ASTI

ITALY, 1535

In both the Eucharistic

miracles of Asti from the

consecrated Host gushed

out real blood and there are

numerous documents that

confirm these events. In the

first miracle, Mons. Scipione

Roero had a notary act

drawn up and Pope Paul III

on November 6, 1535

granted a plenary indulgence

to anyone who visited the

Church of San Secondo on

the anniversary of the

miraculous event

1535

On July 25, 1535, while celebrating Mass at the

main altar of the collegiate church of S. Secondo

around 7:00 o’clock in the morning, a holy priest

by the name of Domenico Occelli came to the

breaking of the Host and noticed that, along the

entire break, the Host was becoming red with

living Blood. Three drops fell into the chalice and

a fourth one remained at the extreme end of the

Host. At first, Fr. Domenico continued the

celebration of the Mass. But when he broke off

the portion of the Host that had to be placed in

the chalice, Blood came out of it. He could not

believe his eyes, and he turned to the people,

asking them to come to the altar and observe the

Miracle. When the priest took the Host to

consume it, at once the Blood disappeared and

the Host returned to its natural purity. These

are the facts as described in the translation of

the official report sent by Bishop Scipione

Roero of Asti to the Holy See and reproduced

in the Apostolic Brief of November 6, 1535.

In this Apostolic Brief Pope Paul III granted a

plenary indulgence to those “who visited the

Saint’s church on the day commemorating the

Miracle and recited three Our Fathers and

Three Hail Marys according the intention of

the Holy Father.”

According to another document,

reproduced in an inscription on marble, on that

occasion some heretical soldiers converted to

the faith. In those days, Asti was under the

dominion of Emperor Charles V, and many of

his troops were living in the city. This account

is found in the Vatican archives from which a

copy was made in 1884 at the request of Canon

Longo and is also found in the book of the

Company of the Most Blessed Sacrament,

founded in the collegiate church of S. Secondo as

far back as 1519. Other testimonies are a 16th

century painting in the Chapel of the Crucifixion

depicting the miracle, as well as an inscription on

marble with the words: Hic ubi Christus Ex Sacro

pane Effuso sanguine Exteram vi traxit fidem

Astensem roboravit - Here, having shed Blood

from the Holy Bread, Christ with power drew

foreigners to the faith and strengthened that of

the people of Asti.

Oil Painting on canvas (of an unknown 17th century painter) depicting

the Eucharistic miracle that took place in the collegiate church of

San Secondo in 1535. The painting is kept in the chapel of the miracle

Interior of the collegiate church of San Secondo

Collegiate church of San Secondo in Asti

G. Badarello (toward the end of the 17th century), collegiate

church of San Secondo, altar of the crucifix or of the miracle

Eucharistic Miracle of

ASTI

ITALY, 1718

The second miracle took

place in the old Chapel of

Opera Pia Milliavacca and it

is documented by numerous

testimonies gathered by a

notary public, underwritten

by the priest and by

imminent clerical and non-

denominational authorities.

1718

The morning of May 10, 1718 Father Francesco

Scotto, went to the Opera Milliavacca to celebrate

the Holy Mass. It was about eight o’clock. The

church of the institute was divided into two parts,

the front where the extraneous could gather, and the

back, behind the altar, reserved to the boarding

students. In the front part, in front of the altar that

is, there was only the notary public Scipione

Alessandro Ambrogio, chancellor of the Bishop and

treasurer of the institute, and a nephew of the priest

was a server at the Mass. Instead, in the back part

there were the boarding students. When the priest

was at the point of elevating the consecrated Host,

Dr. Ambrogio realized It was divided into two parts.

As soon as the priest elevated the cup, the man

convinced that a broken consecrated Host was not

valid, went toward the altar to advise the priest,

and ran in the sacristy right away to get another

consecrated Host. In the meantime the priest

elevated the Host and really found the two parts

tainted by blood, the bottom of the cup had also

blood and little stains were on the same corporal.

In the meantimeAmbrogio had arrived

with a new consecrated Host and realized that It

was

bloody. He started to cry right away. All the

people

present saw the miracle. The notary public

ran to call Mr. Argenta, confessor of the institute,

the theologian Vaglio and Ferrero from the peni-

tentiary, who were also witnesses to the miracle.

At the same time even the other priests and three

doctors arrived. The doctors Argenta, Volpini and

Vercellone, attested to the fact the red stains were

real blood. Among the people there, one thought

the blood could come from the nose, or the mouth

of the priest, but some surgeons present, after a

meticulous observation, put the doubts to peace.

Other clerical authorities intervened, and R.

Bording in agreement with everyone, wrote a report

about the miracle.

Another important proof of the authenticity of the

miracle was furnished by a document which stated

Monsignor Filippo Artico, Bishop of Asti, in 1841

had the cup and the consecrated Host examined by

others who confirmed the origin of the red stains.

The Opera Pia Milliavacca has kept the testimonies

of the miracle: The cup with the blood stains and

the consecrated Host unfortunately has not been

preserved well.

Cathedral of Asti

The chalice of the miracle is kept in the Cathedral of Asti, in the

chapel dedicated to St. Philip Neri

Detail of the base of the chalice of the miracle of Opera Pia

Milliavacca

Opera Pia Milliavacca, Chalice of the miracle. Notice the correspondence

of the drops of Blood on the cup and the base of the chalice

Eucharistic Miracle of