Miraculous Statues and Photographs

From Albuquerque Journal, 6/6/92, page A2. Picture of the Rev. Frank O'Grady and a 30 inch statue of Our Lady of Fatima at Our Lady of Pompeii Roman Catholic Church in Paterson, NJ. Some parishoners swear the statue changes color for the especially prayerful. A usually sparsely attended prayer service has been jammed daily since word of the color changes spread.

From ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 12/9/90. The church where a shimmering image has appeared that some believe represents the Virgin Mary had its hanging light fixture repaired the day before the image first appeared, officials said. The image, which appears for about one hour each day, has attracted thousands of visitors to St. Dominic's Church in Colfax, Calif. The information about the light fixtures supports a theory put forward by physics professor James Phelps that the image is a natural reflection of sunlight bouncing off a light fixture onto the wall.

From ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 2/27/86, A18. "Among the faithful who will gather tonight in Fullerton, the consensus seems to be that, dollar for dollar, the Polaroid SX-70 is the best camera on the market for taking miraculous photos of apparitions of the Virgin Mary.

"`Of course, you never know when you're going to get these miraculous photos,' said Patti Hodgimns, a former Catholic nun from Santa Ana who is organizing tonight's road show presentation entitled `The Virgin Mary in America.' `Our Lady can make one whenever she wants.' Hodgins said.

"At the center of the presentation is what believers say is tangible proof of the Virgin's occasional presence at Our Lady of Roses Shrine in Bayside, NY. As evidence, they display 22 `miraculous photographs' that have been renounced as imauthentic by the Roman Catholic Church. Many of the photographs are explained by the Polaroid Corp. as the work of careless or inexperienced photographers.

"Believers, however, say the photographs are symbolic messages sent from heaven."