Last weekend, there was much excitement at OLHOC! Let me quote some of the words used or texted: “Wow Father! What a great blessing. No doubt it is a Eucharistic miracle! ...God is great, Eucharistic Miracle in "my church"...God's name be forever praised. MY LORD and MY GOD! Love Eucharistic Adoration...What a great miracle, somehow my Faith is ignited and in full blast. Hallelujah, Ave Maria! Awesome, Our powerful God.”

What was this all about? The possibility that a Eucharistic Miracle had happened at OLHOC. First, one of our volunteer sacristans had sent to some parishioners a picture of a consecrated host that had been found on the floor of our church and had been disposed of in a vessel with water in the sacrarium of our sacristy. As the host was almost dissolved after five days in a sacrarium, we could see in the middle of it what seemed to be BLOOD in the shape of a heart (or a V). I took a close-up picture and also decided to send it to a few parishioners passionate about the Eucharist and Adoration (see two pictures below). Could that be the PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS as had happened in Italy, Spain, Argentina over the last 1,200 years? I recalled our parish pilgrimage to Lanciano (Italy) where you can see the flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The appearance of the Blood in the dissolved host at OLHOC looked similar. Did God choose to have a Eucharistic miracle at our humble parish?

We believe that at Every Mass at OLHOC the greatest miracle on earth happens: Through the HOLY SPIRIT and the words of Consecration pronounced by the PRIEST, the bread and the wine are truly transformed into the BODY and BLOOD of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Can you explain how this happens? No, it is a mystery, the Paschal mystery. We believe it happens at every Mass as we do what Jesus at the Last Supper asked us to say and to do. This is our FAITH based on continuous teaching from Jesus' Apostles and successors for the last 2,000 years. So why should we get excited about what looked like a single miracle in the "host with blood" at OLHOC when at every Mass at OLHOC (as in any other Catholic Church) there is a total transformation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ?

Some of you have asked me whether I planned to seek the authentication of the miraculous "host with blood. As the host is now dissolved, the only proof of the Eucharistic miracle is the two pictures confirming the testimony of a sacristan and a pastor. I plan to send the two pictures, together with this article and your own reflections/comments to the Archdiocese of Washington. Stay tuned!

In St John's Gospel, Jesus' miracles are presented as "SIGNS" to guide our faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. Still today, GOD is using SIGNS to speak to us. Since the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, there will be no more divine revelation. Everything God wanted to achieve for our Salvation has been given to us. However, God keeps giving us SIGNS so as to strengthen our Faith in HIM and HIS SON. I invite all of you to see this little miracle at OLHOC as a SIGN FROM GOD. What is God telling us? Your thoughts and insights are most welcome!

For me, as your pastor for over 10 years, God is definitely asking me to preach more often about the SANCTITY OF THE EUCHARIST, THE REAL PRESENCE OF GOD! All of us, not just the priests or the pastor, need to help protect this sanctity. We would not have discovered a "HOST WITH BLOOD" if someone, accidentally, had not dropped a consecrated host. In my 11 years as a priest, I have seen maybe five hosts dropped right after the host is in the hands of a parishioner. What I always do then is to pick up the host and consume the host right away. So, God is telling me today, “Father Alain, it is your responsibility as OLHOC pastor to strengthen the protection of every consecrated host."

There is no doubt that our wearing masks at church has made it more difficult to receive the host. The safest way to avoid a host being desecrated or falling and not being picked up is TO ENSURE THAT THE HOST IS CONSUMED RIGHTAWAY. Before the distribution of the Communion at each Mass, the Celebrant (Fr. Ben or I) will remind you "that if you do not receive on the tongue, as soon as the priest has put the host in your hands, you should take off your mask and consume the host right away. DO NOT START WALKING WITH A HOST IN YOUR HANDS. CONSUME. THE HOST FIRST. "

GOD is also reminding us that the Sanctity of the Eucharist implies that we should not receive the Holy Communion when we are not in a state of grace (after having committed grave sins and having not yet gone to confession). Go to Confession first, and only then receive Communion.

Let us pray to the Holy Spirit that we will all receive the Grace to treat the consecrated Host with the utmost respect and that the Miracle of the Eucharist will bring all of us closer to Christ and help us to be truly ONE WITH CHRIST!

One in Christ,


Fr. Alain