Momboisse Family Adventures March 2025 - Santarem, Portugal
Monday March 31, 2025
Up early Monday, March 31 for breakfast at 7am and luggage at the door for pickup by 8. Our breakfast at the Lumen Hotel, and at every hotel on our 206 Tour, was a full breakfast with pastries, breads, eggs, bacon, meats, cheeses, yogurt, coffee, and juice. A spread sure to please anyone. It was far more than we expected.
The weather that greeted us as we boarded our bus at 8:30 was 57 degrees, sunny, and remained pleasant all day. This morning we are driving from Lisbon to Santarem along the main motorway A1, about 50 miles. I must say that we slept for most of the ride. Well until Leo woke us up with "Good Morning Pilgrims!"
Santa Casa da Misericordia
Our bus dropped us off near Santa Casa da Misericordia and the C & A Shopping Center (Largo Cândido dos Reis, Santarém, Portugal). The Santa Casa da Misericordia was founded in 1498 on the principle of the Catholic Corporal Works of Mercy. It was there that the sick and disabled were treated for many years. Today the building is a hostel for pilgrims on the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago.
It is a short 1/4 mile walk through the narrow sides streets of Santarem to the Church of St. Stephen, also known as the Church of the Miracle. This is where Fr. Thom will celebrate Holy Mass today.
Church of the Miracle
Outside the church, a sign explains the story of the Eucharistic Miracle. This is the text from that sign on the Holy Miracle of Santarem.
"Some narrators say it happened in 1247 others that it took
place in 1266. At that time there lived
in the village of Santarem a poor woman whose life
was made miserable by her unfaithful husband.
Weary of so much unhappiness she decided to consult a Jewish sorceress
for aid. The sorceress promised the
woman that all her difficulties would disappear if she would bring her a consecrated
Host. After great hesitation the poor
woman decided to commit this sacrilege.
After being heard in confession at the Church of Santo Estevao (Saint
Stephen) she proceeded to the altar and upon receiving the Blessed Sacrament
removed it from her mouth and carefully wrapped it up in her veil. She then proceeded to leave the church and
hurry to the sorceress not noticing the great drops of Blood that fell
from her veil. Others who saw the Blood
inquired why she was bleeding so profusely.
Confused and perplexed, she ran home and hid the Holy Sacrament in one
of her wooden chests. Late that day her husband
returned. In the middle of the night, they awoke and saw that the house was lit
up by mysterious rays of light which penetrated through the chest. The woman confessed her sin to her husband
and both spent the rest of the night upon their knees, in adoration. At
daybreak the parish priest was informed and people from far and near rushed to
the woman’s house to contemplate the Holy Miracle. The Blessed Sacrament was then taken in procession
to the Church of St. Stephen where it was placed in a small case of wax. Sometime later when the Tabernacle was opened
for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament another miracle had taken place, the wax
case was found broken in pieces and the Holy Sacrament was encased in a beautiful
crystal pyx. This pyx was placed in a gold-plated silver monstrance and can be
seen to this day. The Church of St. Stephen is now named the Church of the Holy
Miracle."
.jpg)
Door to Miracle Closed (Photo by fellow pilgrim Patty)
Door to the Miracle open
Before Mass begins the caretaker of the Miracle opens the door so that we may view the reliquary holding the Miracle. Then Fr. Thom proceeds with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Fr. Thom proclaiming the Gospel (John 4:43-54)
Today the monstrance is displayed in a gold case high atop the tabernacle. After Mass we were allowed to climb the stairs behind the altar to venerate the Body and Blood of Christ physically manifested up close. We touch our scapulars to the glass case holding the miraculous Host. No photos were allowed, but the following video shows the inside of the church, the paintings, and the Host up close.
Eucharistic Miracle (The Faithful Traveler)
Many saints and royalty have venerated the miraculous Host. Queen Elizabeth of Portugal visited in 1295 and 1322. St. Francis Xavier came to Santarem on a pilgrimage before embarking on his missionary journey to India in the 16th century.
On the second Sunday of April, the eucharistic miracle is carried in a procession that begins at the house where the couple lived which is nearby and ends at the Church of the Miracle.
In 1997, scientific tests on this Eucharistic Miracle confirmed that the contents in the vessel is human flesh and blood, with the same AB blood type as the Shroud of Turin and other eucharistic miracles, such as Lanciano.
In 2015 I took a deep dive into the Eucharistic Miracles our Our Lord. I needed comfort. I need guidance. I needed Him. Our daughter-in-law was diagnosed with stage IV cancer after just two months of marriage. Here is my final post in that series of blogs. It also has a list of all of the Eucharistic Miracles I reviewed. Since this time I have had a real connection to Our Lord in the Eucharist. It is a gift. Nothing I did. All from Him.
After Mass we had free time to enjoy lunch at Tasca in Santarem before leaving for Fatima mid afternoon.
All photos or videos by L.A. Momboisse unless otherwise noted
Comments
Post a Comment