MIRACULOUS COMMUNIONS
© 2006, Istituto San Clemente I Papa e Martire / Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association
uring her stay at Proceno, the
Dominican Saint Agnes Segni would go
into the monastery garden alone to pray near an
olive plant. One Sunday morning at the break
of dawn she was immersed in prayer from the
break of dawn and only after several hours
realized that it was a feast day and that she was
obliged to attend, attended Holy Mass in the
monastery choir. However, an angel of the Lord
came bearing an immaculate Host, giving her
Holy Communion. This incident was repeated
on other occasions as well.
he biographer of Saint Clare of
Montefalco recounts in the acts for her
canonization process that “one day Clare came
up to Holy Communion without her mantle.
Sister Giovanna rebuked her harshly, saying to
her, ‘Go away - I don’t want you to receive Holy
Communion.’ Hearing these words, Clare
realized that she was without her mantle and
felt such bitter regret that after she returned to
her cell, she wept bitterly. And while she was
praying, amid her tears, Christ appeared to
her, and embracing her, gave her Holy
Communion, leaving her deeply consoled.”
lessed Angela of Foligno recounted that
“on one occasion I saw Christ under
the guise of a small Child, Who nevertheless
appeared great and majestic, like a king: It
seemed that, seated on His throne, He held in
His hand something like a symbol of authority
[...] Then, when the others knelt down, I did
not do so, and I don’t know if I ran up close to
the altar or if I could
not move from sheer
delight and contemplation, and I experienced
great regret that the priest put the Host back on
the altar so quickly.”
One of the miraculous Masses of St. Gregory the Great, in
which Christ appeared Crucified (Diocesan Museum of Tier)
The painting represents Saint Frances of Rome with some of her
companions in ecstatic wonder at the Monstrance from which radiant
beams of light emanated (Civic Art Museum)
The great mystic St. Teresa of Avila often enjoyed visions
of heaven during Holy Mass
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