Discover the Eucharistic Miracle of Veroli: the Prodigies of the Easter Forty Hours

A few kilometres from Alatri — keeper of the 1228 miracle — the Ciociarian town of Veroli venerates a prodigy that took place during the Forty Hours’ devotion of Easter 1570: in the Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration appeared heavenly signs which many faithful contemplated for hours, transforming the basilica of Sant’Erasmo into a place of grace.

Easter Tuesday 1570

It was Eastertide and the church of Sant’Erasmo was celebrating the solemn adoration of the Forty Hours. On the Tuesday after Easter, during the exposition, the Blessed Sacrament appeared surrounded by prodigious signs: witnesses saw luminous figures in the Host — tradition speaks of the Child Jesus appearing amid the radiance, in blessing — while the church filled with faithful hastening from all over the town. The phenomena continued before a growing crowd, and the ecclesiastical authorities gathered the testimonies.

An Unbroken Devotion

Since then the memory of the prodigy has been celebrated every year in Eastertide, and the basilica of Sant’Erasmo — an ancient abbey church rebuilt over the centuries — has become the Eucharistic heart of the town. Veroli, which also preserves the Scala Santa with the perpetual indulgence granted by Benedict XIV, is one of the most spiritually dense destinations in Ciociaria.

Veroli: the Town of Holy Stones

Cyclopean walls, medieval lanes, the Cistercian abbey of Casamari a short distance away: Veroli’s setting makes the pilgrimage to the miracle a complete itinerary of faith and history, naturally interwoven with nearby Alatri in a “Eucharistic way” of Ciociaria.

Historical Clues and “Adventurous” Research:

• The testimonies of 1570: search the diocesan archives of Veroli-Frosinone for the sixteenth-century accounts of the prodigy.
• The Forty Hours: study the history of this devotion, which was spreading through Italy precisely in the sixteenth century.
• The Alatri-Veroli way: walk the few kilometres separating the two Eucharistic miracles of Ciociaria.

Useful Information for Pilgrims

• Address: Basilica of Sant’Erasmo, Veroli (FR), Italy
• Opening Hours: enquire with the Diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino.
• Getting There: Veroli is reached from the Frosinone-Sora expressway; the historic centre is on a hill, with car parks at its gates.

Historical source: the international exhibition “The Eucharistic Miracles of the World” created by Carlo Acutis (miracolieucaristici.org).