A delegation from Offida, made up of municipal representatives and some citizens, traveled on September 19 to Lanciano, a city in the Abruzzo region linked to Offida by devotion to the Eucharistic Miracle. The group was led by Offida’s mayor, Luigi Massa, together with parish priest Don Giuseppe and councilwoman Isabella Bosano. They were received by Lanciano’s mayor, Filippo Paolini, and by the «Giubbe Rosse» association, represented by its president, Vitaliano Di Virgilio.
An Institutional and Community Gesture
During the meeting, Lanciano’s mayor presented Massa with a plaque bearing a message underscoring the bond between the two communities. The text, cited in the information released, states: «The administration, on behalf of the Lanciano community, in remembrance of the historic bond between Lanciano and Offida, under the sign of the centuries-old devotion linked to the Miracle of the Ricciarella, renews its deep tie of faith, history, culture and tradition. A bond that, through the centuries, continues to unite the two communities under the sign of memory and shared devotion.»
Along with the plaque, Lanciano’s first citizen gave books about Lanciano and a small bell, described as a symbol of peace and friendship between the two communities. For his part, Luigi Massa reciprocated with two bottles of wine, publications and the famous «funghetti di Offida,» traditional sweets shaped like small mushrooms and filled with anise.
An Invitation from the Polyphonic Choir
The Offida delegation made this journey to Lanciano after being invited by the «Giubbe Rosse» polyphonic choir of the parish of San Pietro, whose president is Vitaliano Di Virgilio. Councilwoman Bosano described the day and stressed that the meeting went beyond its institutional dimension: «It was not just an institutional visit, but a meeting of community and friendship.» She added that she returned home with «genuine emotions, faces, handshakes» and the conviction that these ties represent «a precious treasure for Offida.»
Context and Relevance
The bond between the two towns dates back to the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano, which according to tradition occurred in the 8th century, when the host and wine consecrated by a monk are said to have turned into flesh and blood during the celebration of Mass. This event, passed down by tradition, made Lanciano a pilgrimage destination and a spiritual reference point for neighboring communities, including Offida.
The city of Lanciano is known in Catholic tradition for preserving the traces of two Eucharistic miracles. The first, which occurred in the first half of the 8th century, around 730-750 AD, in the Church of San Francesco, when a monk who doubted the real presence of Christ saw the host and wine turn into flesh and blood. The second miracle, which occurred in 1273, is linked to the profanation of a consecrated particle by a woman, Ricciarella, which also turned into bleeding flesh. The fragments of that tissue and of the cloth in which the miraculous host was wrapped are preserved in the church of Sant’Agostino in Offida, brought there by the priest who heard Ricciarella’s confession.
Councilwoman Bosano concluded: «From today the thread that unites us with Lanciano is even stronger,» thus renewing the bond between the two communities, which share the Miracle. The visit, therefore, not only reaffirmed a historic and devotional relationship, but also updated its meaning as an encounter of friendship and shared memory.
Original source: www.offida.info (published on September 19, 2026)
