ITALY- Nearly a year and a half after an earthquake hit central Italy and killed over 200 people, a tabernacle containing 40 intact and consecrated hosts was found buried the rubble.

The discovery was made at Our Lady of the Assumption church in the town of Arquata.

Sources say that inside the tabernacle, the ciborium containing the hosts was overturned but the lid was still on, and "despite all the months that had gone by, the hosts were whole, without any alteration."

Giovanni D'Ercole, the Bishop of Ascoli Piceno, says the discovery had "a fresh baked aroma that was still noticeable, which is very moving. It is a sign of hope for everyone." He adds, "It tells us that Jesus also suffered the earthquake like everyone else, but he has come out alive from among the rubble."

Members of the cathedral are reporting that inside of the overturned ciborium was the Body of Christ, completely unscathed over a year and a half later without any changes in color, shape, or scent. 

Father Angelo Ciancotti of the cathedral is calling the find a miracle.

"This prodigious and inexplicable discovery is a miracle. But above all, a message for everyone: it is a sign that reminds us of the centrality of the Eucharist," Ciancotti said.