Posted on 03/24/2006 6:06:40 AM PST by marshmallow
DALLAS. A “host” kept in a jar of water for four weeks grew fungus and bacterial colonies in a natural process, a laboratory report concluded about an incident in a local parish church that created public speculation.
A March 23 letter from Dallas Bishop Charles Grahmann to the pastor of St. James Parish relayed that what some were calling a ‘miracle’ of a host “contains nothing of a supernatural nature.”
The letter to Msgr. Mario Magbanua states: “At my request the object you submitted to me, around which there was heightened publicity, was presented to Dr. Marcy Brown Marsden, chairman and associate professor of biology, University of Dallas, and Dr. Frank Doe of the same department, for tentative identification and characterization of the object.”
The bishop said that after analysis was done he was provided with their conclusion.
They told the bishop: “We conclude that the object is a combination of fungal mycelia and bacterial colonies that have been incubated within the aquatic environment of the glass during the four-week period in which it was stored in the open air.”
The bishop further wrote: ““From this conclusion the phenomenon was of the natural order and contains nothing of a supernatural nature. Thus, you need to remove yourself from any further activity surrounding this matter and its exaggerated claims.”
The incident began about a month ago when a young boy received the Eucharist at Mass and then became sick in the restroom. Ushers who checked on him found the intact host in the bin.
The ushers reportedly summoned Msgr. Magbanua, who came to retrieve the host. He put the host in water to dissolve, where it remained unseen until March 19. Its appearance had changed, viewers said.
Within hours people were coming to the church to see the host, which is located in a low-income area and has approximately 2,000 registered parishioners.
Fueled by telephone and e-mail stories saying a miracle had occurred, as well as media reports, curious scores of the faithful hoping to see something extraordinary began to show up.
Among those was Shirley Vilfordi, a member of St. Rita Parish in Dallas. She was among those who suggested people should not be too quick to rush to conclusions, and thanked those who took quick action to discover the truth.
“We praise God for our beloved church who wants to investigate these things thoroughly rather than falsely mislead the faithful,” Vilfordi said as the investigation was ongoing.
There have been other cases in past years when a host received fungal and/or bacteria contamination when it was not properly consumed and/or disposed.
Church officials said the matter is now closed and called on faithful to end any further speculation.
So says you.
I love that ad. Classic.
I would say that the "fact" that the consecrated host is now being surrounded by and eaten by mold and bacteria would tend to prove that it is not, "in fact", God.
Perhaps it is just the appearance of mold and bacteria? Or is it REALLY mold and bacteria that have overcome and are now consuming the host?
Good thing we Catholics don't follow Sola Scriptura then. That, of course, is not in the Bible either, ironically enough.
I would say that you don't understand transubstantiation, though you're quite convinced that you do.
How is airborne bacteria and its effect on the Host any different from the various fauna that attack the Host in our stomachs? Or, for that matter, your theory of attributing superpowers to the Host would make it indissolvable in normal water. But that's exactly the normal procedure for disposal that was being followed here.
Either you've discovered the Achille's heel of Catholic theology or your theory of the host being impervious to dissoution due to its divinity needs work.
What say you?
SD
What I really remember about the 1977 Brother Dominic ad was that it was the first time in three years that I laughed without pain.
I lost 50% of my left lung to a bullet, thus ending my relatively brief career as a cop.
My left lung's name is Eric.
"Eric the lung?"
"No. 'E's a 'alf-lung. 'E 'ad an accident."
I say you are fooling yourself into believing that the wafer is physically anything other than a wafer.
I would normally say that this would be harmless in and of itself, but when you bow down before the wafer and worship it as God, then you have traversed the divide between true Christianity and idolatry.
**What a surprise - The wafer was consecrated, but transubstantiation didn't take place. It's still a wafer.**
So "Christ" became moldy? Is that what this means?
That's you opinion. I am only interested in people understanding what it is that they reject.
Do you think, like Mr. Murphy, that a lab test can disprove transubstantiation?
SD
It means that The Body of Our Lord was treated rather poorly by this priest. Can you believe it? Surely God, Christ Our Lord, Second Person of the Holy Trinity would never allow His Own Body to be treated in such a way. /sarcasm
SD
Is the wafer God?
Do you literally worship what by all appearances is a wafer?
Christ would say, "This is MY BODY".
Hmmm, what you say, or what Christ says...what to choose...that's a toughie. Thanks for your opinion, but no thanks, I think I'll stick with the words of Our Lord.
but when you bow down before the wafer and worship it as God, then you have traversed the divide between true Christianity and idolatry.
But since Christ Himself has said it is His Body, those who do not adore will have a lot of "splaining" to do at judgment.
I asked you first.
SD
What's more astonishing is the people who immediately flocked to the church to see mold growing, thinking it's a miracle. I better not let them know about the back of my refrigerator.
He also said he was a door. Do you worship the door to your church?
He also said he was the true vine. Do you bow before grapes?
He also said that he was the good shepherd and that we are sheep. Does that mean that while we appear to be human, we have really been transubstantiated into sheep?
You Catholics seem to take only this one reference literally and you tend to allegorize nearly every other verse in the Bible -- especially those which contradict your peculiar unbliblical doctrines.
Yes.
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail,
Lo! oe'r ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.To the everlasting Father,
And the Son Who reigns on high
With the Holy Spirit proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen.
It's better in Latin.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.Genitori, Genitoque
Laus et iubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio.
Amen.
I don't need a lab test to disprove transubstantiation. The taste test works well enough.
You tell me, what does it taste like? Human flesh or baked wheat?
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