The Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, issued a statement Tuesday about its ongoing investigation into a possible Eucharistic miracle that was reported at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston earlier in March.
Rev. Joseph Crowley, pastor of St. Thomas, announced on March 5 after the distribution of Holy Communion that a lay eucharistic minister had witnessed a possible miracle when the vessel holding the hosts showed more hosts had appeared.
According to the report at WFSB News:
When the minister suspected they were running out of hosts to pass out, Crowley said they glanced around to find more, but when that minister looked back down, more hosts had appeared.
By the time communion was over, Crowley said there seemed to be either as many or possibly even more hosts in the ciborium than there were when he had first handed it to the minister.
“This was one of those moments where God showed up in a very powerful, powerful way here. Pretty cool,” Crowley said.
“As people of faith we know that miracles can and do happen, as they did during Christ’s earthly ministry,” the statement by the Archdiocese of Hartford read. “Miracles are divine signs calling us to faith or to deepen our faith.”
The archdiocese continued:
Roman Catholics experience a daily miracle because every time Mass is celebrated what was bread becomes the Body of Christ and what was wine becomes his Blood. Through the centuries this daily miracle has sometimes been confirmed by extraordinary signs from Heaven, but the Church is always careful to investigate reports of such signs with caution, lest credence is given to something that proves to be unfounded.
Blessed Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus, was once the pastor of St. Thomas Church. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan recently opened the inaugural exhibit at the Sheen Center highlighting the life of McGivney.
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and @CardinalDolan opened “An American Blessed,” the @SheenCenter’s inaugural exhibit on Blessed Michael McGivney, on March 6. The exhibit is open to the public until March 29. To learn more, visit https://t.co/kwJ129zClx pic.twitter.com/HYKtBfH4ZF
— Knights of Columbus (@KofC) March 8, 2023
For this #ThrowbackThursday, look back the opening reception for the exhibit "An American Blessed: #FrMcGivney, Founder of the @KofC" at the @SheenCenter: https://t.co/c8xBtGGT07
Explore his life, legacy, & continuing mission in this limited-time exhibit, open through 3/29.
— Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center (@FatherMcGivney) March 23, 2023
McGivney was beatified in late October 2020 after Pope Francis approved a pro-life miracle attributed to his intercession.
Mikey Schachle, a boy from Tennessee – age five at the time of McGivney’s beatification – was reportedly healed from a fatal condition while still inside his mother’s womb after his family prayed for the intercession of McGivney.
Following his beatification, one additional verified miracle would need to be attributed to McGivney for the Church to canonize him as a saint.
“What has been reported to have occurred at our 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,” the Archdiocese of Hartford said in its statement. “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.”
“Until the investigation is complete, however, any judgment or further comment would be premature,” the archdiocese added.
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Susan Berry, PhD, is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Rev. Joseph Crowley” by Archdiocese of Hartford. Background Photo “Saint Thomas Church Altar” by Saint Thomas Church.
