Eucharistic Miracle Observed in Connecticut Parish

An investigation into the reports of a possible miracle at Thomaston's St. Thomas Church in Connecticut has been sent to the Vatican for review.

A Eucharistic miracle was reported at St. Thomaston's St. Thomas Church in Connecticut.

Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
5/13/2023 (2 years ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Catholic, Eucharist, Eucharistic, miracle, Connecticut, St. Thomas, parish, Church, Mass, host, multiplied

The Rev. Joseph Crowley, pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, reported that during Holy Communion, a lay person distributing hosts had found that the wafers had multiplied in the ciborium. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has been notified and is conducting its own investigation.

The dicastery is composed of two sections, one for discipline, which handles cases of sexual misconduct, and one for doctrine, which oversees safeguarding faith and morals and protecting their integrity from errors. Michael O'Neill, known as the Miracle Hunter, said that the results of his investigation probably gave Archbishop Leonard Blair of the Archdiocese of Hartford good reason to forward the case to the Vatican. If the dicastery determines that a miracle occurred in Thomaston, the archdiocese will probably acknowledge that they've been in communication with this dicastery and will probably talk about the recommendations, O'Neill said.

O'Neill said while he'd be highly surprised if they were able to have enough evidence to declare it a true eucharistic miracle, if the archdiocese truly had nothing to go on, they would, in fact, release a very generic statement. He said it is unlikely that the livestreamed video of the Mass showed the increase in hosts, however. There have been four recent eucharistic miracles approved by the Vatican, according to O'Neill: in Poland, Mexico and Argentina. The churches in those cases were permitted to erect a shrine, he said.

Blair said in a statement in March that miracles are divine signs calling us to faith or to deepen our faith. He said what has been reported to have occurred at the parish church in Thomaston, of which Blessed Michael McGivney was once pastor, if verified, would constitute a sign or wonder that can only be attributed to divine power to strengthen our faith in the daily miracle of the Most Holy Eucharist. It would also be a source of blessing from Heaven for the effort that the U.S. Bishops are making to renew and deepen the faith and practice of our Catholic people with regard to this great sacrament.

It may be worth noting that a Eucharistic miracle occurs at every Mass, when the bread and wine are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Nonetheless, miracles such as these are also worthy of note.