ENUGU, Nigeria — A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary remained untouched after a fire severely damaged sections of Mother of Christ Specialist Hospital in Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Enugu on May 10, the administrator at the facility said.
In an interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on May 12, Sister Maria Chinaemerem Igwe said the incident has strengthened the faith of many Catholics and drawn Christians from other denominations to the hospital to pray and witness what she described as an extraordinary occurrence.
The Nigerian member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Mother of Christ (IHM) said the fire broke out around 10 p.m. after most staff members had retired for the day.
“As I was coming, I saw flames going above the roof. Everybody around, nurses, workers, and students, had gathered trying to pour water through the windows because the fire had already broken the glass,” Sister Maria recounted, noting that the fire destroyed the reception area, administrative offices, the CCTV control room, the doctors’ lounge, and part of the children’s ward before firefighters from the Enugu State Fire Service contained the blaze.
“Everything in the secretary’s office was burnt to ashes
