Miracles from St. John the Baptist icon draw thousands of pilgrims

An icon of St. John the Baptist in front of the altar at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Homer Glen in Illinois has been reported to be exuding fragrant oil since this July. This religious phenomenon has been drawing thousands of pilgrims from across the state to witness what they believe is nothing short of a miracle.

The parish priest, Rev. Sotirios Dimitriou, told the Chicago Tribune that this phenomenon is unlike most of the weeping icons that's been reported in the Chicago area not only because it's St. John but also because the oil is observed to be seeping out from almost everywhere of the icon — halo, wings, hands, beard — but the eyes. The priest believes this is a sign of joy and many of his parishioners believe this miracle is a blessing from God.

The oil is collected every week by Dimitriou and gets distributed to parishioners and pilgrims alike. More than 5,000 have already been handed out to pilgrims since its discovery in July. The fragrant oil which many think is most likely to be myrrh is also considered to contain some healing powers. One man's blocked artery has been cleared while another is now cancer free. The painter of the icon himself, Peter Mihalopoulos, attributes his quick recovery from a hip replacement to divine healing. Even Dimitriou, who has been suffering from frequent blackouts due to nerve damage, has not been hospitalized ever since and even stopped taking his medication.

There's nothing yet to prove the authenticity of this religious phenomenon but there's nothing to disprove it either. Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church does not have any formal process to determine a miracle's authenticity. This doesn't really bother the Greek Orthodox community. A recent member of the parish, Helen Contis had this to say, according to Chicago Tribune, "I do believe in miracles. I don't necessarily have to see it but it's nice. At a time when everything seems to be falling apart in the world and for us, personally, it's nice to see."