Pilgrims flock to Sterling Heights home to see Virgin Mary's bowed head, photos.

Macomb Daily staff photo by Craig Gaffield Pilgrims come to see a statue of the Virgin Mary on the front lawn of a Sterling Heights home Friday.

The unexpected death of a beloved Sterling Heights man has triggered what some people are calling a religious miracle, attracting hundreds of visitors in recent weeks. The family of the deceased believes the death of Ghassan Pattah, 39, on Aug. 29, has spawned a spiritual message from the Blessed Virgin -- to renew the faith of people in God.

"We've had hundreds, and I mean hundreds, of people come here to see the Blessed Virgin and say they will quit doing bad things and straighten out," said Sal Pattah, brother of Ghassan Pattah. "That's what my brother would have wanted."

When Ghassan Pattah, who was a devout Chaldean Catholic, came down with a fever, he told his mother the Virgin Mary visited him. A Virgin Mary statue on his family's front lawn bowed her head and shed tears in apparent sorrow, according to the family. The statue of Jesus Christ's mother had been looking straight ahead prior to the Ghassan's death.

When he died, Mary's image appeared in the family's photographs of Pattah, and people have witnessed Mary blinking or producing a tear in photographs of her, the family said.

Streams of people have been flowing to the home on Fox Hill Drive since then, many of them chanting, saying prayers, wrapping prayer beads around the statue's neck and looking at the photos on display.

"Being a Chaldean Catholic and religious is in our blood," said Shahla Gabbara, who came from Macomb Township to visit the statue and see several of the photos on display. "This is like a true sign from our Blessed Mother that she exists."

The family on Friday had a Plexiglas box placed over the statue to protect it, and photos were encased.

Melinda Youkhanna said she lives down the street from the Pattah house and couldn't get near her house because of traffic congestion. She has noticed license plates from countless states.

"The people just want to pray to the Virgin Mary," Youkhanna said. "They are of all nationalities."

Mark Mikal of Sterling Heights said he found out about the Virgin Mary from many other people who heard the story in church.

Nishwin Mikal said he came because he believes in God and the Blessed Mother. He said he prayed and touched the picture of the Virgin Mary.

Despite the official cause of death being a heart attack, Sal Pattah said he believes his brother died from a mysterious illness. Sal Pattah said his brother was in the best of health.

Sal Pattah said Ghassan was a very good and religious person. Sal, who worked with Ghassan at Mazin Foods in Detroit, said three days before his brother died he painted the entire house and did a lot of other work as though he was preparing to leave this world.

"My brother went to the doctor who said he had a cold," said Sal. "He never smoked or drank and was a very healthy person."

When it was discovered that Ghassan had a fever, the head of the Blessed Mother statute bent down, Sal said.

While in the hospital, Ghassan told his mother that he had a visit from the Virgin Mary, Sal said. He told Sal that he was going to die.

"He told me to take care of mom (Amira Pattah)," said Sal, who added that his brother had no intentions of marrying until his brothers and sister married. "He was always good to my mom."

Sal Pattah lives at the home with his mother, sister, three brothers and sister-in-law.

When Ghassan died, the hospital called his sister, Rajah. All of the family members that were gathered at their home started crying. They looked at one of the many pictures of the Virgin Mary the Pattah family had at their home.

"The Virgin Mary's eyes were blinking and then it started dropping tears," Sal said. "We had a picture of the Virgin in the hallway and her eyes also were blinking. All of the members of our family and hundreds of other people saw this."

Sal said his mother had planned to sell the house prior to Ghassan's death. But now Amira Pattah plans to keep it in light of the Blessed Virgin's reaction.

"A lady came out here last week who had cancer and she prayed by the statute," Sal said. "She came back the other day and said the cancer left.

"People are trying to give me money and I won't take it. We also have a picture of my brother and suddenly two pictures of the Blessed Virgin appeared in them.

Sal said he believes the Blessed Virgin came to his family because people don't believe in God as they once did. He said God sends occasional messages in the form of hurricanes and storms, such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to get people to start thinking of religion once again.

Visitor Gabbara said she was sold when she learned Ghassan told his mother that the Blessed Mother was speaking to him in Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ. Amira said Ghassan started speaking back to her in Aramaic, a language that is unfamiliar to him.

Some of the pilgrims and family members said the statute with its head bowed down is more than a miracle -- God is trying to tell them to straighten up and behave. They said they believe the mother of Christ is trying to tell them that she is with them in their every deed and thought.

Ora Pro Nobis

I fly unto your patronage, my mother,
Ora pro nobis.
You who never leave anyone unaided,
but lay all our sighs, mourning and tears
at the feet of your Son,
Ora pro nobis.
You who try to keep us under your mantle
like your little children
wrapped safe against the wind and the rain,
Ora pro nobis.
Thank you for caring when we wander far away
and you come searching to call us home,
Ora pro nobis.
Thank you for teaching us
to cherish your Son
and show us his ways,
Ora pro nobis.
Thank you for being willing to be mother of us all,
O Mother of the Word Incarnate.

I have just received updated information from a family member on the statue. This is what she has told me.

"A friend just told me they moved her to a chapel in Taylor. The brother told her the guy died August 29th and she bowed her head two days after he went into the hospital. He had just purchased the statue before he went in the hospital. They had a picture of the guy with a face of Mary in the corner of it.

One of the girls at work went to see the Virgin Mary yesterday. She said the head was bowed and looking down. She is gonna go back again - couldn't tell if the statue was cement or not. She said there was such a long line to see it. She talked to the guy's brother. I'll let you know what he said once I talk to her again. Her son got sick at school and she had to leave so I didn't get a chance to talk to her about it today."

"Holy Mary, mother of God. Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

but Jesus said... But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Mat 6:6

"Holy Mary, mother of God. Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."
but Jesus said... But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Mat 6:6

At least for a little while longer I'm allowed to pray to whom I please in public.

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