The Eucharistic Miracle of Ferrara

MIRACOLI—panneaux 12/05/06 14 : 33 Page 6 This Eucharistic miracle took place in Ferrara, in the Basilica of Saint Mary in V ado, on Easter Sunday, March 28, 1171 , While celebrating Easter Mass, Father Pietro da Verona, the prior of the basilica, reached the moment of breaking the consecrated Host, At this point he saw that Blood gushed from the Host, staining the ceiling of the crypt above the altar with droplets, In 1595 the crypt was enclosed within a small shrine and is still visible today in the monumental Basilica of Santa Maria in Vado. da Verona, was celebrating Easter Mass with three confreres (Bono, Leonardo and Aimone). At the moment of the breaking of the consecrated Host, Blood gushed forth from the Host and threw large drops on the ceiling of the small crypt above the altar.

Histories tell of the "holy fear of the celebrant and of the immense wonder of the people who crowded the tiny church." There were many eyewitnesses who told of seeing the Host take on a Bloody color and having seen in the Host the figure of a Baby. Bishop Amato of Ferrara and Archbishop Ghe- rardo of Ravenna were immediately informed of the event. They witnessed with their own eyes the miracle, namely "the Blood which we saw redden the ceiling of the crypt." The church immediately became a pilgrim destination, and later was rebu- ITALY, 1171 The ceiling crypt stained with Blood ilt and expanded on the orders of Duke Ercole d'Este beginning in 1495.

Sdtt/ACCS regarding this miracle. Amon e most important is the Bull of Pope Eugene IV (March 30, 1442), in which the pontiff mentions the miracle in refe- rence to the testimonies of the faithful and an- cient historical sources. The 1197 manuscript of Gerardo Cambrense, conserved in Canter- bury's Lambeth Library is the oldest document that mentions the miracle.

Elhe miracle recei- ved recent attention in the "Gemma Ecclesia- stica" (Budding of the Church) by historian Antonio Samaritani. Another document which dates to March 6, 1404, is the Bull of Cardinal Migliorati, in which he grants indulgences to those who visit the church and adore the Mi- raculous Blood." Even today, on the 28th day TIRE-SIT• •ape:. *.e.uei sionaries of the Most Precious Blood, Eucharistic Adoration is celebrated in memory of the mira- clee And every year, in preparation for the Feast of Corpus Christi, the solemn Forty Hours devo- tion is celebrated.

The eighth centenary of the miracle was celebrated in 1971.