Hundreds of worshippers gathered at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago to witness a "weeping" Virgin Mary over the weekend. The church is due to have a bankruptcy hearing this week and many believe the phenomenon could be a sign, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Rev. Nicholas Jonas, the presiding priest, first saw what appeared to be tears pouring from the Virgin Mary's eyes in a painting portraying her holding the child Jesus on Sunday.
"It's common throughout the Orthodox church to see a phenomenon like that," he noted, but "to have it personally was very overwhelming."
Word soon spread and by Monday, more than 300 visitors had gathered to see the "miracle," WLS reported.
"I can't explain why she is tearing, but I do know as human beings, we are usually crying for two reasons: either joy or sorrow," Jonas said.
The church has been struggling to keep its doors open amid financial difficulties. A generous donation helped it avoid foreclosure last year, but now the church once again faces the possibility of having to close its doors. The church's fate remains unknown, but many believe this could be some kind of message.
"Mary weeping is a sign, and the miracle is actually in our hearts," Laura Tovar, who was visiting with her sister, told the Tribune.
Jonas agreed that the Virgin Mary may be trying to communicate something, but he urged churchgoers to listen rather than speculate.
"Some people say this is a sign," he said. "I stop short of that. I would just rather say that the Virgin Mary is talking to us; I would just let her finish her conversation. And, let’s see what happens."