Church to probe ‘miracle’ of weeping Mother Mary

Catholic Archbishop says once an official report is submitted, he would “take it from there”.

KOTA KINABALU: The Catholic church has announced that they will conduct an investigation into a statue of Mother Mary that was reported to be secreting tears.

According to an article on The Star Online, Catholic Archbishop John Wong has requested the services of Father Peter Abas, the parish priest of the Holy Nativity church in Kampung Tarawi, to investigate the phenomenon.

Father Peter’s church is the closest to where Michael George, 52, who owns the statue, lives in Kampung Mahandoi with his family.

Once investigations are concluded, Father Peter will submit his report to the Archbishop, who said “he would take it up from there.”

A church official explained, “There are prescribed procedures in cases like this.”

According to George, the statue was purchased by his sister-in-law in the Philippines, who kept it at her home before it was brought to his place.

It was also blessed the Sunday before it began weeping by Archbishop Wong, who heads the Sabah Catholic church.

George said he hoped to keep the statue at his home, possibly until Easter, after which he would consider giving it to the church to be kept there and assessed by religious authorities.

For the time being, George will keep his doors open to the hundreds who trek to his home every day to see for themselves what many consider a miracle, and to continue saying the rosary in Mother Mary’s presence.

George’s son Melvin, 14, was the first to notice her tears at 5pm last Monday, after which it was claimed the statue wept again a few days later.

There have been at least 15 known cases of “weeping” statues in various countries since 1949, many of which have remained either unverified or been rejected by the church.