastic community.
Davis received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of America (1957), before going to the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium to study Church history, obtaining his Doctoral en Sciences Historiques (D.Hist.Sci.) from Louvain, in 1963. While there, Davis focused his work on the Church during the Middle Ages to avoid American Church history and concerns of race and slavery. Upon his first return from Belgium in 1963, he taught church history at Saint Meinrad Seminary, and eventually became the school's first professor emeritus in 2012.
Read more...
| For a free download of Fr. Davis' book, The History of Black Catholics in the United States, click here. | |
National Black Catholic Congress Founder, Daniel A. Rudd
1854 to 1933
Biography from MissionPriest.org
Daniel Arthur Rudd was born in slavery on August 7, 1854 in Bardstown, Kentucky. He was the eleventh of twelve children of Eliza and Robert Rudd.
Sometime before 1876, Daniel left home and moved to Springfield, Ohio to complete his education. As a member of St. Raphael Catholic parish, Daniel helped desegregate the Springfield schools.
In 1885, Daniel founded a weekly black newspaper called The Ohio State Tribune. Unfortunately, it did not do too well, so in 1886, he changed the name of the paper to the American Catholic Tribune and moved the paper to Cincinnati. By 1892, the newspaper was printing ten thousand copies even though the literacy rate among black Americans was very low.
Read more...
| Rudd Photo By Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. Central Arkansas Library System, Public Domain | |
Daniel Rudd Historical Marker, St. Joseph Cemetery, Bardstown, Kentucky. Photo by Nate Tinner Williams, Black Catholic Messenger. | Springfield in Clark County, Ohio. Erected in 2021 by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Catholic Social Action and African American Pastoral Ministries offices, St. Raphael Catholic Church (Marker Number 9-12.) Photo Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin, December 11, 2021. | | |
Saint Josephine Bakhita
From Franciscan Media Saint of the Day
For many years, Josephine Bakhita was a slave but her spirit was always free and eventually that spirit prevailed.
Born in Olgossa in the Darfur region of southern Sudan, Josephine was kidnapped at the age of 7, sold into slavery and given the name Bakhita, which means fortunate. She was resold several times, finally in 1883 to Callisto Legnani, Italian consul in Khartoum, Sudan.
Two years later, he took Josephine to Italy and gave her to his friend Augusto Michieli. Bakhita became babysitter to Mimmina Michieli, whom she accompanied to Venice’s Institute of the Catechumens, run by the Canossian Sisters. While Mimmina was being instructed, Josephine felt drawn to the Catholic Church. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890, taking the name Josephine.
When the Michielis returned from Africa and wanted to take Mimmina and Josephine back with them, the future saint refused to go. During the ensuing court case, the Canossian Sisters and the patriarch of Venice intervened on Josephine’s behalf. The judge concluded that since slavery was illegal in Italy, she had actually been free since 1885.
Read more...
| Sr. Laura, of the Canossian Sisters, and Valerie Washington, NBCC Executive Director, undertook a pilgrimage to the resting place of St. Josephine Bakhita, and are shown at the entrance to The Church of the Holy Family. | | By Unknown author - with the caption "virgin of the Institute of the Daughters of the Canossiane charity", Public Domain. | Located within the Church of the Holy Family, Schio, Italy, the wax effigy encloses the remains of St. Josephine Bakhita. NBCC Staff Photo. | The Church of the Holy Family is located in Schio, Italy. By Belllissimo - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57324391 | | |
The Boy from Milan: Stories of Carlo Acutis
MOVIE TRAILER from FORMED
Discover the inspiring story of Carlo Acutis, the young boy from Milan on the path to sainthood. You may have heard of him, the sneaker-wearing, computer-loving "gamer saint" of our time. But beyond the headlines and hashtags, the real story of Carlo is something deeper, something the world desperately needs to hear. Known for his deep love of God, devotion to the Eucharist, and quiet acts of charity, Carlo’s life was a testament to everyday holiness.
Featuring personal stories from those who knew him in real life, this documentary goes beyond the headlines to reveal the heart of a boy who saw Jesus in everyone and never missed an opportunity to love. His simple yet profound faith continues to touch lives, proving that sainthood is for all of us.
Be inspired by Carlo’s true story and discover that holiness is possible in daily life.
Learn more here: https://formed.org/the-boy-from-milan#optin
| | Archbishop Eugene Antonio Marino SSJ | | Bishop Leonard J. Olivier SVD | | Archbishop James P. Lyke OFM | |
Black Catholic Bishops in the U.S.
Pray for those who are living and those who are deceased.
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In Loving Memory of Father Norman Fischer
(1973 to 2024)
We fondly reflect on his enduring legacy through a previously recorded interview that captures his warmth and wisdom.
From the National Black Catholic Congress YouTube Channel. Interview takes place at Notre Dame University at the National Black Catholic Congress Vocations Symposium on May 4-5th, 2010.
| | AI Generated Image using CANVA, NBCC 4_1_2025 | | |
Forming Intentional Disciples:
The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus
by Sherry A. Weddell
How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples.
World-renowned author and speaker Sherry Weddell leads you through the steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world.
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Growing an Engaged Church
How to Stop "Doing Church" and Start BEING the Church Again
by Albert L. Winseman
Growing an Engaged Church offers unique, research-based, often counterintuitive solutions to the challenges facing churches, including declining participation, contributions and membership. Clergy and church leaders will find the evidence and answers in this book provocative, eye-opening and actionable. What if members of your congregation were 13 times more likely to have invited someone to participate in your church in the past month? Spent more than two hours per week serving and helping others in their community?
| | | Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers and a note to a loved one's memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world. | | |
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Cast all your worries upon him
because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
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