About the Eucharistic Miracle of Sokolka:
When we eat the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we proclaim that it actually IS the Body and Blood of Our Lord…not a symbol. Occassionally a miracle takes place to cofirm that fact, called a Eucharistic Miracle.
Such a miracle occured in Poland at the church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Sokolko on Sunday, October 12, 2008.
During Mass, as one of the priests was distributing Communion, a consecrated host fell from his hands. He interrupted the distribution of Communion and picked up the host, and, in accordance with liturgical norms, placed it in a small container of water, the one where the priest washes his fingers after distributing Communion. The host was expected to dissolve in the water, which would later be disposed of properly.
Sister Julia Dubowska, of the Congregation of the Eucharistic Sisters, was the parish sacristan. At the end of the Mass, at the request of the pastor, Fr. Stanislaw Gniedziejko, she poured the water and the host into another container. Knowing that the consecrated host would take some time to dissolve, she placed the new container in the safe located in the parish sacristy. Only she and the pastor had the keys to the safe.
A week later, on October 19, Mission Sunday, when the pastor asked her about the condition of the host, Sister Julia went to the safe. When she opened the door, she noticed a delicate aroma of unleavened bread. When she opened the container, she saw, in the middle of the host—which was still largely intact—a curved, bright red stain, like a blood stain: a living particle of a body. The water was untainted by the color.
The sister immediately informed the priest, who brought in the other priests at the parish and the visiting missionary, Fr. Ryszard Gorowski. They were all amazed and left speechless by what they saw.
They immediately notified the metropolitan archbishop of Bialystok, Edward Ozorowski, who went to Sokolka with the chancellor of the Curia and other diocesan officials. They were all deeply moved by what they saw. The archbishop ordered that the host be protected while they waited to see what would happen.
On October 29, the container with the host was transferred to the Divine Mercy Chapel in the rectory, and placed in the tabernacle. The next day, by decision of the archbishop, the stained host was taken out of the water and placed on a small corporal, which was then put back in the tabernacle. The host was kept this way for three years, until it was solemnly brought to the church on October 2, 2011. During the first year, it was kept secret. During that time, the Church authorities reflected on what to do, since they were dealing with a sign from God which needed to be interpreted.
By mid-January of 2009, the altered fragment of the host had dried out naturally, and remained like a blood stain or clot; since then, its appearance has not changed.
That same month, the archbishop requested histopathological studies be done on the host. On March 30, he created an ecclesial commission to study the phenomenon.
A piece of the altered host was taken and analyzed independently by two experts, Prof. Maria Sobaniec-Lotowska, MD, and Prof. Stanislaw Sulkowski, MD, in order to ensure the credibility of the results. Both are histopathologists at the Medical University of Bialystok. The studies were carried out at the university’s Department of Pathomorphology.
The specialists’ work was governed by the scientific norms and obligations for analyzing any scientific problem in accordance with the directives of the Scientific Ethics Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The studies were exhaustively described and photographed. The complete documentation was given to the Metropolitan Curia of Bialystok.
When the samples were taken for analysis, the undissolved part of the consecrated host had become embedded in the cloth. However, the red blood clot was as clear as ever. This transformed part of the host was dry and fragile, inextricably interwoven with the rest of the fragment, which had kept the form of bread. The sample that was taken was large enough to carry out all the necessary studies.
The results of both independent studies were in perfect agreement. They concluded that the structure of the transformed fragment of the host is identical to the myocardial (heart) tissue of a living person who is nearing death. The structure of the heart muscle fibers is deeply intertwined with that of the bread, in a way impossible to achieve with human means, according to the declaration of Prof. Maria Sobaniec-Lotowska.
The studies proved that no foreign substance was added to the consecrated host; rather, part of the host took the form of heart muscle of a person near death. This kind of phenomenon is inexplicable by the natural sciences.
The results of the histopathological studies, dated January 21, 2009, were included in the dossier given to the Metropolitan Curia of Bialystok.
In its official communiqué, the Metropolitan Curia of Bialystok stated:
“The Sokolka event is not opposed to the faith of the Church; rather, it confirms it. The Church professes that, after the words of consecration, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread is transformed into the Body of Christ, and the wine into His Blood. Additionally, this is an invitation for all ministers of the Eucharist to distribute the Body of the Lord with faith and care, and for the faithful to receive Him with adoration.”
On Holy Thursday, 9 April 2009, by the decision of His Excellency, the church of St. Antoni Padewski in Sokółka was raised to the rank of Collegiate Church and the Collegiate Chapter of the Blessed Sacrament was established. Its members included the priests of the Archdiocese of Bialystok – parish priests and builders of new churches. The charism of the Chapter is to care for and promote the worship of the Eucharistic Christ – the protection of the Eucharist.
Miracles in Sokolka:
In the years since the miraculous host has been on display, many miracles have been reported by those who came here to adore the host. You can read more of them here (use google translate).
Finding St. Anthony of Padua Parish church in Sokolka:
Sokoka is about 150 miles northeast of Warswa. It is accessable by train from Warsaw via Bialystok…about 3 hours for most trains.
Address: ul. Grodzieńska 47, 16-100 Sokólka
Tel: +48 85 711 20 01
e-mail: sokolkaswantoni@wp.pl
Click here for the official website of Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Sokolka (Use Google Translate)
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Source: Saint Anthony Parish, Sokolka, Poland
