Mass. hospital deciding fate of Virgin Mary window

[May 18, 2009]  SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- A Massachusetts hospital is trying to figure out what to do with a window in which some Catholics claim to see an image of the Virgin Mary.

Hundreds of faithful gathered last October to view the second-story office window at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, about 80 miles west of Boston. They wept and prayed.

The Catholic hospital removed the window after the crush of visitors caused traffic problems. It's storing the window at a secret location.

Hospital spokesman Mark Fulco tells The Republican newspaper of Springfield he's waiting for a report from experts to determine if the window is worthy of veneration.

Engineers say the image appeared when a failed rubber seal allowed mineral deposits between panes of glass.

But hospital officials say that doesn't explain why the deposits resemble the Virgin Mary.

[Associated Press]

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