KWES NewsWest 9 / Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, TX: newswest9.com | Odessa Group Sees Virgin Mary Image in Barbeque

Odessa Group Sees Virgin Mary Image in Barbeque

By Wyatt Goolsby
NewsWest 9

ODESSA - A group of Odessa Catholics are calling it a sign from God. They said the image of the Virgin Mary has appeared on a Barbeque grill. They say prayer services are becoming a regular event every weekend. 
    
Prayers, hymns, and rosaries are now a regular sight in south Odessa's Reliable Transport Auto Shop. They claim to see the image of the Virgin Mary on the lid of a grill.

Since the discovery earlier this month, the group has built a small shrine full of candles. Owners of the local shop said you can expect to see them back again this weekend.

"It's one of two things, like people have always told me, she's here, she needs something from us, or she's come here to help us," Sammy Valeriano, Manager at Reliable Transport, said.

Monsignor James Bridges, Pastor at Midland's St. Stephen's Catholic Church said it's not the first time West Texans have claimed to see the Virgin Mary. In July of last year, residents from nearby towns traveled to Midland to see the Virgin Mary in a tree. He said as miraculous as the images may seem, it's important to have a healthy dose of skepticism.

Bridges said recent claims just aren't big enough to warrant a church investigation. The best way to know if its "real," he said, is how you react.

"What does it lead people to?" Bridges asked. "Does it lead people to be better people? Does it lead people to be deeper in their faith? If all of these things lead to what I would call the agenda of Christ, that would put them in a position of being more believeable."

The group plans to pray there again this Sunday. They tell us they believe, but say it's up to individuals to judge for themselves.