Samoans hold vigil as "Virgin Mary" appears

September 18, 2009 05:59:21 AM

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Hundreds of Samoan Roman Catholics have held overnight vigils at a building where a mysterious image has appeared which they say represents the Virgin Mary holding rosary beads.

The image caused by weathering on the outside of the six-storey office building in the capital Apia has been the focus of prayer vigils on Monday and Tuesday night.

Although the image has not been officially recognised by the South Pacific nation's Catholic Church, which especially reveres the mother of Jesus Christ, a church spokesman said it represented an important message.

"This is something people should look deeply into," said Father Spatz Silva, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Archbishop.

"Look at yourself and ask if you are still walking the path Jesus wants us to take."

Despite the significance of the Virgin Mary to Catholics, the image has appeared on the outside of a building owned by Samoa's largest Protestant faith, the Congregational Christian Church.

Silva said the site of the image was not important as God could appear anywhere.

"The place is not important but the person’s belief is," he said.

The image, caused by patches of damp in the tropical climate, has also been interpreted as a Coca-Cola bottle by some onlookers.

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