March 3rd 2003 - Reported in Ananova. Hundreds of people have flocked to a church in India to witness a painting of Jesus "weeping tears of blood". The picture belongs to a 14-year-old girl from the village of Ambora-Camurlim in South Goa who first saw it weeping in her bedroom cupboard.
Her family alerted the parish priest who transferred the portrait to the village church. Since then locals have queued up at the church to take a look at the portrait. Church spokesman Father Olavo Pereira told the Deccan Chronicle: "The church cannot simply exploit the situation, we have to be careful and verify it before we take a decision.
"Visions are generally subjective and need more careful examination. The world-famous pilgrimage sites of Fatima and Lourdes in France, where similar visions appeared, took years before being officially recognized."

Update - March 14, 2003

The sleepy village of Camurlim in Salcete woke up on Thursday to hear the news of a portrait of Sacred Heart of Jesus weeping blood. As news of the extraordinary event spread like wildfire, thousands of people irrespective of creed, thronged Our Lady of Candelaria Church at Ambora-Camurlim throughout the day and till late evening. The faithful could see dried red-color blood-like substance in the region of the eyes and chest, making it appear that the tears were flowing across the Sacred Heart.

The event occurred in the house of Mascarenhas family at Naquelim-Camurlim on late Wednesday night. Fourteen-year-old, Steffi Karande, a tenth standard student, said she first saw tears rolling down from the portrait at 11.30 pm last night. The portrait was kept in the wall cupboard of a bedroom, after its glass frame broke when it came down all of a sudden from the main altar, somewhere in January last.

As fear stricken Steffi reportedly saw tears coming down on the portrait, she woke up her elder sister, Sonia, who has just gone to sleep in the same room. Both said they were completely taken aback when the tears turned red and decided to inform the other family members, who knelt down before the portrait and recited the Holy Rosary.

Soon, the news were conveyed to the immediate neighbors and by midnight, a lot of people gathered at the house to have a glimpse of the portrait. One of the neighbor Jack is reported to have touched the portrait to ascertain the truth in the happening as is evident by the blur on the portrait. It was past midnight that the news was communicated to the Parish Priest of Our Lady of Candeleria, Fr. Antonio Lopes, who personally went to the house and later took the portrait in his custody. This morning, the portrait was kept for veneration in the Church premises as streams of devotees began to pour in the village.

Men and women, the old and the young and children were seen standing in a big queue to have a glimpse of the portrait. The faithful were seen fervently saying the Rosary and prayers as they patiently waited for their turn. Around 3 pm, the queue stretched to a kilometer away from
the Church and people still poured from all corners of the State till 8 in the evening. Some of the people who had a glimpse of the portrait told Herald that it is certainly a different one from the normal picture of Sacred Heart of Jesus.

A teacher, Katy Lobo from Loutolim said "this is a sign Jesus is trying to reveal himself in these difficult times". Involved in the Charismatic renewal movement, Lobo interpreted the event as being a clear message of suffering that Jesus wants everyone to change our lives. "Jesus was apparently trying to convey something to us", was how a sobbing 14-year old Steffi and her elder sister, Sonia (16) said while narrating last night's unusual event in their house.

An uncontrollable Steffi said she was studying till late night in view of the forthcoming SSC exams. "Just then, Sonia went to sleep and my sight suddenly went on the half-open wall cupboard, where I noticed something different on the portrait of Jesus", she recalled. "Suddenly, tears began rolling down from Jesus' eyes", an emotion-choked Steffi said, prompting her to wake up her elder sister. "I too saw the tears on the portrait of Jesus", Sonia, who is studying in Std XI Arts at Rosary school said. "All of a sudden, the tears turned red. I went close to the cupboard to have a close view and the substance was wet too", she recalled but said the substance would not go when she tried to wipe it.

The two sisters then knelt down, cried aloud and prayed before informing the other members of the family. "May be Jesus was trying to give some sign for us. I feel Jesus was asking us to pray, may be because of the impending war", Sonia said. Streams of people were also seen visiting the Mascarenhas family throughout the day after having a glimpse of the portrait at t he Church premises. An elderly woman, Maria Joaquina Mascarenhas, who stays in the house informed that the portrait was kept in the wall cupboard after it fell from the mainaltar last month.

Since the glass broke, we replaced the portrait with a new one", she said. Goa is a place which is dotted with numerous churches, having quite a good number of Catholics, as compared to the rest of India. Also The Basilica of Bom Jesu has a most precious treasure in the Church it is the remains of the body of St. Francis Xavier which is preserved in the chapel. The silver artistic coffin is the work of Goan goldsmiths and the style is entirely Indian.

Update - March 14, 2003 Reported in Spirit Daily.com from the Goacom Daily news-

Visions of Mother Mary: Weeks after the 'blood-weeping' Sacred Heart of Jesus incident was reported in Camurlim village, droves of faithfuls are making their way to a remote corner of Dona Paula's Aivao hamlet, where a 12-year-old boy, Charles Lopes, had reported to church authorities visions of the Virgin Mary. Scarlet-shaded imprints of crosses, a heart, a 10-beaded rosary and the word 'WAR' appeared and disappeared on the thighs, forearms and chest of the shy and timid lad, lending a degree of credence to the claims. Taleigao's assistant parish priest, Father Orlando Marques, confirmed having witnessed the imprint of the 10-bead rosary on one of the boy's thighs.

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