Courtesy of the Canadian Press (13 August 2002)

(ZNDA: Toronto) Last week, 1500 parishioners at Jesus the King Melkite Syriac Catholic church in nearby Thornhill, a suburban Syriac Catholic church in Canada, believe they witnessed a sign from God - the oil that weeps from the hands of Mirna Akhras Nazzour, 38, from Damascus, Syria.

At the end of a 90-minute mass, Nazzour - mother of two- started telling her story to the faithful in attendance. Nazzour claims to suffer from stigmata, spontaneously appearing wounds to the wrists and ankles reminiscent of those Jesus Christ is believed to have suffered at the time of his crucifixion.

As she neared the end of her story, Nazzour appeared to fall sick and witnesses said her hands started oozing an oily substance.

Many rushed the altar to be blessed and had to be held back by priests and parishioners acting as makeshift bodyguards.

Rev. Yousif Mansoor Abba, pastor of the Syriac Catholic church, said: "It is a sign for us to start believing in Jesus Christ. It is a time for us to renew our faith in humanity."

Many at the church said they believed the weeping hands were a divine message and that Nazzour, a mother of two, has healing powers.

Parishioners poured outside after the mass to be blessed. Elderly women, men and children broke down and wept as the woman made the sign of the crucifix on their foreheads.

Salah Kaspo, of Houston, Tex., said he flew to Canada to be with his nephew and witness the occurrence.

"It gives you goosebumps," said Kaspo. "People don't believe in many things after 9/11. But this gives us faith."

Nazzour says she first suffered a stigmata in 1982 and then again in 1984, 1987, 1990 and 2001, years in which the Greek and Catholic Easters coincide.