Different strange phenomena often prompt people to come for conversions and confessions but inside a Catholic church in New Mexico, a seven foot tall bronze statue of the Virgin Mary appears to be ‘weeping’.

According to leaders in the church, the sculpture, known locally as Our Lady of Guadalupe is not crying human tears.

An investigator with the Roman Catholic diocese of Las Cruces has confirmed that her ‘tears’ contained the same chemical makeup as olive oil treated with perfume -a mixture that, when blessed, becomes chrism, a sacred oil used in the Catholic church to anoint parishioners.

The ‘weeping’ reportedly started on Sunday, May 20, the day of the Pentecost when parishioners at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Hobbs noticed that there appeared to be tears streaming down from the Virgin Mary’s eyes.

Photos and a video released by the church shows the statue with what appears to be liquid inside the eyes and down the cheeks, mouth and chin. In one photo, it looks like the tear trail may have started on the upper eye lids.

Vice Chancellor of the Catholic diocese of Las Cruces, Deacon Jim Winder said there was enough liquid – about 500 millilitres that had so far run down the statue.

Winder said that he and other investigators examined the statue and the surrounding area, including the ceiling and there were no signs it had been altered in any way.

He added that investigators also spoke with the manufacturer in Mexico, dispelling any theories that the statue, which is cast bronze and hollow may be leaking or secreting some substance.

According to Winder, the investigators also reportedly collected about 5 millilitres of the ‘tears’ and had them tested. He said that the results showed it had the same chemical fingerprint of olive oil treated with some kind of scent like chrism which was however clear unlike the brownish colour that is associated with most olive oil.

“We don’t believe chrism oil was taken from the church and used to adulterate this statue. We don’t have an explanation for it. If it’s not man-made, that leaves two possible sources, Satan and God. All we can say at this point is what it is not,” Winder affirmed.

The question, one of the investigators say, is not merely how it is happening or whether it is happening naturally but how people are responding to the phenomenon and why they may want to believe in it.