Montserrat

In 1657, at the Monastery of Our Lady of Montserrat, Father Don Bernardo de Ontevieros, General of the Benedictine order in Spain, and Abbot Don Millán de Mirando arrived to participate in important conferences. During one of these conferences, a woman appeared with her young daughter, who begged Abbot Millán de Mirando to celebrate three Masses in memory of her deceased father. The child was convinced these Masses would free his soul from the pains of purgatory.

About this miracle

The abbot agreed and began celebrating the first Mass the following day. During the consecration, the girl confirmed seeing her father kneeling and surrounded by frightening flames at the step of the main altar. The priest and General, dubious of her claim, asked the girl to place a tissue close to the flames to verify her story, which she did. The tissue began to burn with a lively flame that was visible to all present, providing physical evidence of the supernatural phenomenon.

At the second Mass, the girl witnessed her father dressed in a vibrantly colored suit, standing next to the deacon—his condition had improved through the grace of the Mass. At the third and final Mass, the father appeared dressed in a snow-white suit, symbolizing his purification. As soon as the Mass ended, the girl exclaimed joyfully that her father was rising and ascending into the sky—his soul had been released from purgatory and was entering heaven.

The Eucharistic miracle of Montserrat powerfully reminds us that every Mass has infinite value because it makes present the unique sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. This miracle attests to the reality of purgatory, the communion of saints, and the supreme importance of having Masses celebrated for the deceased, demonstrating the Eucharist's power to aid souls even beyond death.

Scientific analysis

The tissue that the girl placed near the invisible flames began to burn with a lively flame that was visible to all present, witnessed by all present. This event convinced the skeptical priest and General.