By George Kommattam
Calicut, March 10, 2025: Hundreds of people on March 10 attended the Eucharistic Miracles Expo at a church in Kerala’s Kozhikode town, organized by a six-year-old movement to revive the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
“The main cause of the decline in faith is the diminishing devotion to the Holy Eucharist. The Church and the faithful can survive in this tumultuous world only by rediscovering faith in the Eucharist,” said Blessed Sacrament Father Clint Vettikuzhiyil, one of the founders of “The Friends of Holy Eucharist” that organized the expo at St. Antony’s Forane Church, Paroppady, a Kozhikode suburb.
The movement, comprising priests and lay people, has so far covered 450 parishes across India, mostly in Kerala, conducting exhibitions on Eucharistic Miracles, video presentations, and catechesis on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist
The program also helps people learn about the history of Eucharistic miracles from around the world, Father Vettikuzhiyil told Matters India after the program at Paroppady, a parish under the Thamarassery Syro-Malabar diocese.
Besides Father Vettikuzhil, the movement is led by his confrere Father Augustine Karakkkattu and Vincentian seminarian Brother Abel Keloth.
Father Vettikuzhiyil said his team does not wait for parishes to invite them. “Instead, we reach out to parish priests, requesting an opportunity to organize an expo. We believe that this is a mission, and it is our duty to take the first step,” he explained.
Their expo includes more than 100 Eucharistic miracles approved by the Catholic Church, displayed on foam boards with detailed descriptions and images. The two-day program in each parish usually consists of a video presentation on Eucharistic Miracles and a catechetical session on the first evening, followed by the Eucharistic Miracles Expo the following day.
Father Vettikuzhiyil said they have received “overwhelming support from the faithful, many of whom were unaware of the numerous Eucharistic miracles that have occurred over the centuries.”
Sherly Mani Patani, a Paroppady parishioner, welcomed the Blessed Sacrament priests’ attempt to revive true Eucharist.
“We hear so much about liturgical disputes, but here are priests who are actually bringing people back to the essence of the Eucharist. They are doing a great service in restoring our eroding faith. Kudos to them,” she told Matters India.
She was referring to a dispute over the rubrics of celebrating Mass in the Syro-Malabar Church. The Church’s bishops’ synod wants the priest to turn to the altar during the Eucharistic prayer, another group wants the priest to face the congregation throughout the Mass.
For many, the expo was a moving and eye-opening experience. Biju Odakkal, who had only planned to drop off his children for catechism classes, ended up spending over an hour at the exhibition, reading about the miracles.
” I had never known about these miracles before. Many people, including children, think the Eucharist is just a symbol. This expo helped me rediscover my faith. Catechism students must learn about these miracles. Only then will they truly realize that in the Holy Mass, they are receiving Jesus Himself,” he said.
Riya Joseph, another parishioner, found the expos visually engaging as it made it easier to understand the miracles.
” Seeing the images and reading the descriptions helped me understand their significance. It is a rare opportunity for both us and the new generation to be reminded that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Eucharist,” she said.
Father Karakkattu said that they have been carrying out this mission with growing enthusiasm from parishes and faithful alike.
“Many people, both young and old, have never heard about Eucharistic miracles. When they learn about them, they are amazed. We are helping people rediscover the beauty and mystery of the Holy Eucharist,” he told Matters India.
The Friends of Holy Eucharist movement now has more than 600 members worldwide, including laypeople who support the initiative through prayer and volunteering, Father Karakkattu said.
Seminarian Keloth, who assists the priests with video presentations and book sales on Eucharistic miracles, said, “I am blessed to be part of this initiative for a year during my formation period. It is inspiring to see people, especially young ones, developing a new appreciation for the Eucharist.”
Father Vettikuzhiyil said “the overwhelming response” from parishes has convinced them that they are on the right track.
“We often hear from parish priests that after our visit, people start attending Mass with greater reverence. Many return to confession and Eucharistic adoration. This is the power of the Eucharist; it transforms lives when people truly understand it,” he said.
Their next step is to expand their mission to other states in India and even beyond.
“The Eucharist is the heart of our faith. If we lose sight of it, we lose everything. Our mission is simple-to help people see, believe, and adore the living presence of Jesus in the Eucharist,” Father Karakkattu said.
The Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament was founded by two priests in 1933 in response to Pope Pius X’s call to reawaken the Eucharistic-centered life of the Church.
Its founding in Kerala coincided with the jubilee year of the redemptive sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Its charism is Eucharistic Apostolate, which asks its members to minister at the table of the Lord in a special way and to take up with responsibility the liturgical formation of the people of God.