About 1,500 people flocked to a house in the city's Brookline neighborhood Thursday evening after hearing reports that a vision of the Virgin Mary has appeared inside the home at night. Many more returned to the area Friday. The alleged apparition first appeared at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday on a wooden door in a room on an upper floor of the Pioneer Avenue home, resident Michael Semplice said. Jon Greiner Reports On Virgin Mary Images
Brookline Residents Describe Holy Images
Bishop Wuerl Comments The image reportedly appeared again Wednesday night, as well as a second image of the blessed mother, a faint image of a face with a crown of thorns and several other religious images. Enough people lined up on the Brookline streets Thursday night to create traffic jams. Police shut down Pioneer for several hours, and told about 300 people who were still waiting to see the image to go home at 2:30 a.m. Friday. People who entered the home said that they saw two images of the Virgin Mary and another image of a fish. "It was beautiful, very beautiful," said Anna Jean Sunder, who viewed the images. "It was moving. Emotionally, I was overcome." "It was very special, especially during Holy Week," Sister Annarose Pelligrini said while trying to hold back tears. "It's our Blessed Mother, and her son died on the cross for us." A spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese said that they want to focus on Christ and the Resurrection, where they know God is present, and not on alleged apparitions. WTAE-TV's Jon Greiner was at the house Thursday night. He said that he saw images on the door and wall that faintly resembled those of the blessed mother. But he also said that if you blocked the light coming in from the window, the images would go away, leading him to believe that image was a trick of light. Rich Tuchnowski, the Semplices' neighbor, and 15-year-old Brian Furey, who saw the image Wednesday night, said that they first thought the image was created by light reflecting through the window. But Tuchnowski said that he stood in front of the window and the image was still there. "If someone's faith is shallow all someone has to do is see this image and they will definitely be closer to their god," Tuchnowski said. Johnathan Clarke, who called himself an atheist, said that he visited the home because he was interested in "debunking" the sighting. "I'm interested in group-think dynamics. People want to see (an image), so they see it," the Pittsburgh man said. Friends, family and strangers -- including City Council President Bob O'Connor, police said -- have gone to the house to see the images. Mayor Tom Murphy and Pittsburgh Police Chief Robert McNeilly have also been seen in the area of the home, police told WTAE's Bob Mayo. About 300 people visited the house Wednesday. Some stayed until 2:30 a.m. Click here for a map and directions. To learn more about previously reported religious sightings, click here. 4 Forum: Miracle Or Mirage?
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