(LifeSiteNews) — A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child was untouched by a fire at the Catholic Mother of Christ Specialist Hospital in Enugu, Nigeria.
The fire, which broke out on May 10, spread throughout the hospital reception area, administrative offices, and a control room, and turned various other rooms to ash. In an interview with ACI Africa, hospital administrator Sister Maria Chinaemerem Igwe recounted the fire’s intensity.
“I saw flames going above the roof,” Sr. Maria explained. “Everything in the secretary’s office got burnt to ashes — computers, printers, scanners, and documents. The CCTV room also got destroyed. The doctors’ lounge, which included chairs, tables, televisions, and refrigerators, was burned.”
Though surrounded by intense flames, the statue of the Blessed Mother, along with the flowers and tablecloth on the table, emerged unscathed.
“The water dispenser beside the statue melted, and the CCTV wire dropped and got burnt in front of Mother Mary, but the statue remained intact, even the tablecloth and flowers around it were untouched,” Sr. Maria said. “I started shouting, crying, and singing because I realized this was a great miracle.”
The incredible event occurred at a time of great persecution for Catholics in Nigeria. Most notably, on Palm Sunday, the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos was targeted in a mass shooting that left 11 dead.
Last week, U.S. and Nigerian forces took action to combat persecution by killing a top Islamic terrorist leader who had been terrorizing Christians in the region. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, known to be second in command of ISIS globally, was killed on May 15.
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” U.S. President Donald Trump stated. “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
The recent military action and the reported miracle of the Marian statue have rekindled hope among Catholics throughout the region.
Sr. Maria noted that even non-Catholics have begun to trust in the Blessed Mother after the event.
“Their faith has increased,” Sr. Maria said. “If it was 50 percent before, some people are now at 80 or 90 percent. Those who did not believe in the intercession of Mary should know that she is still interceding for us. If you have true devotion to her, she will never allow you to be ashamed.”