The Weeping Madonna

Short Summary: Antonina Lucia Giusti, suffering from toxemia, witnessed a statue of the Madonna weeping real tears, leading to an investigation that confirmed the phenomenon and resulted in her miraculous healing.

Details

Location: Syracuse, Italy

Year: 1953

Prayer: A short prayer, taken from the base of the urn containing a sample of the tears from the miracle: "Weeping Madonna, take from the hardness of our hearts tears of penitence."

Verse: nan

Full Story

Antonina Lucia Giusti, a young married woman, suffered from toxemia that included bouts of temporary blindness. After one of these episodes, her eyes immediately opened to a statue of the Madonna, which was weeping real tears. At first, her family thought she was hallucinating because of her condition, but on examination found the phenomenon to be real. The weeping continued at intervals over the next few days and was witnessed by thousands of people. The Chancery commissioned an investigation, comprised of four clergy, four scientists, and three reputable witnesses. The plaque holding the image of Mary was examined carefully, finding no pores or irregularities. The inside of the figure, made of unfinished calcined gypsum, was completely dry. A sterile pipette was used to collect a vial of the mysterious liquid for laboratory analysis, which determined the liquid to be of "extretiary substances of the quanternary type, the same as found in the human secretions... analogous to human tears." Their findings concluded the event was without natural explanation, as testified in several documents. The Vatican continued investigations, including 290 reported cases of cures in connection to the weeping image. One of these reports came from the first witness, Antonina Guisti, who was fully cured of her severe toxemia. The story went viral, appearing in 225 papers and magazines across Italy. It subsequently spread to 93 foreign newspapers, drawing worldwide attention. Pope Pius XII also acknowledged the miracle, stating, "Will men understand the mysterious language of those tears?"

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