Priest describes tearful ‘spiritual experience’ during consecration after video goes viral online

Father Brent Bowman issued a statement through his diocese to explain a video of him weeping during Mass that circulated on social media. The footage shows the priest breaking down in tears and struggling to raise the chalice while reciting the consecration prayers during the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Sept. 14 at St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Hopkins, Minnesota.

Bowman clarified that he did not witness a Eucharistic miracle, which the Church defines as a visible change in the appearance of the bread and wine. Instead, he described the moment as a private spiritual experience. He stated that as he spoke the words over the wine, he felt an internal knowledge regarding the power and reality of the words being spoken.

The video was captured by the parish YouTube livestream and prompted viewers to ask about his emotional reaction. During the Mass, Bowman paused for six seconds after the words regarding the chalice, continued the prayer through tears, and sobbed for nearly a minute at the altar. He continued to weep while raising the chalice and kneeling after the consecration.