On March 24th, 1989, in Ambridge PA, during a good Friday mass, Jim Cvitkovic, a local altar boy was praying during Holy Communion, when he looked up and noticed Jesus’s eyes on the Church’s crucifix were closed. Shocked and confused as the eyes were normally open, Cvitkovic tapped his brother Tom, who also confirmed the eyes were closed. As Jim believed his viewpoint or light might have been causing the eyes to appear to be closed, he moved around to the other side of the altar and still the eyes were closed. As Mass ended, the boys began crying with joy and told Reverend Vincent Cvitkovic, also the boys uncle, that the eyes of Jesus were closed.
Vincent and another priest would begin investigating and realized that the eyes looked closed, but since the crucifix was hanging 22 feet in the air, it would be better to bring in a ladder for a closer look. Before doing this, they called to Domenic Leo, a local artist who refurbished the statue just two months ago in January. Leo was stunned to see the eyes closed and it also appeared now the statue was crying. Overjoyed, Leo began to cry as well. Domenic Leo was the first to climb the ladder to get a closer at the crucifix; Leo saw that the left eye was completely closed, and the right eye was slightly opened.
Local parishioner and state trooper Chris Marion, who was skeptical, climbed the ladder to be certain that no one had tampered with the eyes. To his surprise, he was absolutely sure no tampering had occurred.
Another parishioner, Sue Tolfa, was very familiar with the crucifix. At one time, the crucifix was in an alcove area and well lit, and Sue saw it very often. She was positive that the eyes were open every day until Good Friday.
Several days later, it was reported by parishioners that the eyes had returned to a normal, open position.
Still, word had already spread, and this crucifix would come to be known as the blinking crucifix. Religious people began flocking to Ambridge to see the crucifix and pray to it. The crucifix, which was at Holy Trinity Church since 1931, would draw crowds for some time.
The last stigmatic Padre Pio- read here
Religious miracles have been happening for centuries all over the world. When a potential miracle takes place, the Church sends investigators to see if the Miracle may have indeed occurred. In the case of the Blinking Crucifix, the church stated that there was no convincing evidence that a miracle, properly defined, occurred. As such, the Vatican took no further action on the case. However, the bishop’s commission did state that the witnesses were sincere. Still, not all were convinced and happy with the church’s investigation, in the fall of 1989, Reverend Vincent Cvitkovic would resign.
As the years passed, interest faded and in 2004 the church closed. That same year Reverend Vincent Cvitkovic passed away. Thirteen years later, Leo would pass away.
The Blinking Crucifix remains a mystery to this day. Skeptics point out that this could have been a mirage and also that the crucifix could have been tampered with. Also, once many outside visitors and investigators arrived to examine it, the eyes had returned to their original position.
Is Spontaneous Human Combustion Possible- read here
In 1989 in the town of Ambridge, people may have been looking for a miracle and something that wasn’t there. The people of Ambridge were highly religious, and the town had high unemployment and was struggling in what was once a vibrant community supported by the steel industry.
Still the community remained adamant the miracle occurred.
Reverend Cvitkovic said he often pointed out the crucifix to his congregation of 300 families, saying it was unusual in that it depicted a still-living Christ, with open eyes and mouth.
Did this Virgin Mary appear at this Egyptian Church?
Dominic Leo swore “on his life” that the eyes were open before and after he worked on the icon.
It’s clear many individuals in the town saw the eyes and got a very clear look over those three days. Perhaps that they did become victims of mass hysteria or something similar, still with their belief in the miracle, that seemed to give them the much-needed hope to get through their tough times.
One thought on “The Blinking Crucifix: Religious Miracle or Mass Hysteria?”