{"id":86609,"date":"2026-09-16T09:08:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T13:08:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/?p=86609"},"modified":"2026-09-17T08:14:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T12:14:54","slug":"priest-says-chalice-became-supernaturally-heavy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/priest-says-chalice-became-supernaturally-heavy\/","title":{"rendered":"Mailbag: Priest Says Chalice Became Supernaturally Heavy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">&#8220;I am not a member of this parish but a good friend of mine has friends there.\u00a0 I am just sharing what I was told.<\/span><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">+<\/span><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">&#8220;The priest (Father Brent Bowman) witnessed the wine in the chalice visibly change to human blood. He also said the chalice became so heavy, he could barely lift it. This happened on Monday, the feast of The Exultation of the Cross, at St Gabriel&#8217;s Church in Hopkins, Minnesota, at the 11:25 a.m. Mass for Chesterton Academy, the parish school.&#8221;<\/span><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">+<br \/>\n<em>[See below for statement from Father Bowman]<\/em><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Daily Mass\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Nr_YnX3MM8s?start=1643&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"dce-visibility-event elementor-element elementor-element-818045a elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info dce-visibility-event-initialized\" data-id=\"818045a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;enabled_visibility&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;dce_visibility_selected&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-cce4e47 elementor-inline-item\"><span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\"><time>September 16, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4721eaa elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-content\" data-id=\"4721eaa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-content.default\">\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To the good people of God:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">On Monday, September 14, I celebrated the Holy Mass for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at St. Gabriel\u2019s Catholic Church in Hopkins, MN. Present were Chesterton Academy students, faculty and staff and parishioners of the parish. During the Mass, I had a private spiritual experience while praying the Eucharistic prayer over the bread and wine and I want to humbly share and clarify what I experienced all for God\u2019s glory and praise. In doing so, I also want to correct any misinformation as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Nr_YnX3MM8s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Mass recording<\/a> is being shared online.\u00a0 <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To clarify up front, my experience was NOT what the Catholic Church considers a \u201cEucharistic miracle.\u201d The forms of bread and wine retained their accidents (i.e., their appearance and taste) during this entire experience. Never did I see real blood or human flesh with my eyes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">My experience was this:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">During the consecration prayer over the wine at the altar, as I spoke the words, I was given what I believe to be internal knowledge of the power of these words being spoken and the reality of their effect to the point that I had difficulty speaking. \u00a0With each word, I became more physically overwhelmed as seen in the video. At the same time, I was given sensory knowledge of the weight of God\u2019s power coming down upon the altar, and I felt the heaviness of Jesus\u2019s substantial presence in the chalice in my hands. The chalice became too heavy to hold as I felt it pulled down to rest upon the altar. I felt my hands fixed to the chalice of the Precious Blood, and I could not physically move it. Attempting to elevate the Precious Blood, which I was not able to do for a period of time, I believe I was given grace to understand more deeply the bittersweetness of Our Lord\u2019s Passion and how much blood Christ shed for the immense weight of all our sins. I believe I experienced this weight in the chalice. This spiritual experience emotionally and physically overwhelmed me as evident in the Mass recording.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Lastly, private spiritual encounters with God like these are completely unmerited gifts and signs of God\u2019s abundant love for all his people. They are not necessarily signs of any person\u2019s holiness.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I pray this brief testimony moves all our hearts to contemplate more deeply the mysteries of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and the Precious Blood.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Peace in Christ,<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fr. Brent Bowman<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You may watch the Monday Mass from Saint Gabriel <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Nr_YnX3MM8s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">here<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Please direct all related inquiries and questions to the Communications team at the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis by emailing <\/span><a href=\"mailto:mediainquiries@archspm.org\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">mediainquiries@archspm.org<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I am not a member of this parish but a good friend of mine has friends there.\u00a0 I am just.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86609\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritdaily.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}