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Ludbreg: Eucharistic Miracle of
Ludbreg: Eucharistic Miracle of
LUDBREG
CROATIA, 1411
occurred in 1411.
I
In 1753, the Batthyany family had Mihael Peck decorate the castle The chapel of the Batthyany Interior of the chapel of the
chapel where the miracle took place with frescoes depicting family castle where the Batthyany family castle
the stages of the miracle miracle occurred
n 1411 at Ludbreg, in the chapel of the convened in Ludbreg to investigate the facts vow was only fulfilled in 1994, when democracy
Count Batthyany’s castle, a priest was cele- connected with the Eucharistic miracle. Many was restored in Croatia. In 2005 in the votive
brating Mass. During the consecration of people testified that they had received marvel- chapel, the artist Marijan Jakubin painted a large
the wine, the priest doubted the truth of tran- ous cures while praying in the relic’s presence. fresco of the Last Supper in which Croatian saints
substantiation and so the wine in the chalice On April 14, 1513, Pope Leo X published a and blesseds were drawn in place of the Apostles.
turned into Blood. Not knowing what to do, the Bull permitting veneration of the holy relic St. John was replaced with Blessed Ivan Merz,
priest embedded this relic in the wall behind the which he himself had carried in procession who was included among the 18 most important
main altar. The workman who did the job was several times through the streets of Rome. The Eucharistic saints in the Church’s history during
sworn to silence. The priest also kept it secret and relic was later returned to Croatia. the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist held in
revealed it only at the time of his death. After the Rome in 2005. In the painting, Christ is holding
priest’s revelation, news quickly spread and In the 18th century, northern Croatia in his hand a monstrance containing the relic of
people started coming on pilgrimage to Ludbreg. was ravaged by the plague. The people turned the Eucharistic miracle.
The Holy See later had the relic of the miracle to God to call upon his help, and the Croatian
brought to Rome, where it remained for several Parliament did the same. During the session
years. The people of Ludbreg and the surrounding held on December 15, 1739 in the city of
area, however, continued to make pilgrimages to Varazdin, they vowed to build a chapel at
the castle chapel. In the early 1500s, during the Ludbreg in honor of the miracle, if the plague
pontificate of Pope Julius II, a commission was ended. The plague was averted, but the promised
© 2006, Istituto San Clemente I Papa e Martire / The Real Presence Association, Inc.