‘Blood’ from Jesus statue brings believers to repentance to Madhya Pradesh

A blood–like substance that suddenly began to ooze out from the eyes of a life–size statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a church yard in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, has brought hundreds of believers to repentance.

According to Fr. Paul Pappachan, the assistant parish priest, the phenomenon was first witnessed by Chandrawati Armo, an assistant nurse at a local dispensary.

Armo, 20, recalled that while she was cleaning the statue, February 12, as a routine duty, she noticed that the statue displayed a "sad expression" and she wondered why it seemed so sad that day.

After cleaning the statue, she went to get a new garland for it, and when she returned, to her amazement, she found that the statue had begun to shed "blood from both eyes."

Bursting into tears, she ran to inform Fr. Pappachan about the incident.

At first the priest found it difficult to believe her but when he raced to the statue he too saw the same thing. "I raced to the statue and found blood oozing out of its eyes," Fr. Pappachan said.

Ascending the statue's concrete lotus–shaped pedestal, the priest touched the red liquid with the tips of his finger, smelled it and tasted it. And, after repeating this action several times, he was convinced that he could smell and taste "real blood."

"I am convinced it is a miracle," Fr. Pappachan said. "I just can't understand it."

According to parish priest, Fr. Florentius Kujur, blood clots were also visible on the statue's hands.

Speaking to UCA News, he said following the miraculous incident, hundreds of people of different faiths began thronging before the statue and offering prayers.

According to Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur Diocese, the incident has urged the Catholics to engage in "soul searching."

The phenomenon is "a powerful indication for us to mend our ways," Bishop Almeida said, urging the faithful to engage in "soul searching" and ask if they have been living according to God's plan.

There could be "something lacking in our service, or people may have performed certain 'incorrect' actions," he said. "There need to be some reforms in our lives."

About 400 parishioners have been praying inside the church ever since the phenomenon occurred. The news has also attracted many priests and nuns from other areas, he added.