Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is really, truly, and substantially present in the Eucharist. Throughout Church history, many stories of Eucharistic miracles have seemed to confirm this important teaching.
It is important to note that Catholics are not required to believe any of these stories. Even when the Church investigates and approves a reported miracle, she does not provide a guarantee of its authenticity. Nor does the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation depend on these accounts; it rests on Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
Nonetheless, these stories are especially remarkable because you can still see evidence of the alleged miracles today.
1) Miracle of Lanciano (8th Century)
In the eighth century, a priest in Lanciano, Italy, struggled with doubts about Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist. While celebrating Mass, he pronounced the words of consecration—”This is my body” and “This is my blood”—and reportedly saw the bread and wine transform into human flesh and blood.
The blood coagulated into five globules, which many later associated with the Five Wounds of Christ. News of the event spread quickly. The local archbishop launched an investigation, and Church authorities approved the miracle.
The flesh remains preserved to this day. In 1971, Professor Odoardo Linoli, a specialist in anatomy, conducted
