Monsignore Petarca, purchased from Pope Leo XIII, a PLENARY INDULGENCE in perpetuity to those that venerate the Eucharistic Wonder through the 8 days previous the feast day.The Eucharistic Miracle was put in various places within the Church of St. Francis over the years. At one point, in 1566, the threat of the Turks became impending across the Adriatic Coast. It was thought that Lanciano would be a simple target to allow them to invade.
As a subject of security, the Eucharistic Miracle was extracted from its chapel, and walled on the other area of the Church.It got to a place, however, that the risk of the Turks turned too much of a reality. On September 1 of that year, a Friar Giovanni Antonio di Mastro Renzo acim his trust, perhaps not in the Eucharist, but sometimes in God's capacity, or God's desire to save lots of him and his small band of Franciscans from the barrage of the Turks. Applying the need to save the Eucharistic Wonder from the Infidels, he took the reliquary containing the Flesh and Body, and herself and his friars, and fled the city.
They walked during the night. Prior to start, Friar Giovanni thought they had set enough range between them and the opponent, and bought his friars to rest. As sunlight came out, they found that these were straight back at the gates of the city.Believing that the Lord had intervened, and that He needed His Holy Indication as an guarantee to the people of the city of Lanciano that He hadn't forgotten them, the friars were filled with the Sacred Spirit. They acquired the courage of lions.
They vowed to remain in the Church, and protect the Eucharistic Miracle with their lives. Since it turned out, the Lord held them from damage, in addition to the town of Lanciano, and the Eucharistic Miracle.The Tissue and Blood were kept walled up until 1636, even though danger of the invading Turks had extended since disappeared. At that time, the Eucharistic Wonder was used in the proper part of the church, encased in an iron tabernacle, behind metal doors.
There were four tips to the vault, each used by different people in the town. This was called the Valsecca Chapel, in recognition of the benefactor. The Miraculous Flesh and Blood were held in this chapel till 1902. The loyal were only able to venerate the Eucharistic Miracle on special occasions, the Friday after Easter, and the final week in Oct, the week of the feast. The Plenary Luxury was available to the people through the feast.
