Mumbai: 

Alistair Pereira captures the 'miracle' image of Jesus on his cellphone at St Michael's Church in Mahim. PIC/VISHAL KELKAR

Amongst hundreds who were drawn to witness a red stain that appeared on the image of the Divine Mercy at St Michael's Church in  Mahim last night, Alistair Pereira was also present to catch a glimpse of the 'miracle'. Pereira was found guilty of mowing down seven sleeping labourers in Bandra in 2005.

MiD DAY caught Pereira praying to the image of Jesus and capturing a video on his cellphone. However, on spotting the photographer, he left immediately.

Lalitha Pinto, an evangelist from Kalina, feels the stain is the sign of the risen Christ. "It gave me great peace when I knelt before the image," she said.

Oddly, the phenomenon coincides with the diamond (60th) anniversary of the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help that occurs today. A nine-day novena (special prayer ceremony) precedes the feast. "The stain apparently appeared when the prayer service yesterday ended at 8.30 pm," said priest Doneth D'souza of St Michael's Church. The church was shut down at 1 am today, but the priest said they would allow devotees to see the image this morning onwards.

Apart from Catholics, who arrived to venerate the image, people from various other faiths were also drawn to the church out of belief and sheer curiosity. Mahim resident Raziya Mushtahim Sheikh (27) said she was awestruck seeing the image, adding, "I have never heard of anything of this kind before. It is also a little frightening because I feel the symbolic message for us to understand is that bloodshed in the world must stop."