Statue of Saint Sheds Tears at Girl’s Kiss

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27057, 16 April 1949, Page 7

Statue of Saint Sheds Tears at Girl’s Kiss

New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 9 p.m. 7 • NEW YORK, Dozens of people are flocking to Syracuse to watch an 11-year-old girl kiss a broken plaster of paris statue of St. Ann and see what they say appear to be tears falling from the statue’s eyes, says the Associated Press. Father Francis Furfaro said he watched the girl, Shirley Ann Martin, kiss the head and it began to weep. Two other priests of his church had also seen the tears. Many persons had kissed the statue but nothing happened. They said, however, that when the girl placed her lips on the statue’s* forehead and then held the head away the dull plaster finish would begin to glisten in the corner of at least one eye, then watery drops would roll down the painted cheeks and reappear when wiped away. The Associated Press says Mr John McMahon, a Roman Catholic and Dean of the State School of Ceramics, said plaster of paris would absorb water readily but would not release it except through evaporation.