Statue of Mary glows, and faithful
see the light
Whatever the explanation, the statue continues to draw
crowds.
By PETER MILLIKEN and MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
CAMPBELL Crowds outside St. Joseph the Provider Church, 633
Porter Ave., have been growing larger every night since a group of
women first noticed that the eyes and heart of a statue of the
Virgin Mary appear to glow.
With many carrying still and video cameras and peering through
binoculars, the crowd swelled to several hundred people of all ages
as daylight waned Thursday, and the obvious glow of the statue's
eyes and heart intensified.
Even with some notable light sources, the reason for the glow was
unclear.
Light shined on the church and the crowd from inside the attached
school building, where bingo was being played, and from security
and streetlights outside.
Lights on TV cameras and the fleeting light from flashbulbs also
illuminated the scene. The sky was overcast and winds were calm
Thursday evening.
The eyes of the statue on the bell tower began glittering about a
week ago, said Rocky Yeropoli, who has lived directly across the
street from the church since 1974.
Yeropoli, a 35-year member of the parish, said he remembers the
statue's being painted with gold leaf about 30 years ago but
doesn't recall ever seeing it glow the way it has the past few
nights. "It's strange. Last night, she just had a glow to her," he
said Thursday.
Gathering to
pray
People have been gathering to pray for a variety of things. Some
who are sickly have come with their oxygen tanks to pray for good
health, he said.
"One lady was here for about three hours praying that her son would
find a job so he doesn't have to leave," Yeropoli said. The crowd
was talkative, and some people could be seen making the sign of the
cross as they left the church grounds Thursday evening.
"I prayed for everyone to have peace of mind and good health," said
Betty R. Tobias of Youngstown, a parishioner at Sacred Heart
Church. "It touches me and a lot of others. It's a beautiful
vision," she added.
"It reinforces your faith. It's a pretty obvious sign," said her
daughter, Barb Malizia of Youngstown, a parishioner at St. Paul
Church in New Middletown.
Her visiting friend, Amanda Johnston of Australia, also a Roman
Catholic, said she prayed for world peace.
"I wanted to come and say a few private prayers and see if there
are any answers to what's happening," said Paul Andrews of
Campbell, a member of St. Lucy Church in Campbell.
Monsignor
comments
Monsignor Robert Siffrin, vicar general of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Youngstown, said he first learned about the glowing
statue Thursday morning when a secretary from St. Joseph's called
to inform him about the crowds that have been gathering outside the
church.
"Obviously, light is being reflected off of the heart of Mary. I've
been told that there's gold leaf on that portion," of the statue,
Monsignor Siffrin said Thursday evening after seeing the statue in
the dark.
"When extra light is flashed against the statue from flash cameras,
I see the flicker of lights from the eyes, which, again, could
indicate that there's gold leaf there. So, there would seem to be
an easy explanation of it right now," he observed.
Monsignor Siffrin, who stood at the back of the crowd, said the
pastor of St. Joseph the Provider, the Rev. Michael A. Swierz, who
has been away on vacation, was to return to the parish this
weekend. Once the pastor returns, the history of the statue and
tower will be reviewed in search of an explanation, Monsignor
Siffrin said.
"People are claiming that the eyes have the appearance of light in
the evening," Monsignor Siffrin added. "There is always a
skepticism in the church [that such occurrences are the result of
divine intervention] because there may be a scientific
explanation."
Will seek
explanation
First, he said, the church will determine what the statue is made
of and how it was constructed to see if there is a scientific
explanation, he said. "It may be something very obvious." He did
not know the origin or history of the statue.
Yeropoli said that a statue of St. Joseph on the opposite side also
was painted with the same gold leaf at the same time as the statue
in question, and he said it doesn't glow. But a faint glow could be
seen in St. Joseph's eyes and heart through binoculars Thursday
evening.
Although there are several reports each year from throughout the
world about statues that glow, cry and bleed, "most claims are not
substantiated," Monsignor Siffrin said. In his 15 years at the
Youngstown Diocese central office, he said, he doesn't recall any
claims such as this.
He added, however: "Anything in the course of our daily life that
challenges people to think about their own life, their relationship
to God and their faith is a good reminder. Even if it's not
miraculous, it's a good reminder to us that faith is an essential
part of human life."
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