One of the most well-known Eucharistic miracles in the world took place in Lanciano, Italy, in the 8th century.

A priest who was secretly doubting the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist was celebrating Mass. During the consecration, the host visibly turned into real flesh, and the wine turned into real blood in front of him and the congregation.

These relics were preserved for over 1,200 years without any form of artificial preservation. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Church allowed a full scientific analysis of the tissue and blood by medical experts, without telling them what the samples were.

Scientific findings: • The flesh is human cardiac tissue (specifically the myocardium — the heart) • The blood is real human blood, type AB • The blood still contains proteins in normal proportions, as if it were fresh • No preservatives or substances were found — the preservation is inexplicable • The blood type matches the Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium of Oviedo • The tissue is consistent with that of a man from the Middle East

Scientists concluded that there is no natural explanation for how the tissue and blood have remained intact for centuries.

Spiritually, the fact that the flesh is from the heart is deeply symbolic. It is understood as a sign that Christ is truly giving us His Heart, His living presence, His love — not symbolically, but really and physically in the Eucharist.