The Eucharistic Miracle of Ludbreg

During Mass at Ludbreg in 1411, a priest doubted whether the Body and Bloodof Christ were really present in the Eucharistic species. Immediately after being consecrated, the wine turned into Blood, Today the precious relic of the miraculous Blood still draws thousands of the faithful, and every year at the beginning of September theso-called "Sveta Nedilja -Holy Sunday" is celebrated for an entire week in honor of the Eucharistic miracle that occurred in 1411, n 1411 at Ludbreg, in the chapel of the Count Batthyany's castle, a priest was celebrating Mass. During the con- secration of the wine, the priest doubted the truth of transubstantiation and so the wine in the chalice turned into Blood.

Not knowing what to do, the priest embedded this relic in the wall behind the main altar. Rlhe workman who did the job was sworn to si- lence. lhe priest also kept it secret and revealed it only at the time of his death. After the priest's revelation, news quickly spread and people started coming on pilgrimage to Ludbreg.

Flhe Holy See later had the relic of the miracle brought to Rome, where it remained for several years. The people of Ludbreg and the surroun- ding area, however, continued to make pilgri- mages to the castle chapel. In the early 1500s, during the pontificate of Pope Julius II, a Etoe L/"östöe where the miracle took place with frescoes depicting the stages of the miracle commission was convened in Ludbreg to in- vestigate the facts connected with the Euchari- stic miracle.

Many people testified that they had received marvelous cures while praying in the relic's presence. On April 14, 1513, Pope Leo X published a Bull permitting venera- tion of the holy relic which he himself had carried in procession several times through the streets of Rome. lhe relic was later returned to Croatia.

cedar / northern Croatia was ravaged by the pla e. The people turned to God to call upon his help, and the Croatian Parliament did the same. During the session held on December 15, 1739 in the city of Varazdin, they vowed to build a chapel at Ludbreg in honor of the miracle, if the plague ended.

The plague was averted, but the promi- the votive chapel, the artist Marijan Jakubin painted a large fresco of the Last Supper in which Croatian saints and blesseds were drawn in place of the Apostles. St. John was replaced with Blessed Ivan Merz, who was included among the 18 most important Eucharistic saints in the Church's history during the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist held in Rome in 2005.

In the painting, Christ is hol- ding in his hand a monstrance containing the relic of the Eucharistic miracle. eccoas moustruce Etoe L/"östöe Stratbuzt/& •goo TAXO uu:gjo SVU'te