MANILA, Philippines - A Catholic bishop has confirmed the existence of a 'miraculous,' "growing" stone in Catanduanes which bears the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is said to heal illnesses.Virac Bishop Manolo A. De Los Santos said that the stone has been in Barangay Paloway in San Andres town, Catanduanes for over a century now. According to a story told to him by a certain Mr. Antonio—who is now 90 years old—a young boy found the stone while playing along the shores of San Andres."The small stone bore a faint drawing of a part of the Virgin Mary's face. When the boy reached his home, he experienced a terrible pain in the stomach. To alleviate the pain, the boy rubbed the stone and the pain immediately subsided," said the CBCP news report. The incident spread around the village and since then, residents acknowledged it as "miraculous."The stone which has the image of "Our Lady of Sorrows" and is now locally called "Batong Paloway (Stone of Paloway)," is at the altar of the Our Lady of Sorrows chapel in Barangay Paloway in San Andres town. Based on the accounts of the residents, the stone originally only bore a part of the face of the Blessed Virgin.Now 3 inches in height, the stone has the full image of the Virgin Mary's face and "shows her finger pointing somewhere."Many devotees flock to the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows in San Andres especially during Fridays where a mass is celebrated in the afternoon.According to the Bishop, the chapel has not been declared formally or canonically as a shrine although it can be said that it is a "de facto shrine."
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