‘Weeping’ Icon Called Miraculous Sign

An icon of the Virgin Mary that appears to be weeping has been declared a miraculous sign by leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church.

The icon, one of several paintings on canvas glued to a low wooden wall in front of the altar at St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church, has drawn thousands of visitors since reports of the tears surfaced in December.

Traffic jams have become commonplace in the North Side neighborhood around the church and long lines form daily as the curious seek entry to the small sanctuary.

At a recent Sunday worship service, Chancellor Bishop Isaiah of the New York archdiocese, under whose jurisdiction the Chicago church falls, said the moisture trickling from the icon is a “miraculous sign . . . a sign not just to this parish or the City of Chicago but throughout this country and the world.”

He said the “tears” are a hint from the Virgin Mary that “I’m around and that I’m concerned about you.”