On 15 March 1345, the legend tells us, a man lie ill in his bed in a house in the Kalverstraat. He feared he would die. He called for a priest to give him the Blessed Sacrament for the very last time. But after having received the Lord he had to vomit.  The vomit was thrown in the fire, but to the amazement of those present, the host remained floating in the flames. Centuries later, Anton van Duinkerken described it in a sonnet: “De Hostie, weggeworpen in het vuur, bleef ongedeerd tussen de vlammen zweven. Genadekracht bleek sterker dan natuur.” (“The Host, thrown into the flames, stayed floating in the flames  unhurt. Grace of God proved stronger than nature.”) The man’s wife reached into the flames and took the host out of the fire without burning her hands, and put it into a chest. That in itself is miracle enough, but the story does not end here.

The host, which had been collected by a priest from the Old or St. Nicholas church the next day, returned to the man’s house. This new miracle repeated itself twice more. For medieval people this was a required confirmation to see the hand of God in events. In a procession, the priest returned the host to the Old Church. The following year, Bishop Jan van Arkel declared that a miracle had occurred.

This miracle is commemorated annually during the Stille Omgang in Amsterdam. From all over the country, people, both Catholic and non-Catholic, come to silently walk the route of the procession. This tradition stems from the time that public displays of the Catholic faith were illegal in the time following the Reformation.

From Groningen there will be busses to this event. On 20 March, at 19:00, the busses depart from Groningen Central Station. Meeting place is the station’s hall. The Committee de Stille Omgang, division Groningen organises transportation. Costs are 18 euros, but if that is problematic you may contact Mr. A. Lukassen (050-3134872). Sign up before 15 March. Flyers with more information are in the back of the cathedral. This will bring you to the program for adults.

There is also special youth program in Amsterdam. The student ministry in Amsterdam also host activities. More information about that can be found on their website.

Part of this text has been taken from the Encyclopedie at Katholiek Nederland.

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