In doctor's window, some see image of Virgin Mary

Thousands have flocked to Mercy Medical Center in Springfield to view a second-story window that some say contains the image of the Virgin Mary. A patient first reported seeing it Tuesday. (photos by David Molnar/The republican via associated press)

Officials at a Springfield hospital say they have no immediate plans to replace a window at a doctor's office building where some people say they have seen the image of the Virgin Mary.

Thousands of people have flocked to Mercy Medical Center to see the image, since a patient reported seeing it at about 11 a.m. Tuesday, said Mark Fulco, senior vice president for strategy and marketing at the hospital.

Fulco said the hospital had planned to replace the window, which was originally put in place in the 1970s when the building was constructed. But, "Obviously, we didn't change the window out when we heard.

"We figure the best thing to do right now is just leave it in place, until it can be fully evaluated and we can get advice" from the Diocese of Springfield, he said.

No one tampered with the glass or painted anything on the inside or outside, Fulco said. Glass specialists have told hospital officials that water seeped between the panes of the double-paned glass and the "minerals reacted and caused some type of acidic reaction that appears to have etched the glass," he said.

"What is unusual is the image that appears to have been etched," he said. "Many people have said it resembles the Virgin Mary or Our Lady of Guadalupe."