In a small Connecticut parish, whispers of divine intervention have captured the attention of the Holy See. At St. Thomas Catholic Church in Thomaston, parishioners and clergy report that Communion hosts, the sacramental bread representing the body of Christ, mysteriously multiplied during a March Mass. The incident, hailed as a potential miracle by the church’s congregation, is now under rigorous Vatican investigation.
The Rev. Joseph Crowley, the pastor overseeing the congregation, characterized the event as a “very awesome” miracle. “God has duplicated himself in the ciborium,” Crowley noted, referring to the vessel used for the Eucharistic hosts.
Archbishop Leonard Blair of the Hartford Archdiocese initially appointed a priest versed in church law to investigate the incident. The results of this investigation have been sent to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Church’s oldest department dedicated to defending the Church from heresy. The Dicastery is now conducting its investigation.
Vatican to weigh ‘miracle of multiplying hosts’ at Connecticut church https://t.co/sZWIfsRsY7 pic.twitter.com/OVRbdzCQuE
— New York Post (@nypost) May 14, 2023
David Elliott, a spokesman for the Archdiocese, stated, “Reports such as the alleged miracle in Thomaston require referral to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome. The Archdiocese has proceeded accordingly, and will await a response in due time.”
The case’s complexity has captured the attention of Michael O’Neill, an author and radio host known as “The Miracle Hunter.” He suggests that solid evidence may be challenging to provide despite the abundance of eyewitness testimonies. “I’d be highly surprised that they were able to have enough evidence to declare it a true Eucharistic miracle,” he admitted.
O’Neill elaborated that the church might be “caught in the middle a little bit not having the hard evidence but having good testimony,” hence, looking for Vatican guidance. However, he also emphasized that if the Archdiocese had nothing substantial, they would likely release a generic statement.
The examination could take months, even years, and its results will not be a grand proclamation by the Pope but most likely a communication from the Dicastery. O’Neill pointed out that if the miracle is approved, the church might be permitted to erect a shrine, similar to recent Eucharistic miracles in Poland, Mexico, and Argentina.
St. Thomas has a unique historical significance. It was the last parish served by Rev. Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, who has been beatified and needs one more miracle to achieve sainthood. However, for this to be that miracle, it would need to be directly linked to prayers to McGivney.
While miracles may seem outlandish to some, they are an integral part of the Catholic faith, serving as divine signs to deepen it. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a miracle as “a sign or wonder such as a healing, or control of nature, which can only be attributed to divine power.”
This event has undoubtedly stirred the devout and the curious alike. As the Vatican investigation continues, the world watches, and the believers pray, eager to affirm their faith in the face of the divine.
