The Eucharistic miracle of Caravaca de la Cruz regards the celebration of a miraculous Mass during which Jesus appeared inside a Host together with a Crucifix. Thanks to this apparition, the Muslim king of Murcia and his family were converted to Catholicism.
The most authoritative document describing the Miracle is the contemporary testimony of the Franciscan Father Gilles of Zamora, the historian of King St. Ferdinand.
Amongst the many documents that report this miracle, the most authoritative is that supplied by King Saint Ferdinand's historian of the time, Father Gilles of Zamora.
We know with certainty that a Christian priest, Don Gines Pérez Chirinos de Cuenca, traveled amongst the Moors of the Kingdom of Murcia with the purpose of preaching the Gospel.
He was captured however and brought to the presence of the Moorish King Zeyri-Abu-Zeyt who asked him some questions about certain aspects of the Christian faith. The king particularly wanted to deepen his understanding of the Mass.
The priest very much detail explaining the importance of the Mass and the King, fascinated by the preaching of the priest, ordered him immediately to celebrate one. Since the priest did not have the necessary equipment for the celebration, the king ordered some of his men to get them from the nearby country of Cuenca.
In Christian territory. But still the Cross, which needed to be present on the altar during a Mass, had been forgotten. The priest began to celebrate the Mass but, at a certain point, realized the absence of the Cross, became troubled and stopped.
The king asked him why he was so disturbed, and the priest told him that he needed a Cross. The king however immediately responded, "Wouldn't that be it?" In fact, at that moment two angels were placing a Cross upon the altar. The priest was deeply moved and gave thanks to the Lord.
He then continued with the glorious celebration. The miracle continued. At the moment of the consecration, the Muslim king saw a beautiful baby in the place of the Host who gazed on him endearingly. After having witnessed the miraculous event, the king and his family converted to Christianity and were baptized.
Zeyri-Abu-Zeyt took the name Vincent and his wife took the name Elena. From that day, the 3rd of March 1231, the country is called Caravaca de la Cruz.
Recently, in the jubilee year, the Holy See allowed Caravaca de la Cruz to be the fifth city in the world, after Santiago de Compostela, Santo Toribio de Liebana, Rome and Jerusalem, to celebrate the Perpetual Jubilee (one holy year every seven in perpetuum) in the Sanctuary where the Holy Cross is kept.