Catholics in Nigeria are praising God and turning to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary after a statue of Mary holding the Christ Child remained untouched during a destructive fire at a Catholic hospital in Enugu.
According to LifeSiteNews, the fire broke out on May 10 at the Mother of Christ Specialist Hospital, causing severe damage throughout the facility. Reception areas, administrative offices, and a control room were reportedly destroyed as flames swept through parts of the hospital complex.
Hospital administrator Sister Maria Chinaemerem Igwe described the terrifying scene in an interview with ACI Africa.
“I saw flames going above the roof,” Sr. Maria explained, according to LifeSiteNews. “Everything in the secretary’s office got burnt to ashes — computers, printers, scanners, and documents. The CCTV room also got destroyed. The doctors’ lounge, which included chairs, tables, televisions, and refrigerators, was burned.”
Yet amid the destruction, one striking image remained untouched — a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus.
According to the report, even items surrounding the statue survived the flames.
“The water dispenser beside the statue melted, and the CCTV wire dropped and got burnt in front of Mother Mary, but the statue remained intact, even the tablecloth and flowers around it were untouched,” Sr. Maria said. “I started shouting, crying, and singing because I realized this was a great miracle.”
The event comes during a period of ongoing violence and persecution against Christians in Nigeria. LifeSiteNews noted that on Palm Sunday, 11 people were killed in a mass shooting targeting the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos.
The report also highlighted recent military operations against Islamic terrorism in the region. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIS globally, was reportedly killed on May 15 during a joint operation involving U.S. and Nigerian forces.
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,” said Donald Trump, according to the report. “With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
For many local Catholics, the preservation of the Marian statue has become a powerful sign of hope and spiritual encouragement during a difficult time.
Sr. Maria said the event has even strengthened belief among non-Catholics in the area.
“Their faith has increased,” she said, according to LifeSiteNews. “If it was 50 percent before, some people are now at 80 or 90 percent. Those who did not believe in the intercession of Mary should know that she is still interceding for us. If you have true devotion to her, she will never allow you to be ashamed.”
Catholics around the world continue to honor the Blessed Mother as a powerful intercessor who leads souls closer to her Son, Jesus Christ — especially in moments of suffering, fear, and uncertainty.
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