By George Kommattathil

Kozhikode, Oct. 29, 2018: Hundreds of people have flocked to a Catholic house in Kozhikode, Kerala, after news spread that Marian statues there produced oil and honey.

“I don’t want to publicize it. I have asked the media people not to create a buzz with it,” Cyriac Palamthattel, the house owner and a resident of Paroppady, a suburb of Kozhikode, told Matters India on October 29.

However, Bijumon Keemattathil, a neighbor, said the family had called them in the wee hours of the same day saying a Marian statue in the house was releasing oil and honey.

Palamthattel, 56, said it was the second statue in their house that produced oil and honey.

The first phenomenon happened on October 27 night with a Marian statue made of plaster of Paris that was kept on a decorated plate as part of the family’s observance of the Month of Rosary.

The Catholic Church observes October as the rosary month and conducts various programs of praying the rosary in families and parishes.

Hearing about the phenomenon, Palamthattel’s parish unit conducted a rosary rally to his house.

“When we informed the parish priest about the phenomenon, he advised us to hand over the statue to the parish and keep the matter as a secret,” Palamthattel explained.

Palamthattel said they handed over the statue to the priest on October 28.

The same night, the family members while sleeping heard someone knocking on the door.

“We all came out around 12:30 am and asked each other if we had heard the knocks. We put the lights and searched the house suspecting a thief,” Palamthattel narrated.

They then noticed another Marian statue made of wood kept on an old ceramic plate in the kitchen. The plate in the kitchen and the old statute on the staircase appeared on the same dining table without any human intervention. The kitchen was closed, yet the plate came to the dining table apparently on its own. The family found the plate filled with oil that kept coming out from the statue.

They called their neighbors, who came and saw the phenomenon. They began reciting the rosary. People tasted oil and honey and some collected oil and honey in bottles.

“It continued until 10 am on Monday,” Bijumon told Matters India.

People from different parts of Kozhikode district flocked to the house on October 29.

“I have left to the Church to conduct a proper enquiry into it. I hope the diocese will take appropriate steps for that,” Palamthattel said.

The parish belongs to Thamarassery Syro-Malabar diocese.

Palamthattel family began to experience strange happening for a few weeks.

Melvin Cyriac, one of the sons and a catechism teacher, received communion on October 14 in the parish church. The communion turned blood in his mouth and he felt uneasiness.

“He was taken to a nearby hospital. After a thorough check up, doctor ruled out any physical problem,” Palamthattel said.

The following Sunday, Melvin, 28, went to another church in the city, the Holy Redeemer Church in Marikunnu, for the Mass. As soon as he received the communion, it turned flesh and he was unable to close his mouth.

People informed the parish priest, who prayed over him and gave him holy water. Soon the communion became bread and Melvin swallowed it, Palamthattel said.

Thomas Pulikkottil, another parishioner, says such phenomena during the month of rosary are “great signs for us to repent and turn to God.”