Jesus ‘face’ on wall stirs Pampanga folk

MABALACAT, Pampanga — First, there was an unusually big shooting star that threw a shaft of light behind the barangay hall. Then the concrete wall shook and the features of a face that resembled Jesus Christ took shape on the wall.

Residents of Barangay Maragul here have recounted this tale since Thursday, when the supposed strange phenomenon occurred, to people who have flocked to their village to see the image, about four feet by three feet, on the unpainted concrete wall.

Now, an altar adorns the spot, bedecked with flowers and candles which believers from all over the province have brought.

Villagers liken the image to the imprint of Jesus’ face on the Holy Shroud. "Jesus must be conveying a message to all of us," said Marcial Alimurung, head of the parish pastoral council.