Quote:Pilgrims are flooding to pray for protection from Covid-19 at the foot of a water stain they believe is a representation of the Virgin Mary.

The "miracle" mark was first spotted on the wall of a car park outside a bakers in Bogota, Colombia, by a security guard doing his rounds.

It has now been transformed into a makeshift shrine - complete with flowers and candles - by locals desperate for help during the pandemic.

Bakery worker Lorena told the newspaper Noticentro: “Every day, between 50 and 60 people come here.

"Before buying something they visit the spot and pray, and somehow it is really important for them and us.”

She added that they believe it is a “miraculous figure” and not something created randomly by humidity as others are saying.

Lorena said that “it could not have been from a leak” and rejected claims it was wall damage insisting “it is a miraculous image”.

She added that no one at the bakers has been diagnosed with Covid-19 and therefore the Virgin Mary stain must be protecting them.

She said “that is exactly what most people pray for” adding that most devotees pray that they stay safe from the killer virus.

Colombia reported 7,612 new infections on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 1.16m which includes 33,148 deaths.

It's not the first time a "holy" stain has caused a storm in Colombia.

In 2017, worshippers flocked to see a patch of algae growing under a leaking pipe that the were convinced looked like Mary.

Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13168273/virgin-mary-water-stain-colombia/