WEITEN-RAXENDORF
AUSTRIA, 1411
In fifteenth-century Austria
there were a number of thefts
of consecrated Hosts, so
Church authorities took to
keeping the Hosts in the
sacristy. Despite these
precautions, a thief succeeded
in 1411 in stealing a
consecrated Host from the
parish church in Weiten.
The Host slipped unnoticed
to the ground during his
journey and was discovered
several days later by a pious
woman. The Host glowed
brilliantly, divided in two
pieces but united by threads
of bleeding flesh.
n the parish church of Weiten, a thief
broke into the sacristy and got hold of a
consecrated Host that he slipped into
one of his gloves. According to reports from
the village of Weiten, the theft occured in
1411. The thief then mounted his horse inten-
ding to make for the nearby village of Spitz.
Instead of taking the road main, he chose a
lateral one that passes through the valley of
Mühldorf and is known as “Am Schuß.”
When he arrived at the spot that today is marked
by a chapel in honor of the miracle, his horse
halted and would not move no matter how
much the man beat him. Some laborers
working in the surrounding fields came to
help. But there was no way to make the horse
move; it stood still as a statue. Then without
warning, the animal leaped to a gallop, and
the Host hidden in the rider's glove dropped
to the ground without anybody noticing.
A few days later,a Mrs. Scheck
from Mannersdorf passed by the spot and
saw the Host encircled in a strong light. In
great wonder, she picked it up and noticed
that the consecrated Host was broken in two
parts but remained joined together by
threads of bleeding flesh. The woman was
greatly moved, and at her own expense built
a small chapel in thanksgiving on the spot.
As news of the miracle spread, many pilgrims
came to the place. Later it was necessary to
build a bigger church to contain the great
crowds that came every year in pilgrimage in
order to honor the precious reliquary.
© 2006, Istituto San Clemente I Papa e Martire / The Real Presence Association, Inc.
Welten’s parish church
Ancient painting in the parish of Welten depicting the miracle
Panoramic view of Weiten
Chapel built on the exact spot where the Host was found
I
Eucharistic Miracle of