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Published: Tuesday, Jul. 13, 2010 / Updated: Tuesday, Jul. 13, 2010 12:00 PM

See Eucharistic miracles for yourself at Lake Wylie

All Saints Catholic Church hosting international exhibit

LAKE WYLIE -- 

A Lake Wylie couple planning to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an October trip to the Holy Land inspired by their faith is hoping to bring insight and inspiration to others, too, without having to leave the comforts of home.

Pat Varvel, self-described as a “cradle Catholic,” and her husband, Jon, who converted almost two years ago, read an article in the Catholic Diocese of Charleston’s Miscellany newspaper May 13 about the Vatican International Exhibition of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World being held in Hilton Head. Rather than make that drive, they decided to call to see if they could bring the exhibit to York County.

With the help of co-sponsor Oratory Center for Spirituality in Rock Hill, which supplies the priests for the five churches and one mission in York County, the exhibit was slated to go up in Lake Wylie within two months. All Saints Catholic Church will host the two-day exhibit about miracles of the Host on July 17-18.

“These miracles have to do with the real presence in the Eucharist so are all related to the cornerstone of our beliefs,” Pat Varvel said. “It is to show what Catholics believe.”

For Catholics, the Eucharist is the most important sacrament, therealpresence.org states. The belief in Christ’s real presence in bread and wine consecrated during the Mass is the cornerstone of the faith.

Introducing the exhibit on the Web site, S.E. Rev. ma Mons Raffaello Martinelli explains, “Our faith is not founded on Eucharistic miracles, but on the proclamation of the Lord Jesus, received with faith through the action of the Holy Spirit. A Christian is not obliged to believe in Eucharistic miracles.”

Eucharistic miracles can encourage us to understand, appreciate and love the Eucharist. They can help a person discover the mystery, the beauty and the riches of the Eucharist. We must never forget, the Eucharist is the true, great, inexhaustible daily miracle.”

Jon Varvel said via e-mail that quote “makes a point I think is important for viewers of the exhibit to understand, whether they are Catholic or not. I believe the miracles described in the exhibit will speak for themselves. They can help remind Catholics of the basis of our faith, that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in a unique and incomparable way, in a true, real, substantial way.”

The exhibit will include 80 stories of the126 miracles associated with the sacrament. Each panel shows photographs and descriptions of Eucharistic miracles that have taken place throughout the ages in different parts of the world.

“Mass for us is all based on the Eucharist,” Varvel said. “So the idea that there are miracles dating back to the 1100s and earlier that have been verified by the Vatican is something that we could never travel around the world and see the evidence for ourselves. Seeing it all in this one exhibit is very inspiring.”

All Saints parishioner Wendy Mason talked about one of the miracles, as explained online at realpresence.org, as the first and greatest miracle in Lanciano, Italy. When a priest consecrates the Host, “it transforms into flesh and blood. This miracle has undergone extensive scientific examination and can only be explained as a miracle. The flesh is actually cardiac tissue which contains arterioles, veins and nerve fibers.”

“I think we’re very honored to be able to have it here,” Mason said. “We were lucky. The reason the pope has approved this exhibit is to help everyone remember the true presence of the Lord.”

Varvel said the exhibit not only raises awareness about the Catholic faith, but the growth the church is seeing, including 3-year-old All Saints Catholic Church.

“We are looking to build a bigger church already,” she said. “Bringing it here puts focus on growth of the Catholic church in this area.”

So far, Varvel has already fielded calls from Greenville.

“We expect it to be a good turnout and inspire other more remote churches to sponsor it themselves,” she said.

The exhibit is free, but donations will be accepted.

Vatican International Exhibition of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World will be on exhibit from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 17, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 18, at All Saints Catholic Church, 530 S.C. 274, Lake Wylie, co-sponsored by the Oratory Center for Spirituality in Rock Hill. Everyone is welcome to this free exhibit being held in the church’s classrooms. For more information and directions, call 803-831-8247 or visit allsaintslakewylie.com. For information about the exhibit, visit therealpresence.org.

Saturday

Adoration: 2-4 p.m. followed by Benediction

Choir/Music: 4:10-4:30 p.m.

Rosary: 4:30-5 p.m.

Mass: 5 p.m.

SundayMass: 8 and 11 a.m.