OCR text:
The faithful flock the house of a local Baptist after news of st after news of the ‘miracle’ spreads

Agencies. Port Blair

"We could not believe oureyes when we Saw there wasblood flowing from the portraitof Jesus Christ on a table in ourdining room. We prayed and aftersome time the blood dried, but itreappeared two days later."

- Eric Nathaniel, policeman

Worshippers in the Andaman islands arerushing for a glimpse of a Picture of Je-sus Christ amidst reports that it was ooz-ing blood, witnesses said on Wednesday.

Thousands of people, mostly Chris-tians, mobbed the home of a bishop inPort Blair to pray before the framedprint, police said. “The bleeding hasstopped, but still people are visitingthe bishop’s house to ask about the"miracle," said Eric Nathaniel, a localpoliceman who was the original owner of the picture. Nathaniel said hehad brought the portrait to the homeof Paul Christopher, bishop of theChurch of North India in theAndamans, where thousands ofpeople were killed in the 2004Asian tsunami.

"On March 8, at 8 30 pm, myfamily and I returned home fromshopping and we could notbelieve our eyes when we saw there was blood flowing from the portrait of Jesus Christ on a table in our dining room,” said Nathaniel, who belongs to the An-damans’ Nicobaresetribespeople. The “bleeding” stopped on Monday, Nathaniel added.

"We lit candles and prayed and after some time the blood dried but it reap-peared two days later. Blood also oozed:from the hands and heart of another por-trait of Jesus hung on the wall in the sit-_ting room,” he said. Nathaniel said hebrought the picture to the bishop’s officialhome because he wanted people to see the"miracle."

Bishop Christopher was not present inPort Blair for comment, but otherCatholic priests insisted a "miracle" wasin the works. "It’s a sign that Jesus is cry-ing because of our Sinful ways," saidJohn Chrysostom, an Anglican priestposted in the island group.