Peru, locals are hopeful that the newly elected Pope Leo XIV will finally grant official Vatican recognition to what they believe is the country’s only Eucharistic miracle. The reported event, which dates back to 1649, continues to inspire passionate devotion in the town of 14,000 and now, with a familiar figure leading the Catholic Church, dreams of global acknowledgment are being rekindled.
The miracle is said to have occurred during a Eucharist ceremony on June 2, 1649, when dozens of the faithful witnessed the sudden appearance of a child Jesus and three small hearts. A second apparition followed weeks later during another festival. Since then, the devout in Eten have venerated the event, building home altars, sharing stories of personal miracles, and welcoming pilgrims to a modest shrine marking the historic site.
The election of Pope Leo XIV formerly Robert Prevost is fueling new optimism. The American-born pontiff served for years as a missionary in Peru and was bishop of the Chiclayo diocese, which includes Eten, from 2015 to 2023. Locals like 93-year-old Catalino Puican believe the pope’s close connection to the region makes recognition more likely. “They’ll soon recognize us as a Eucharistic city,” Puican said.
Efforts toward official recognition began in earnest in 2019, when Prevost, then a bishop, initiated the formal process. Recognition of a miracle by the Vatican is lengthy and involves theological and historical investigation, but believers in Eten remain confident.
“This miracle is a gift for all Peru,” Pope Leo XIV said in 2022, calling for the construction of a new shrine a dream many in the community share.
Beyond spiritual importance, locals recognize the potential for increased tourism and economic benefit. Veronique Lecaros of Peru’s Pontifical Catholic University notes that Vatican recognition could bring both “great pride and money.”
With hopes of a papal visit on the horizon, Eten’s faithful continue their devotion, now buoyed by the belief that a long-awaited acknowledgment may soon be at hand.
