Tignish, Canada — The faithful have been flocking to a P.E.I. church following reports the face of a person with long hair can be seen on a decoration.
People claim to see either a picture of Jesus or Mary in a Lenten pennant that was hung behind the altar last week at St. Simon and St. Jude Roman Catholic Church in Tignish.
"When I first came up the aisle, I thought I saw a torso, but when I came closer, almost to the altar rail . . . ," Kathleen Gallant told the CBC.
"When I looked I saw the face of our Lord Jesus. That's what I saw."
From a different angle, the image resembles the Virgin Mary, parishioners say.
Since the image was first noticed on Friday, a steady stream of people have come to visit the church.
"I heard about it early last night and just had to come to see it today," said Martin Avery, who owns a religious book store in Charlottetown.
"I don't know if I'm a doubting Thomas or not, but once I seen it, it's true to me and it's just beautiful to see," he said.
Rev. Tom Willick, the parish priest, cautioned against making too much about the image.
"We shouldn't try to decide all the meaning or signs this might be," he said. "We can get into danger by doing that. Best for us to pray about it and maybe see it as a blessing."
The cloth, which depicts a crown of thorns, has been used for a number of years, but parishioners say the face has never appeared before.