Eucharistic Miracles of Réunion Island

This Eucharistic miracle took place on the French island of La Réunion in the Indian Ocean, in the parish church of the city of Saint-André. On January 26, 1902, the parish priest, Abbé Henry Lacombe, was a direct eyewitness to the miracle, which he later recounted before thousands of people during the Eucharistic Congress of Angoulême in 1904, as well as before a assembly of priests gathered for a spiritual retreat in Périgueux.

The face of Jesus appeared upon the consecrated Host for many hours, witnessed by thousands of people who testified to the phenomenon. Here is the account of Abbé Lacombe himself: "It was January 26, 1902. We were celebrating the devotion of the Forty Hours, and the Blessed Sacrament had been exposed in the monstrance atop the altar. I began Holy Mass. Following the elevation, at the moment of the Our Father, my eyes were drawn toward the Sacred Host, and I beheld a luminous halo surrounding the rays of the monstrance.

I continued reciting the prayers of the Mass, striving to maintain composure despite the profound interior commotion in my soul. At the moment of Holy Communion, I looked again at the monstrance. This time I clearly beheld in the Sacred Host a human face, with lowered eyes and a crown of thorns upon His brow. What moved me most deeply was the look of sorrow reflected on that countenance. The eyelashes were long and delicate. I endeavored to conceal my deep emotion from the congregation.

After the liturgy concluded, I went to the sacristy and summoned the older choirboys. I instructed them to go to the altar and look closely at the monstrance. They ran back excitedly and exclaimed: 'Father, we see the head of a man in the Host! It is our good God revealing Himself!' I realized then that my vision was not an illusion. Shortly after, a sixteen-year-old student, Adam de Villiers, who had studied at a college in France, arrived. I told him: 'Enter the church and look at the monstrance.' The young student went to the sanctuary and returned immediately, saying: 'Father, it is the good God who has appeared in the Host; I see His divine face! From this moment all my religious doubts have vanished!'

Little by little, the entire town flocked to the church to witness the miracle. Journalists and officials arrived from the capital, Saint-Denis. The face on the Host suddenly became animated, and the crown of thorns faded. I took every possible precaution against optical illusion or lighting effects: I extinguished all candles and had the window shutters closed. In the darkness, the face appeared even more luminous, its features glowing with brilliant radiance. Among those present was a talented young painter who made a faithful sketch of the face. Later, the appearance shifted again, showing a crucifix across the diameter of the Host. Following the Eucharistic blessing and the chanting of the Tantum Ergo, the miraculous appearances ceased.

Text and photographs: international exhibition «The Eucharistic Miracles of the World», by Saint Carlo Acutis. Original panel at miracolieucaristici.org.