ENUGU, Nigeria — A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary remained untouched after a fire severely damaged sections of Mother of Christ Specialist Hospital in Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Enugu on May 10, the administrator at the facility said.
In an interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on May 12, Sister Maria Chinaemerem Igwe said the incident has strengthened the faith of many Catholics and drawn Christians from other denominations to the hospital to pray and witness what she described as an extraordinary occurrence.
The Nigerian member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Mother of Christ (IHM) said the fire broke out around 10 p.m. after most staff members had retired for the day.
“As I was coming, I saw flames going above the roof. Everybody around, nurses, workers, and students, had gathered trying to pour water through the windows because the fire had already broken the glass,” Sister Maria recounted, noting that the fire destroyed the reception area, administrative offices, the CCTV control room, the doctors’ lounge, and part of the children’s ward before firefighters from the Enugu State Fire Service contained the blaze.
“Everything in the secretary’s office was burnt to ashes — computers, printers, scanners, and documents. The CCTV room also got destroyed. The doctors’ lounge, which included chairs, tables, televisions, and refrigerators, was burned,” the hospital administrator said.
Sister Maria attributed the incident to a possible power surge linked to unstable electricity supply.
“The light was coming and going within seconds, and we suspected there was a surge that triggered the fire,” she said.
Amid the destruction, however, the Marian statue beside the administrator’s office door was left undamaged, despite nearby objects being affected by the flames.
“The water dispenser beside the statue melted, and the CCTV wire dropped and got burnt in front of Mother Mary, but the statue remained intact; even the tablecloth and flowers around it were untouched,” Sister Maria told ACI Africa on May 12.
She explained that the statue forms part of a devotional practice at the hospital, in which departments host the Marian image for prayer every three months before passing it to another section.
“It happened that Mother Mary was staying in our department during this period,” Sister Maria said, adding: “The fire started from our department, but she blocked it from entering the administrator’s office, where we keep all the major hospital records and documents.”
She further recalled that her personal office showed no evidence of fire damage. “My office was just normal. No smell of smoke, no flame, nothing,” she said. “I started shouting, crying, and singing because I realized this was a great miracle.”
According to Sister Maria, residents, worshippers, and curious visitors have continued to come to the hospital following the incident.
“Some of them said they saw it on Facebook and wanted to confirm whether it was true,” she said.
“One lady from another denomination told me honestly that Catholics have Mother Mary and that Mother Mary is very powerful,” Sister Maria recounted, saying that “their faith has increased. If it was 50% before, some people are now at 80% or 90%.”
Reflecting on the incident, the Nigerian religious sister encouraged Christians to deepen devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“Those who did not believe in the intercession of Mary should know that she is still interceding for us. If you have true devotion to her, she will never allow you to be ashamed,” she said.
Sister Maria further said that the Catholic hospital, founded in 1957 and named after the Mother of Christ, has a long history of having the Blessed Virgin Mary as its patroness.
“This hospital is her house; anywhere the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is, we believe she is present there,” the hospital administrator said, adding that the event has renewed faith among staff, patients, and visitors.
She continued: “Many non-Catholics are now coming here to pray and touch the place; this miracle has the capacity to convert people because they can see that the intercession of Mary is real.”
No casualties were reported in the fire, but Sister Maria said the hospital suffered extensive financial losses.
“We lost 23 new HP desktop computers, printers, air conditioners, refrigerators, televisions, and many other items. But my greatest joy is that no life was lost because no amount of money is greater than human life,” she said.
Sister Maria estimated that the destroyed equipment was worth more than 25 million naira ($18,253), while reconstruction of affected structures could cost approximately 1 billion naira ($738,000).
Appealing for support, she called on government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, benefactors, and former patients to assist the hospital’s rebuilding efforts.
“Mother of Christ [Hospital] has served people for more than 70 years. We are calling on everyone, especially those born in this hospital, to come and assist us. No amount is too small,” she said.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
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