The Bleeding Host: A Miracle of Faith and Mystery

The First Miracle: December 8, 1991

On December 8, 1991, an extraordinary event took place at the Marian Shrine of Finca Betania in Cúa, Venezuela. Father Otty Ossa Aristizábal, the Chaplain of the Shrine, was celebrating Midnight Mass in the chapel when a miraculous occurrence unfolded during the consecration of the Eucharist. As Father Otty divided the large Host into four parts, he consumed one piece and placed the remaining pieces on the paten. Moments later, he noticed something astonishing—a red spot appeared on one of the pieces, and a red substance began to emanate from it, resembling blood seeping from a wound.

Father Otty later described his amazement: "After having consumed one of the pieces of the large Host, I returned the others to the paten. A little later, I looked down and could not believe what I saw: one of the pieces of the Host was showing a red spot, and from it, a red substance began to flow, similar to how blood escapes from a wound."

The Host was safely preserved in the sacristy of the Shrine. The following morning, Father Otty checked the Host again and found that the blood continued to flow, though it had begun to dry. Even today, the blood appears fresh, though strangely, it only flowed from one side of the Host without staining the rest of the Eucharistic species.

Verification and Analysis

Numerous pilgrims who were present at the Mass confirmed that Father Otty had no wounds from which the blood could have come. Moreover, scientific analyses were conducted under the direction of the then Bishop of Los Teques, H.E. Most Reverend Pio Bello Ricardo. The results revealed that the blood was human, of type AB positive, a match with the blood found on the Shroud of Turin and the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano, which occurred in Italy in 750 AD and was later analyzed by 500 commissions of the World Health Organization.

The miraculous Host has since been preserved at the convent of the Augustinian Recollect Nuns of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Los Teques, where it is permanently exposed for the adoration of the faithful. Pilgrims from all over the world visit the convent to venerate the Host, which remains an object of deep devotion.

The Second Miracle: November 12, 1998

Another miraculous event connected to the Host occurred on November 12, 1998. Daniel J. Sanford, a young man from New Jersey, was on a pilgrimage to Betania with a prayer group. They visited the Chapel of the Augustinian Sisters of Los Teques, where the miraculous Host was kept. After Mass, their spiritual director, Father Mazzarella, opened the door of the Tabernacle, revealing the Host of the Miracle.

Daniel later recounted the extraordinary event: "With great astonishment, I saw that the Host appeared as if it were in flames, and there was a pulsating heart bleeding at its center. I witnessed this for about 30 seconds before the Host returned to its normal appearance. I was able to film part of this miracle with my video camera."

Ongoing Devotion

The Host of Betania continues to draw countless pilgrims each year, who come to witness and venerate this remarkable sign of divine presence. The chapel devoted to Perpetual Adoration at the convent of the Augustinian Recollect Nuns remains open daily, offering the faithful the opportunity to be in the presence of the miraculous Host and experience the profound mystery of the Eucharist.