Catholic church launches probe into weeping Mary statue in Hobbs, N.M

Hobbs, N.M. is an oil town out in No Country For Old Men country, and I lived there for 7 years after moving to the United States. It's rarely in the papers, but thanks to a weeping Mary statue at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, it's become international news.

Church bosses have assured they are going to take a "scientific" approach to the suspected miracle.

Virgin Mary's supposed tears were first spotted by Laura Cisneros, the church's secretary.

She found a puddle of an "oil-like substance" had pooled at the feet of the statue during mass.

Another parishioner claims they then wiped away the tears, only for more to appear in her eyes

The church knows all the tricks to make a statue appear to weep and, at least in principle, allows only scientific mysteries to ascend to miraclehood. An unusual circumstance in Hobbs right now is that it is quite hot--well into the 100s--so if the AC down everthing is weeping something. Photo: KOBTV [Thanks, Heather!]