Diocese Probes Alleged Eucharistic Miracle in Guatemala
Thousands have returned to Mass and confession after a consecrated Host remained intact with reddish stains; only the Holy See can declare a miracle.
A consecrated Host placed in water after a July 30 Mass at a school in Cuilapa remained intact and developed reddish stains by August 6. The events took place in the Diocese of Saint Rose of Lima in Guatemala.
Bishop José Cayetano Parra has formed a team to examine the case. The group includes a biologist, a physician experienced in similar cases, a psychologist, a nurse, a member of the lay faithful, and a priest who does not serve the parish. Investigators are charged with determining whether the stain is blood and whether the bread has human properties.
Father José Alejandro García, the parish priest, has stressed the need for time, study, reflection, prudence, and prayer. He has urged the faithful to avoid hasty conclusions and has recalled that only the Holy See can declare a miracle.
Thousands Return to the Sacraments
Since news of the Host spread, thousands have increased their participation in Mass, confession, and Eucharistic adoration. The adoration chapel now remains open from 5 a.m. to midnight. More people are seeking confession, including some who had been absent from the sacrament for years.
Father García described the episode as a call to strengthen faith in the Eucharist. As the diocesan inquiry proceeds under the bishop’s authority, the faithful are being invited to deeper reverence for the Real Presence, without presuming any judgment that belongs to the Holy See.