Draft:Seton Miracles
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Submission declined on 1 June 2026 by DoubleGrazing (talk). This draft's references do not show that the event meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion for events. The draft requires multiple published secondary sources that:
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Comment: I won't call this outright a hoax, but I will say that to qualify for an encyclopaedia article, we need considerably better sources than hear-say and supposition. DoubleGrazing (talk) 13:37, 1 June 2026 (UTC)
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The Seton Miracles were supernatural phenomena that occurred in connection with Fr. James C. Bruse at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Lake Ridge, Virginia, from 1991 to 1993. They became national news, and a Catholic pilgrimage destination for people seeking to see the weeping statues and the priest's stigmata.
Background
[edit]Rev. James C. Bruse
[edit]Fr. James C. Bruse, was born Oct. 28, 1954, in Washington, D.C. He graduated from the then-college of Mary Washington in 1976, and entered formation for the Diocese of Arlington in 1979. After graduating from its Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in 1983, he was ordained a priest on May 12, 1984, by its then-bishop, John Keating.[1] He had once held three world records for marathon roller-coaster riding.[2]
Events
[edit]Miracles
[edit]Weeping Statues
[edit]Dozens[3] or Hundreds[4] of statues were witnessed to weep from their eyes, especially when placed into the presence of Fr. Bruse, usually a clear liquid, but occasionally a bloodlike liquid. Local and national news outlets covered the story, including famous journalists A.B. Stoddard[5][6], Morris Jones at Fox5, and Ralph Wenge at CNN.[7][8] The Washington Post covered it repeatedly[9][10][11][12][13], and U.S. News & World Report made it its March 29th 1993 cover-story.[14] Statues also wept at other parishes, in the priest's presence.[15][11][16] Many statues also changed colors.[17][4]
Stigmata
[edit]Fr. Bruse received the stigmata, which appeared as painful, red, dime-size dots on his wrists, feet, and side.[18][3] They would occasionally bleed.[17]
Other Phenomena
[edit]There were also reports of the facial expressions of the statues changing, statues changing colour, rosaries changing colour, the fragrance of roses filling the Church, and many other supernatural occurrences.[4]
Explanation
[edit]Fr. Bruse professed no natural or supernatural knowledge of the reasons behind the phenomena, but stated that he was merely learning what was happening, like everyone else.[3] He would bless statues and other items, brought by curiosity-seeking pilgrims.[17]
Aftermath
[edit]The Diocese of Arlington never made any decision as to the events' authenticity. However, concerned at the circus-like atmosphere, Bishop Keating eventually suppressed the events, notwithstanding that the statues went on crying, for some time.[19] Fr. Bruse and the Parish's lives returned to normal, and the reputation of the events was discarded, as if trivial or inconsequential. In 1995 he was transferred to a different parish.[12][13] Fr. Bruse went on to a long and successful career, in the Diocese of Arlington, at numerous other parishes.[1][20]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Who's your new pastor?". The Arlington Catholic Herald. Catholic Diocese of Arlington. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ^ Schneider, Greg (13 March 1992). "Stigmata priest once was Champ of the Roller Coasters". The Roanoke Times. p. B3. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ^ a b c "Miracles reported at Virginia church". United Press International (UPI) Archives. 9 March 1992. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ^ a b c Carney, James L. "The Seton Miracles". The Marian Foundation. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
...hundreds of statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary were reported weeping before thousands of astonished witnesses. Some statues added or rotated colors. Numerous rosaries changed color. Some people reported seeing the "miracle of the sun" while others noticed a powerful scent of roses when there were no flowers or other reasons for such a fragrance.
- ^ Stoddard, A.B. (16 January 1994). "Writer bears witness to wonders". Potomac News. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ^ Ryan, Steven (3 June 2025). Our Lady of the Potomac - “The Greatest Case of Weeping Statues in the History of the World” (DVD Video). Youtube. Mystic Post TV. Event occurs at 13:11. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ^ Carney, James L. (2012). The Seton Miracles - Eyewitness Testimony - miracles at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Lake Ridge VA (DVD Video). Youtube. The Marian Foundation. Event occurs at 2:04. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ^ Ryan, Steven (3 June 2025). Our Lady of the Potomac - “The Greatest Case of Weeping Statues in the History of the World” (DVD Video). Youtube. Mystic Post TV. Event occurs at 1:55. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ^ Hendrickson, Paul (12 March 1992). "The Mystery of the Weeping Statues". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ^ Thomas, Pierre (8 March 1992). "Phenomena Pack Va. Church". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ^ a b Thomas-Lester, Avis (30 March 1992). "More Icons said to Weep in Va. Priest's Presence". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ^ a b "Priest whose Claims Brought Thousands to See Crying Statues is Leaving Pr. William Church". Washington Post. 31 May 1995. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ^ a b Murphy, Caryle (17 August 1997). "Quieter Life for Priest". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ^ Rosellini, Lynn (29 March 1993). "The Case of the Weeping Madonna". U.S. News & World Report. Vol. 114. pp. cover, 46–55. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ^ "2nd Church Reports Weeping Statue". The Roanoke Times. 19 March 1992. p. B2. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ^ "Weeping Icons are Seen Again". The Roanoke Times. The Washington Post. 31 March 1992. p. B3. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ^ a b c Carney, James L. (2012). The Seton Miracles - Eyewitness Testimony - miracles at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Lake Ridge VA (DVD Video). Youtube. The Marian Foundation. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ^ "a Miraculous Time for Talk of Miracles". Virginian-Pilot. 4 April 1992. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
- ^ Ryan, Stephen (19 December 2010). "Tears of the Virgin Mary Meet the Smoke of Satan". BishopAccountability.org. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ^ "Directory of Directors, Coordinators, & Assistants: Guide to Directors & Staff of Religious Education For Program Year 2025 – 2026" (PDF). Diocese of Arlington. p. 3. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
"Rev. James Bruse" is listed as a "Pastor/DRE" at "Our Lady of the Blue Ridge" in Madison, Va.
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