The Eucharistic Miracle of Bruges

MIRACOLI—panneaux 12/05/06 14 : 41 Page 53 The oldest documents concerning the Holy Blood of Bruges date back to 1256, The Holy Blood probably was part of a group of relics of the Passion of Christ preserved at the Imperial Museum of Bucoleon in Constantinople (modern Istanbul), In 1203 Constantinople was besieged and conquered by the crusaders, Baldovin lux, Count of Flanders, after being crowned as the new emperor, sent the relic of the Precious Blood to his native country at Bruges, ecent analyses were made on the crystal bottle containing the Holy Blood. The bottle has been dated as of the 1 lth century. It is Al- though in the Bible there is no explicit mention tha Blood of Christ was ever preserved, in one of the Ap ospels it is narrated that Joseph of Arimathea preserved some drops of the Blood of Christ.

ccor Count Di rik van den Elzas brought the bottle containing the Blood of Christ from Jerusalem to Bruges during the second crusade. Recent investiga- tions however have pointed out that the relic arrived in Bruges at a later date, probably around 1250 coming from Constantinople. The veneration of the relic is at the origin of the internationally famous procession that is held every year through the streets of the city on the day of the Feast of the Ascension.

and reenact biblical scenes and the arrival of the Count of Flanders who brought the holy relic.