AURORA—As part of its evangelization efforts to bring the truth and light of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist to its parish family and community in this first year of the National Eucharistic Revival, St. Peter Parish in Aurora hosted the Eucharistic Miracle Exhibit in its parish center on Nov. 11-13.

 

The Vatican Exhibit of The Eucharistic Miracles of the World is composed of 141 posters describing 126 miracles approved by the Catholic Church with 19 maps of the countries in which the Eucharistic miracles have taken place. Each poster recounts in detail the many documented occurrences that are visible proof of Jesus Christ’s real presence in the holy Eucharist.

 

A steady group of people stopped by the parish center to view the exhibit over the three days. “We have had individuals and families who took the time to walk through the exhibit, read about these worldwide Eucharistic miracles, and contemplate their significance,” said Barbara Iwanowski, coordinator of music at St. Peter Parish, who helped in bringing the traveling exhibit to the parish. 

 

“It appeared to touch everyone who saw it, and I was especially happy when a young boy stopped and looked at each of the posters. When he left, he said to me, ‘That was cool.’”

 

The exhibit itself was first created by a tech-savvy young man, Blessed Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old from Milan, Italy, who was beatified on Oct. 10, 2020. The first poster in the exhibit tells the story of this young teen whose life was dedicated to Jesus Christ and the Eucharist. 

 

In 2002, he decided to stage an exhibition on the miracles of the Eucharist and created it with his family’s help over more than two years. He was considered an expert for his age in computers and used his God-given talents to spread the word of the real presence of the Eucharist. 

 

He went to daily Mass, received Communion and spent hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament. In 2006 he was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia and died one week later. 

 

His exhibit has been displayed in all five continents and is spreading across the United States.

 

Iwanowski adds that if any other parish in the diocese would like to host the “Eucharistic Miracles of the World” exhibition, she would be happy to provide further information. 

 

“There is no cost to receive or host this exhibit,” she said. “It is available on loan from a parish in the far west Chicago suburban area. Upon scheduling the date, all that another parish has to do is pick it up and return it.”

 

She invites other parishes in the diocese to reach her at biwanowski@rockforddiocese.org.

 

“Reading each of the posters is powerful to know that the miracles of God’s real presence in the Eucharist has been seen all over the world,” Iwanowski said. “If only one person can change their heart to believe, it is worth having the exhibit and sharing the knowledge.”