Catholic church to examine weeping Virgin Mary statue

Parishioners at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Hobbs, New Mexico say a miracle took place during Sunday Mass. A statue of the Virgin Mary facing the crowd is said to have started crying.

After mass, Laura Cisneros and her husband went up to the statue and found a puddle of an oil-like substance had formed on the floor below the statue. Another person wiped off the tears and Cisneros said more tears appeared.

The substance had a distinctive smell.

"When you smell it, it gives a scent of flowers, like it's an essence that's so sweet and smells really good. And it reminds us of our Virgin," Cisneros said.

Some who heard of the miracle paid a visit but still haven't decided what to believe. Deacon Jim Winder, the vice chancellor of the Diocese of Las Cruces, said when this sort of phenomenon occurs, they are not taken at face value by the Catholic Church.

"We try to take a scientific skepticism," he said. "You can't prove a miracle, but you can disprove all other explanations."

Winder said a team from the Diocese will take a closer look at the statue.