On Christmas 2013 a host fell during communion in the parish of San Jacinto de Legnica. A diocesan commission examined the reddish matter that appeared later and, in 2016, Bishop Zbigniew Kiernikowski arranged his exposure to veneration according to the indications of the Holy See.
Christmas 2013
The communiqué signed by Monsignor Zbigniew Kiernikowski is on 25 December 2013. During the distribution of communion, a host fell to the pavement of the parish of San Jacinto. It was collected and deposited in a container with water, a procedure intended for the Eucharistic species to dissolve when it is not possible to consume them.
After a while a red coloration appeared. The then Bishop of Legnica, Stefan Cichy, constituted a commission to observe the phenomenon. In February 2014, a reddish portion was separated and placed on a body; then samples were commissioned from competent institutions.
What the opinion states
The episcopal communiqué reproduces the conclusion of the forensic medicine department: the histopathological image contained fragments of striated muscle and, considered as a whole, was more similar to the heart muscle, with alterations that usually accompany agony. He adds that genetic studies indicated human origin.
These phrases have the value of an official quote from the bishop on the reports received. The file does not, however, have the full expert file: protocols, controls, complete microscopic images, identity of all institutions, chain of custody and scientific debate. That is why it does not reduce the opinion to the sensationalist expression "living heart in agony" nor does it present it as a peer-reviewed article.
The pastoral decision of 2016
Monsignor Kiernikowski explains that he presented the matter to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in January 2016. According to the instructions of the Holy See, he ordered the parish priest to prepare a suitable place to expose the relic to veneration, to offer information to pilgrims, to impart Eucharistic catechesis and to open a book of attributed graces.
This documents a clear episcopal authorization for public veneration. It does not mean that the Holy See issued a decree defining the miracle, or that every popular explanation was approved. The exact expression protects the real scope of the ecclesial act.
The sanctuary and worship
The parish of San Jacinto is presented today as a sanctuary and allows to pray before the relic during its opening hours. It also maintains permanent Eucharistic worship in a chapel with entrance from the river side. The community itself calls on visitors to be silent, to dress properly and to respect the celebrations.
Veneration is not directed to a biological curiosity, but to Christ. The bishop wanted the exhibition to be accompanied by catechesis precisely to prevent the pilgrimage from being separated from mass, Eucharistic faith, conversion and charity.
Verified location
The sanctuary is located in Street Coast 3, 59-220 Legnica, Polonia. The page for pilgrims itself publishes coordinates 51.210534, 16.173238. The old marker was moved about 850 meters and has been corrected to the building.
The schedule may vary. The groups must first communicate their visit to the sanctuary; this fact sheet does not replace the present pastoral information of the parish.
World map classification
Legnica appears as "contemporary Eucharistic phenomenon with authorized episcopal veneration." The category recognizes the commission, the communiqué and the public exhibition, but does not attribute a non-existing decree or turn an opinion cited into absolute scientific certainty.
Spiritual feeling
The sign invites each communion to be cared for and to renew faith in the real presence of Christ. The Eucharist does not need extraordinary phenomena to be the center of Christian life: its truth is born from the promise of the Lord and the constant faith of the Church.
The mature answer is to approach the Mass with a reconciled heart, to worship, to thank and to serve. The reverence before the altar must be extended in reverence to the poor, the sick and the suffering.
Sources consulted
- Communiqué of the Bishop of Legnica on the event, main institutional source.
- San Jacinto Sanctuary: information for pilgrims and coordinates.
- Exposure associated with San Carlo Acutis: Legnica, source of disclosure contrasted with the communiqué.
Para orar
Lord Jesus, present in the Eucharist, increases our faith, teaches us to receive you with reverence and turns our worship into charity. Amen.
Image credit
Sanctuary of San Jacinto de Legnica. Emilia Ernst; adjustments by Rabanus Flavus / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. File and license in Wikimedia Commons.
