Relic moves due to bent hook, not divine cause, diocese confirms

A viral video showing what seemed to be a relic moving on its own at a university chapel has stirred up talk of miracles — and plenty of clicks — but turned out to have a far more grounded explanation, as CNA reports.

After a careful investigation, officials from the Diocese of Lincoln determined that the motion was caused by a bent hook supporting the relic of St. Gemma Galgani, not divine intervention.

The excitement began at the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where a first-class relic of the 19th-century Italian saint quickly became the center of social media buzz. Footage showed the sacred object swaying subtly as if by unseen hands, prompting both awe and speculation.

Diocese Takes Quick Action Amid Speculation

Sensing rising public interest, Father Caleb La Rue, chancellor for the Diocese of Lincoln, brought in a second priest to investigate the claims. Visitors had begun flocking to the Newman Center, eager to witness what some hoped would be a visible sign from above.

In a culture increasingly eager to crown every odd occurrence as extraordinary, the Church chose a more thorough path. According to La Rue, testing revealed the real culprit: an unevenly shaped hook holding the relic at an angle that caused it to wobble when slight movements or vibrations occurred.

“When we took the relic down and replaced it with another on the same hook, the same movement happened,” La Rue explained. When the bent hook was no longer in use, all motion ceased entirely.

Reactions Rooted in Faith and Caution

The diocese acted responsibly and promptly in tamping down hype before emotionalism overtook discernment. In many media environments today, where skepticism is brushed aside in service to sensationalism, this kind of balanced response is rare.

La Rue summed up the findings with clarity: the movement arose not from anything transcendental, but from simple physics and faulty hardware. “Not that these things can’t happen — of course, they absolutely can," he said, "but at the same time, the Church is cautious for a reason because she wants our attention to be on truly miraculous things.”

And that's not cynicism — it's stewardship. These are times when public's craving for spiritual signs often outruns doctrinal discernment.

Still, a Teachable Moment for the Faithful

Though no miracle took place, the incident stirred something deeper within the local Catholic community. La Rue noted that the entire time the relic drew attention, Eucharistic exposition—a display of the consecrated host believed by Catholics to be the body of Christ—was also taking place at the center.

"The Eucharist is the ultimate sign of God’s abiding presence with his people," he said, framing the moment as an invitation to appreciate what the Church already provides every day — not in spectacle, but in sacrament.

And that's the harder lesson: that divine encounters aren’t always in the unusual, but often in the consistent and quiet. A bent hook may move a relic, but it's the unseen hand of God that moves hearts.

A Vibrant Campus Community Anchored in Truth

Miracle expert Michael O’Neill, host of EWTN’s “Miracle Hunter,” also added context. The Church reserves official investigation for limited scenarios like healing miracles or Eucharistic phenomena — not swinging relics. A wise boundary, especially in a world eager to manufacture signs to match its anxieties.

Meanwhile, the Newman Center itself continues to be a hub of strong Catholic witness in what is too often a spiritually starved college culture. Around 70 people entered the Church through its OCIA program in the past year—many by their own initiative, according to La Rue.

"The number of people who came to join the church last year who literally just showed up — nobody went and found them," he said. That speaks volumes about where the real miracle might reside: in conversion quietly taking root while the cameras are pointed elsewhere.

Faith Moving More Than Just Artifacts

Sunday Mass at the Newman Center is often packed to capacity — standing room only, La Rue noted. While the relic may have swayed, it’s the young faithful whose lives are truly in motion.

“I’ve seen young people recognizing that the world doesn’t have the answers,” La Rue explained. “They come here to find actual peace and love and freedom in Our Lord.”

That’s not just spiritual comfort in an age of confusion — it’s a quiet form of resistance to the culture of instant gratification and moral relativism.