Eucharistic Miracle - Boxmeer, Netherlands - 1400

Eucharistic Miracle

Boxmeer, Netherlands - 1400

Feast Day - Corpus Christi

The church where this Eucharistic Miracle took place, in Boxmeer in southern Netherlands, was originally built around the year 1000.  This Eucharistic Miracle took place in what is now the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Peter's Church in Boxmeer.   

Eucharistic Miracle 

Around the year 1400, Father Arnoldus Groen was celebrating Mass. At the moment of consecration Fr. Groen began to doubt the Real Presence of Our Lord in the consecrated Eucharist. After he had said the words of consecration, the Wine began to bubble out of the chalice onto the corporal.  The Wine on the corporal coagulated into a lump of Blood about 1 cm in diameter. 

The relic of the Blood and the corporal were retained for veneration. In 1482 they were moved to the cylindrical reliquary shown above.  In 1650 a container was made to hold the reliquary.  This is shown below.  

Pope Clement XI (1700 - 1721), Pope Benedict XIV (1740 - 1758), Pope Pius IX (1846 - 1878), and Pope Leo XIII (1878 - 1903) held a special devotion to this particular Eucharistic Miracle.  

Today 

For years after this Eucharistic Miracle, the Boxmeerse Vaart, Holy Blood procession, would take place on Corpus Christi.  This year it will take place on May 28, 2016. 

In 2000, Pope John Paul II elevated Saint Peter's Church in Boxmeer, Netherlands to a basilica, which is located next to the Boxmeer Carmel at Kerkpad 4, 5831 HS Boxmeer, Netherlands. 

Why does Our Lord show Himself to us in these Eucharistic Miracles?  Possibly because each one of us is no different than Thomas who would not believe in the Risen Lord unless he saw the mark of the nails in Our Lords hands and put his finger into the nailmarks (John 20:25). 

Though I would like to say that when it comes to the Eucharist I might be like the ones Jesus describes in John 20:29, "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." But I must confess, I struggle sometimes, I have doubted just like  Fr. Groen did in the year 1400, in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. But when those doubts enter my mind I pray for the grace to believe that what Jesus said in John 6: 55-56 is truth. "For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I in that person." And - thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit gives me the grace to believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life.  

When I am asked by friends (who do not believe that Catholics can truly have a real relationship with Our Lord Jesus) "Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?"  I can honestly answer, yes!! Jesus walks with me every moment of every day.  But I am also blessed with something else.  Every time I receive Jesus in the Eucharist the two of us couldn't be any closer as His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity enters into every cell of my being and into the depth of my soul fortifying me for one more day of service in His Kingdom.  

So we do not have to go all the way to Boxmeer, Netherlands to witness a Eucharistic Miracle. Our Lord comes to us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity every day at the celebration of the Eucharist at Mass.  

For devotional items related to the Catholic faith, please visit Lynn's Timeless Treasures.  

Index of Eucharistic Miracles

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Picture of Saint Peter and Paul Church from Wikipedia

Picture of Church of Saint Peter and Paul with adjoining Boxmeer Carmel - From Carmelite website 
Picture of the reliquary of 1482 and holder for the reliquary from 1650 from Boxmeerse Vaart Wikipedia 

Holy Eucharist - Eucharistic Miracle - Meerssen, Netherlands - 1222

Eucharistic Miracle 

Meerssen, Netherlands 1222 and 1465
Feast Day - Corpus Christi 

Meerssen, a town in the southeastern Netherlands came into existence in 870 by the Treaty of Meerssen which was a division of property between the medieval realm of the Franks. In the middle of the 900's, Meerssen became the property of queen Gerberga, who eventually became the wife of Louis IV of France.  As queen of West France, she became acquainted with the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint-Remi. In 968 she donated her palace at Meerssen to the Benedictine monks of Saint Remi, who later made the palace into their deanery/monastery. Around 1100, the Benedictine's enlarged this into a Romanesque style church. It was in the church that two Eucharistic Miracles occurred. 

Eucharistic Miracle
 1222

In 1222 during a Sunday Mass, after the priest consecrated the Eucharist, living Blood began to drip from the large Host held by the priest.  This stained the corporal. The Blood stained Host and corporal were reserved and venerated by the Benedictine's, and the many pilgrims who flocked to Meerssen to see the Miracle. By 1318 the nave had been enlarged to support three Gothic bays for the large number of pilgrims that came to venerate the relic.      

Eucharistic Miracle
1465

In 1465 Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy attacked Meerssen and set fire to the Benedictine Church of Meerssen.  A farmer who came upon the burning church managed to rescue the relic of the Blood stained Host and corporal. The picture above is a painting by F. Nicolas, representing the fire miracle of 1465. Today, this painting can be viewed in the Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament, Meerssen.

In 1500 the church was rebuilt and the Sacrament Tower was built to hold the relics of the Miracle.    

Today 

In 1938, Pope Pius XI elevated the church to a basilica known now as the Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament. Today, over 790 years later the relics of the Host and Blood stained corporal may be viewed at the Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament, Markt 25 6231 LR Meerssen, Netherlands.  They are carried in procession each year during the octave of Corpus Christi.  

But we do not have to go all the way to Meerssen, Netherlands to witness a Eucharistic Miracle. Our Lord comes to us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity every time we celebrate Mass.  

For devotional items related to the Catholic faith, please visit Lynn's Timeless Treasures.  

Index of Eucharistic Miracles 

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Photograph of Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament, Meerssen, Netherlands (also called St. Bartholomew's Basilica), photo of the Sacrament Tower from, interior view of church Kerkgebouwe in Limburg
Devotional card drawing of first miracle, and picture of the painting by F. Nicolas, from Meertens Institute
Picture of a Novena Booklet from the Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament from The Eucharistic Miracles of the World page 187.

Holy Eucharist - Eucharistic Miracle - Boxtel, Netherlands - 1380

Eucharistic Miracle
Boxtel, Netherlands 1380
Feast Day - Trinity Sunday

Boxtel located in southern Netherlands, was founded by the von Boxtel family in the Middle Ages on the high ground near the river Dommel.  The earliest mention of a church dates back to 1293. 

Eucharistic Miracle 

In 1380, the priest Eligius van der Aker was celebrating Mass at St. Peter's Church in Boxtel. Similar to what happened in Alkmaar in 1429, after the consecration of the white wine into the Blood of Christ, Fr. van der Aker spilled the chalice holding the precious Blood.  The Blood spilled onto the corporal and the altar linens.  The stains turned Blood Red.  Father attempted to remove the stains but it was in vain.  Frightened by the miracle, he hid the corporal under his bed. 

It was not until he was on his death bed that he revealed his sin to his confessor, Fr. Henrijk van Meerheim who immediately informed Cardinal Pileus who was apostolic legate of Pope Urban VI.  On June 25, 1380 the Cardinal authorized a decree of veneration of the relic of the Blood on the corporal.

St. Peter's Church was enlarged in the 14th century in the Gothic style.  Foundations of this were discovered in 1918. 

 In 1469 a brick tower was built for the church bell.  Around 1551 construction of the holy Blood Chapel began on the north side of the church.

  By 1650 the parish was taken over by the Protestant Church, the relics were moved to Hoogstraten and the Catholics were forced to say Mass elsewhere.

  In 1823 the Catholic community took back possession of St. Peter's, reconsecrating it November 27, 1827. 

In 1924, the corporal relic with the Holy Blood was returned to St. Peter's Church in Boxtel for veneration.  The program representing the return is shown above. 

The picture above shows crowds filling the streets surrounding St. Peter's Church to welcome the Holy Blood home in 1924. Below is a picture of the main altar inside St. Peter's Church with the relic of the Blood under the Crucifix.   

Today 

On October 7, 2012, St. Peter's in Boxtel was elevated to a basilica.  On Trinity Sunday every year there is a large procession through the streets of Boxtel and celebration revolving around the relic of the Holy Blood. The corporal with the Holy Blood is encased in a rim of gold brocade and kept on the altar of the Epiphany Chapel.  The Blood can still 
be seen.

St. Peter's is located at Oude Kerkstraat 20, 5281 AP Boxtel.

But we do not have to go all the way to Boxtel, Netherlands to witness a Eucharistic Miracle.  Our Lord comes to us Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity every time we celebrate Mass.  

For devotional items related to the Catholic Church, please visit Lynn's Timeless Treasures.  
   

Index of Eucharistic Miracles 


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Photo of Saint Peter's Basilica Boxtel 
Photo of panel depicting the Eucharistic Miracle of Boxtel
Program for the return of the Holy Blood and photo of crowds waiting for the Holy Blood return.
Photo of the main altar 

Holy Eucharist - Eucharistic Miracle - Alkmaar, Netherlands - 1429

Eucharistic Miracle
Alkmaar, Netherlands - 1429 

Alkmaar Netherlands is located in the northern part of the country about 25 miles north of Amsterdam.  The earliest mention of the village of Alkmaar is in a 10th century document.  It finally was granted city rights in 1254. During the 1400's, the time of this miracle, Holland was controlled by the Duke of Burgundy.

Eucharistic Miracle 

On May 1, 1429 Fr. Folkert was celebrating his first Mass at the Cathedral of St. Lawrence in Alkmaar.  After he had pronounced the words of consecration he accidentally knocked over the chalice containing white consecrated Wine, which splattered three drops onto his chasuble. These turned into three drops of living Blood. After Mass, Fr. Folkert tried to burn the piece of the chasuble where the Blood had formed.  This did not work destroy the chasuble.  So he decided to bury the piece of his chasuble with the Blood.  

A few years later off the coast of Holland a boat was caught up in a violent storm.  As the captain of the boat considered his options to save his ship, an angel appeared to him holding in his hands a piece of fabric on which appeared three drops of blood.  The angel told the captain that the boat would be saved if he was willing to sail to Aklmaar and tell the pastor of St. Lawrence Church to unearth the buried cloth.  The captain agreed, the cloth was found and taken to the Bishop of Utrecht who in 1433 proclaimed this a Eucharistic Miracle. A statue of an angle was made to hold the relic of the cloth so that the parishioners of St. Lawrence could venerate the Holy Blood.     

Today

The Holy Blood may be viewed today in the St. Lawrence Church. This is not the same St. Lawrence church where the miracle took place.  That church is no longer standing.

Today, there are in fact two St. Lawrence churches within half a mile of each other in Alkmaar.  The Grote or Sint-Laurenskerk located at Koorstraat 2 Alkmaar, Netherlands is a Protestant church, built in 1470  famous for its Choir Organ. The Catholic Church of Saint Lawrence located at 68 Verdronkenoord Alkmaar, Netherlands, built in 1859 is the repository of the Holy Blood, still visible after over 500 plus years. 

But we do not have to go all the way to Alkmaar, Netherlands to witness a Eucharistic Miracle.  Our Lord comes to us Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity every time we celebrate Mass.  

For devotional items related to the Catholic Church, please visit Lynn's Timeless Treasures.     

Index of Eucharistic Miracles 

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Picture of St. Laurence Church from R. K. Parochie HH. Matthias - Laurentius web site 
Etching of the angle with the Holy Blood - The Eucharistic Miracles of the World, page 168
Picture of the banner and Holy Relic from  a July 17th 2015 visit to St. Lawrence Church  by the Sisters of the Community of St. Adolphine, SSVM