The Eucharistic Miracle of Alcoy

MIRACLES-Spain pannels 11/02/08 15:46 Page 18 The Eucharistic miracle that took place in Alcoy in the year 1568 regards the miraculous retrieval of some consecrated Hosts that had been stolen, The miracle is still remembered every year by the inhabitants of Alcoy in a festival that is celebrated on the feast of Corpus Christi, The house of the man who committed the sacrilege was turned into an oratory and can be visited to this day. n the 29th of January in 1568, a citizen of Alcoy by the name of Juan Prats, a man of French origin who needed money, secretly entered the parochial church and stole many sacred objects, among which was a precious silver box containing three consecrated Hosts. Juan Prats consumed the three Hosts immediately and then hid the box in his stable underneath a pile of wood.

The next day, the parish priest, Don Antonio, found out about the sacrilegious theft. Distressed, he sounded the church bells to let the people know of the horrendous act. Soon after, all of the people of Alcoy were assembled in prayer in front of the church.

The searches began immediately, but were in vain. Near Juan Prat's house lived a pious widow, Marfa Miralles, who had a statue of the Holy Child. The woman, pro- foundly disturbed by the prof ane act, began to SPAIN, 1568 pray intensely in front of the statue of Jesus, pleading for the consecrated Hosts to be returned to the citizens of Alcoy.

Few hours had passed when she started her fervent prayer when Marfa saw the little hand of the statue of Jesus point its finger to the house of her neighbor, Juan Prats. decided aromau&/ sus to tell the civil authorit• s of what had taken place. In that moment the pastor of the church, moved by a mysterious force, went to the garden of the house of Juan Prats and entered the stable.

He rummaged through the pile of wood and immediately recovered the silver box with the three consecrated Hosts. Juan Prats, not under- standing how the three Hosts were inside the silver box again, (as he remembered consuming them) repented deeply and confessed the mis- deed. The documents relative to the miracle and monastery of the Holy Sepulcher of Alcoy.