Blood-red host is no miracle, lab tests show

Star-Tribune ^ | December 14, 2011 | Rose French

[Alex Murphy]

A communion wafer that fell to the floor at a South St. Paul church and turned blood red is not a miracle. Twin Cities archdiocese officials said Wednesday that the discoloration was instead caused by a fungus.

The wafer was dropped during mass after it had been consecrated on June 19 at St. Augustine Church. Catholics believe that after consecration the wafer becomes the actual body of Christ. In order to show the proper reverence, the host was placed in a chalice-like container with water so it would dissolve.

[SNIP]

"Exhaustive biological analysis by an independent scientific laboratory has determined that the reddish coloration on the Holy Communion host fragment that was kept in a water solution after it was discovered on the floor of St. Augustine Church ... was caused by a fungus. The host in question has been disposed of in a manner prescribed by church law.

[SNIP]

Instances of so-called Eucharistic miracles, such as "bleeding hosts" that emit blood, have been reported by Catholics for centuries. Archdiocese officials said that one of the most recent reports came from a Catholic church in Texas. In that case, biologists determined the red color of the host was caused by a combination of a fungus and bacteria that were incubated in water in a glass stored in the open air.

[Alex Murphy]

A communion wafer that fell to the floor at a South St. Paul church and turned blood red is not a miracle. Twin Cities archdiocese officials said Wednesday that the discoloration was instead caused by a fungus. The wafer was dropped during mass after it had been consecrated on June 19 at St. Augustine Church. Catholics believe that after consecration the wafer becomes the actual body of Christ. In order to show the proper reverence, the host was placed in a chalice-like container with water so it would dissolve....

....Instances of so-called Eucharistic miracles, such as "bleeding hosts" that emit blood, have been reported by Catholics for centuries. Archdiocese officials said that one of the most recent reports came from a Catholic church in Texas. In that case, biologists determined the red color of the host was caused by a combination of a fungus and bacteria that were incubated in water in a glass stored in the open air.

[SumProVita]

This is one of those things that I love about the Church. She carefully studies anything like this in order to know the truth of it.

;-)

It’s also wonderful to know that there HAVE been several Eucharistic miracles, all confirmed by teams of independent scientists.

[Mr. K]

Did anyone ever stop to think that the reasonthat a ‘host’ is disposed of in a glass of water is BECAUSE someone noticed this effect?

Do you ever dispose of anything by sticking it into a glass of water?

[tickmeister]

A couple of weeks ago a missile hit an empty building and no one was hurt. I was vilified for suggesting that it wasn’t a miracle. Given all that, I don’t see why a red cracker shouldn’t be a miracle.

[Bigg Red]

I continue to pray for you. Your obsession with Catholicism will someday lead you to our One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

[heartwood]

If you’re trying to dissolve it so it can be poured onto the ground and disposed of with reverence, you would put it in water.

This would be so much easier with the three-second rule.

[sr4402]

Worshiping a created thing that is destroyed either by the stomach or dissolved is is the same thing. God cannot be destroyed, they tried that with His death. But death was not able to hold Him, and He was resurrected within three days just as He said.

Do not worship idols nor any created thing.