Eucharistic Miracle of CHIRATTAKONAM
The Archdiocese of Trivandrum in India witnessed a remarkable Eucharistic miracle on **May 5th, 2001**. The event, occurring during the Novena to St. Jude Thaddeus, took place in the parish church of **St. Mary of Chirattakonam**. The miracle was later verified by His Beatitude Cyril Mar Baselice, the then Archbishop of the diocese.
The prodigy began on April 28, 2001, when the pastor of the church, **Rev. Fr. Johnson Karnoor**, exposed the Most Holy Sacrament in the monstrance for public adoration. After a brief period, he noticed what appeared to be three small dots within the consecrated Host. Fr. Karnoor invited the faithful to observe the dots, then reposed the monstrance and asked them to continue in prayer.
The truly extraordinary manifestation occurred on May 5th, 2001. Fr. Karnoor, returning to open the tabernacle, was amazed to see in the Host the unmistakable **likeness of a human face**, strikingly similar to that of Christ crowned with thorns. Deeply moved, he immediately called the faithful to prayer. When he asked the altar server what he saw, the boy replied, "I see the figure of a man."
As Adoration continued, the image gradually became more vivid and clear. Overwhelmed with emotion, Fr. Karnoor shed tears of joy. The Gospel reading of the day—John Chapter 20, which recounts Jesus appearing to St. Thomas and asking him to look at the wounds—was felt to be profoundly providential.
Fr. Karnoor quickly arranged for a photographer to document the Holy Eucharist. All photographs, once developed, showed the face clearly, with the image appearing more defined over time.
The monstrance containing the miraculous Host remains in the church today. For the faithful, this is a profound sign of the **Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist**, reinforcing centuries of Catholic doctrine. While no comprehensive scientific investigation was conducted, the Archdiocese of Trivandrum formed a commission of theologians, medical doctors, and photography experts. This commission's report concluded that there was **no evidence of tampering or manipulation** and that the image was a **supernatural phenomenon** resembling Christ's face, which could not be explained by natural causes. The Church accepted these findings as valid evidence of the event's miraculous nature.
