The Eucharistic Miracle of Alboraya-Almácera

MIRACLES—Spain pannels 11/02/08 15 : 45 Page 11 In 1348, a priest on his way to visit some sick people in order to bring them Communion, slipped in the waters of a small river that he was crossing and overturned the ciborium which contained some consecrated Hosts, The poor priest, who had by now resigned himself to the loss, heard himself being called by some fishermen a to come closer to the shore in order to see several fish with discs in their mouths which appeared to be Hosts, The Hosts were immediately recovered and brought back to the church in a solemn procession in which the whole village participated, n 1348, in the town of Alboraya-Almåcera, a Eucharistic miracle occurred which seemed to recall episodes in the life of Saint Francis that demonstrate how, if men were to fully live in the grace of God, all God's creatures would live in harmony. A priest, carrying a ciborium containing the Viaticum (Eucharist) destined for some sick people, was crossing a river on mule-back when he was suddenly swept off his mount by a rushing wave. The priest tumbled into the water along with his ciborium, which was emptied of its precious content.

The Hosts fell out and were being carried away by the current toward the mouth of the river nearby. The priest, barely saving himself, full of remorse, and lamenting what had occurred as he tried to free himself from the mud and the ALBORAYA-ALMÅCERA SPAIN, 1348 where the river water flowed into the sea, three fish, each with a little white disc resembling Communion Hosts, in its mouth. ran to the churc and returned to the r' er bank with another ciborium.

He did everything in such a hurry that he didn't even stop to ask himself if the fishermen's story was believable. Great was his joy when he saw that the three remarkable fish were there, almost completely out of the water, lifting the Hosts intact with their mouths, like little trophies. He fell to his knees, and extending his chalice, prayed as he had never prayed before in his entire life; and thus, he saw the fish deposit the Hosts in the chalice, sea.

Only at that moment did the priest notice that he was surrounded by a group of men and women who had witnessed the entire scene. Today it is still possible to consult numerous documents testifying to the miracle. There even exists a small church, with two fish sculpted on the door, built on the site of the miracle, and two paintings reproducing the entire event.

MIRACLES—Spain pannels 11/02/08 15 : 46 Page 12 ALBORAYA-ALMÅCERA Great was his joy when he saw that the three remarkable fish were there, almost completely out of the water, lifting the Hosts intact with their mouths, like little trophies. P&/XETS 1998 of the Miracle