Italy Ravenna (1000+)

The Sorceress and the Sacred Host: A Tale of Miraculous Transformation

In 1050, likely in the region of Ravenna or Faenza, a woman attempted to steal a consecrated Host for sorcery. Caught by the vigilant priest, they discovered the Host had miraculously transformed: half turned into Flesh, while the other half remained bread. Witnessed by Saint Peter Damian, this event powerfully affirmed the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, converting unbelievers and highlighting the mystery of transubstantiation.
The Attempted Theft

A sorceress instructed a woman to bring her a consecrated Host. The woman attended Mass and during Communion, managed to hide a Host in her handkerchief. The priest, noticing her actions, ran after the woman and demanded that she reveal what she was hiding. When the woman opened the handkerchief, they were astonished to see that half of the stolen Host had been transformed into Flesh, while the other half retained the appearance of bread.

Saint Peter Damian's Account

Saint Peter Damian, a Doctor of the Church, described this significant Eucharistic miracle, of which he was a direct witness, in his work Opuscul. XXXXIV; Patrol. Lat., tom. CXLV. col. 573. The following is an Italian translation of his account:

"This is a Eucharistic event of great importance. It took place in 1050. Giving in to a horrible temptation, a woman was about to take the Eucharistic Bread home to use it for sorcery. But a priest noticed what she had done and ran after her, taking away from her the Host she had sacrilegiously stolen. Then he unfolded the white linen cloth in which the sacred Host had been wrapped and found that it had been transformed in such a way that half of it had become visibly the Body of Christ, while the other half preserved the normal look of a Host. With such a clear testimony, God wanted to win over unbelievers and heretics who refused to accept the Real Presence in the Eucharistic mystery: in one half of the consecrated bread, the Body of Christ was visible, while in the other, the natural form, thus highlighting the reality of the sacramental transubstantiation taking place at the consecration."

The Significance

This miracle served as a powerful testament to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The transformation of the Host into both Flesh and bread provided a clear demonstration of the sacramental transubstantiation, aimed at winning over unbelievers and heretics. The event, witnessed and documented by Saint Peter Damian, continues to affirm the mystery and reality of the Eucharist for the faithful.

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