Posted on 09/20/2005 9:03:30 PM PDT by Coleus
More than 100 people of various faiths and ages descended upon the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. Sophia yesterday to witness The "Miraculous, Myrrh-weeping Icon of St. Anna."
"I believe that it's a miracle," said Bayonne resident Sarah D'Alessio - a Roman Catholic - outside the church yesterday just minutes after inspecting the vibrant painting. "People can choose not to believe, but I do. I said some special prayers."
Droplets of myrrh, an aromatic substance used in perfume and incense, could be seen yesterday on the body of the colorful icon which has purportedly wept for the last year.
Bayonne resident Richard Jendras is responsible for bringing the artwork to St. Sophia's after seeing it four months ago at a church in Wilmington, Del., he said yesterday. His grandmother Anna Moroz, who died in 1998, was a founding member of St. Sophia's, so Jendras believed it would be a "prayerful memory" to his grandmother to have the icon of her namesake visit the church she helped to form.
With the consent of St. Sophia's pastor, Fr. Myroslav Schirta, and Fr. Athanasy Mastalski of Our Lady Russian Orthodox Church of Philadelphia, who commissioned the piece in 1998, the icon arrived yesterday from Pennsylvania strapped securely in the back seat of a Toyota Forerunner.
"It's really just an honor to have it," said parish president and former Bayonne resident Donald Zyry. "Hopefully people will come away from it with a sense of spirituality. In the time we live in now, many people aren't spiritual."
Mark Taufik, a 24-year-old member of St. Mary and St. John Coptic Orthodox Church, which rents space at St. Sophia's, said he has heard about similar occurrences but wanted to see one for himself.
Another middle-aged Bayonne woman, who said she is Roman Catholic,
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
Ping
Why is miraculous in quotes?
What an odd detail to include in the story. Somebody in Toyota's marketing department must be pursuing the "Orthodox market segment", given this example of obvious product placement.
"This miracle has been sponsored by Toyota"
Now that's funny!
Why is miraculous in quotes? >>
not really sure, guess the editor wanted to maybe cast some doubt on the subject.
Does a representative from the Vatican have to come in and declare this to be a miracle? Or does the Bishop have that honor?
I think the local bishop starts the approval process. One of the reasons why Medjugorje is taking so long since the bishop there does not approve of the apparition.
but not here since it's in an Orthodox Church which is unusual.
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