On the map of southern Germany, there is a seemingly unimportant town that has great religious significance—it is the site of the largest Eucharistic pilgrimage in the country. The town is called Walldürn.
Since 2007, friars from the Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe in Poland (Gdańsk) have been doing pastoral ministry at the St. Georg Friary in Walldürn. This place is strongly permeated with a religious spirit, because before our friars, the Augustinians lived here and before them, the Capuchins.
The most famous Eucharistic Miracle in Germany took place here. Its history is somewhat similar to the miracle in Lanciano, Italy, where our friars from the Province of St. Bernardine and St. Angelo in Italy (Abruzzo-Molise) reside. In a similar way, the Eucharistic miracle at Walldürn started with disbelief. In 1330, Father Heinrich OTTO, was having doubts about his faith. While celebrating Mass, he accidentally knocked over the chalice containing the Blood of Christ. The Holy Blood spilled upon the corporal and created a unique image that showed the crucified Christ surrounded by eleven faces of Jesus. The frightened priest hid the corporal in a niche in the altar, where it remained for many years. Only on his deathbed did the priest confess to this act and indicated the place where he had hidden the corporal. Immediately after the discovery of the relic, a cult began to flourish. In 1445, the corporal was shown to Pope Eugene IV, who recognized the miracle and granted indulgences to the church. In the 18th century, a beautiful new church was built on the site of the older one and today bears the title of Minor Basilica.
Unfortunately, after hundreds of years, the miraculous image on the corporal is no longer visible. It can only be seen under ultraviolet light. Nevertheless, each year (except during the pandemic), thousands of pilgrims from various parts of Germany make a pilgrimage to the site of the Eucharistic Miracle, as they have done for centuries. The longest pilgrimage on foot starts from Cologne. The peak of the pilgrimage season is late spring.
We invite all the friars and faithful to discover the glory of God in this unique town. Today, our friars are the guardians of this amazing site, where this extraordinary event took place, which should be made more widely known and venerated.
Walldürn’s proximity to Würzburg and Heidelberg make it easy to visit. We are waiting for you with open arms!
The friars of Walldürn
