Posted on 08/19/2006 10:23:59 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
A piece of chocolate, which some believe bears a resemblance to the Virgin Mary, is seen at Bodega Chocolates in Fountain Valley, Calif., Thursday, Aug 17, 2006. Workers at the luxury chocolate company discovered the 2-inch-tall column of chocolate drippings under one of their vats. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. - As a chocolatier to the rich and famous, Martucci Angiano has posed with many celebrities - but on Thursday she held in her hand a figure that dazzles her more than any Hollywood star.
Workers at Angiano's gourmet chocolate company, Bodega Chocolates, discovered under a vat a 2-inch-tall column of chocolate drippings that they believe bears a striking resemblance to the Virgin Mary.
Since the discovery Monday, Angiano's employees have spent much of their time hovering over the tiny figure, praying and placing rose petals and candles around it.
"I was raised to believe in the Virgin Mary, but this still gives me the chills," Angiano said as she balanced the dark brown figure in her hand. "Everyone should see this."
Kitchen worker Cruz Jacinto was the first to spot the lump of melted chocolate when she began her shift Monday cleaning up drippings that had accumulated under a large vat of dark chocolate.
Chocolate drippings usually harden in thin, flat strips on wax paper, but Jacinto said she froze when she noticed the unusual shape of this cast-off: It looked just like the Virgin Mary on the prayer card she always carries in her right pocket.
"When I come in, the first thing I do is look at the clock, but this time I didn't look at the clock. My eyes went directly to the chocolate," said Jacinto, dressed in a hair net and apron as she paused from her work. "I thought, 'Am I the only one who can see this? I picked it up and I felt emotion just come over me. For me, it was a sign."
The chocolate, on display for most of the week in the front of the company gift shop, now rests in a plastic case in a back room and is brought out only for curious visitors.
The stack of hardened confection has a wide base and tapers gently toward a rounded top, giving the appearance of a female figure with her head tilted slightly to the right. The dark brown melting chocolate hardened into subtle layers that resemble the folds of a gown and a flowing veil.
A tiny white circle, about the size of a pencil eraser, sits in the upper center of the creation, just above a slight ridge that runs across it. Cruz says the white speck is the head of the Baby Jesus as he is held in Mary's folded arms.
For Jacinto, the discovery came just in time. Raising a son on her own, she has struggled with marital problems for months and says she was about to lose her faith.
"I have big problems right now, personally, and lately I've been saying that God doesn't exist," she said, pulling the dog-eared prayer card out of her pocket. "This has given me renewed faith."
Angiano, who co-owns the 10-year-old company with her sister, has rubbed shoulders with plenty of stars in her job.
The gourmet boutique runs booths at all the big awards shows, including the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Oscars, the Country Music Awards and the Latin Grammys. Pictures of Angiano with top celebrities - and her chocolates - line the office walls.
But this week's brush with the image of a 2,000-year-old idol has left even Angiano star-struck.
"That's our Oscar right there," she said.
Gotta love some of the headlines I've come across for this:
Many See Virgin Mary in Chocolate Drippings from a Vat
Chocolate Drippings Resemble The Virgin Mary
Chocolatiers see image of Virgin Mary in lump
and my personal favorite...
Virgin Mary Found in Vat of Chocolate
So how long before its on Ebay?
I might be just a tad bit skeptical, but it looks like Mr. Hanky to me.
#7 closer match or an eagle but certainly NOT ANY human being - LOL!!!
No significance is attributed to these observations other than my own keying into it...well, perhaps "next to no significance" is more accurate -- on the odd chance that God is sending me signals. I haven't worked out the probabilities of seeing those numbers, but bias in the observer is acknowledged.
I see a bird.
Yes, but not worth shooting anybody for it.
What is it? It's the stuff dreams are made of.
Of course Mary is not dead, we just celebrated the feast of her Assumption into Heaven. Mary is free of original sin (dogma of Immaculate Conception) and suffers none of its effects. She has a perfect body, such as the "glorified body" we all hope to receive.
However, that stated, I see your point. These hysterical reactions to Marian images border on idolotry and give Catholics a bad name. If the chocolate blob reminds someone of Mary, that's fine for their personal spiritual life, but it cannot be considered a miracle or "sign" from God. Instread of strewing rose petals around chocolate, we might benefit more from making a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.
actually I thought it looked like an owl.
I wonder if anyone had the presence of mind to notify the EPA and the health department. From what I see it looks like a vanilla and strawberry conspiracy to destroy the reputation of chocolate as the all time favorite of nice people.
CC&E
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