In a historic declaration, the Vatican officially recognized the Eucharistic sign manifested at Christ the King Parish, Vilakkannur, in Kerala, south India, on May 31.
The solemn announcement was made during a special Eucharistic celebration presided over by Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India, and Archbishop Joseph Pamplany of the Archdiocese of Tellicherry.
The ceremony included the public reading of the Vatican’s declaration and the exposition of the miraculous Eucharist for veneration by the faithful.
The extraordinary event traces back to November 13, 2013, when then-parish priest Fr. Thomas Pathikkal, during morning Holy Mass, observed the Holy Face of Jesus appear on the consecrated host. The Eucharist was immediately placed in a monstrance and the Mass was reverently concluded.
Following the incident, the host was transferred to the Archbishop’s House in Thalassery by order of the then Archbishop Mar George Valiyamattam. A doctrinal commission—comprising Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, Mar George Njaralakkatt, and Mar Joseph Arumachadath—was formed under the guidance of Cardinal George Alencherry, then Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church.
In 2018, the host was sent to Rome via the Apostolic Nuncio for further ecclesiastical analysis by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the only body authorized to approve such phenomena. After additional scrutiny, the host was returned to India for scientific evaluation.
Christ University, Bangalore, conducted three major tests:
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
- High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
- Mass Spectrometry
The tests confirmed no external elements or tampering and that the chemical composition of the image matched the rest of the host, reinforcing its supernatural origin.
A comprehensive report was submitted to the Vatican on April 2, 2024. On March 19, 2025, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith officially stated that no canonical obstacle remained to the recognition of the Eucharistic event.
The official declaration was proclaimed by Archbishop Girelli on May 31, 2025, at Christ the King Church, Vilakkannur. The miraculous host was returned in a solemn procession and enshrined in a monstrance for public veneration.
The event drew numerous Bishops, Priests, Religious, and thousands of faithful from across Kerala and beyond, marking a moment of profound spiritual significance in the history of the Indian Church.
Let us continue to adore and glorify the Lord, truly present in the Holy Eucharist.
In a historic declaration, the Vatican officially recognized the Eucharistic sign manifested at Christ the King Parish, Vilakkannur, in Kerala, south India, on May 31.
The solemn announcement was made during a special Eucharistic celebration presided over by Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India, and Archbishop Joseph Pamplany of the Archdiocese of Tellicherry.
The ceremony included the public reading of the Vatican’s declaration and the exposition of the miraculous Eucharist for veneration by the faithful.
The extraordinary event traces back to November 13, 2013, when then-parish priest Fr. Thomas Pathikkal, during morning Holy Mass, observed the Holy Face of Jesus appear on the consecrated host. The Eucharist was immediately placed in a monstrance and the Mass was reverently concluded.
Following the incident, the host was transferred to the Archbishop’s House in Thalassery by order of the then Archbishop Mar George Valiyamattam. A doctrinal commission—comprising Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, Mar George Njaralakkatt, and Mar Joseph Arumachadath—was formed under the guidance of Cardinal George Alencherry, then Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church.
In 2018, the host was sent to Rome via the Apostolic Nuncio for further ecclesiastical analysis by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the only body authorized to approve such phenomena. After additional scrutiny, the host was returned to India for scientific evaluation.
Christ University, Bangalore, conducted three major tests:
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
- High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
- Mass Spectrometry
The tests confirmed no external elements or tampering and that the chemical composition of the image matched the rest of the host, reinforcing its supernatural origin.
A comprehensive report was submitted to the Vatican on April 2, 2024. On March 19, 2025, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith officially stated that no canonical obstacle remained to the recognition of the Eucharistic event.
The official declaration was proclaimed by Archbishop Girelli on May 31, 2025, at Christ the King Church, Vilakkannur. The miraculous host was returned in a solemn procession and enshrined in a monstrance for public veneration.
The event drew numerous Bishops, Priests, Religious, and thousands of faithful from across Kerala and beyond, marking a moment of profound spiritual significance in the history of the Indian Church.
Let us continue to adore and glorify the Lord, truly present in the Holy Eucharist.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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