A photo gallery of the scene at the hospital is now available on MassLive.

By PATRICK JOHNSON

pjohnson@repub.com



SPRINGFIELD - Mercy Medical Center officials said Thursday they will bring in experts on Friday to examine the second-floor window at 300 Stafford St. to which hundreds of people have flocked after reports that it was reflecting an apparition of the Virgin Mary.



The experts, an engineer with experience with the properties of glass, and a restoration professional, will look at the window's structural integrity with an eye toward its preservation, said Mark M. Fulco, the hospital's senior vice president of strategy and marketing.



The two experts, he said, will not try to determine if the image on the window is a legitimate apparition or anything dealing with its religious significance.



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Hundreds of people have continued to crowd into the parking lot on the Stafford Street side of the hospital since Tuesday, when a man said he saw an image of the Blessed Mother in the window.



Some of the faithful have been singing, some praying, and some reciting the rosary. Some say they are seeking solace, and others medical cures for themselves or loved ones.

They were joined Thursday by trucks from the Boston media. Springfield police directed the traffic.



Sister Katheen M. Sullivan, a senior vice president for the Sisters of Providence Health Systems, which runs Mercy Medical Center, said the continued turnout is a testimony of faith on the part of the community.







"It says a lot about the community of persons who have come out to see it," she said. "The world, the country, and the community are in chaos, and many of us are looking for signs of hope and signs of peace. For the last three days, many have accepted the window is that."



Fulco and Sister Kathleen said that the crowds have not presented a problem or interfered with the running of the hospital.



The window in question overlooks the parking lot leading to the emergency room entrance.



"Despite the tremendous outpouring of interest in the window, Mercy Medical Center is a busy hospital and medical center," Fulco said. "We ask that the public understand that our primary focus is caring for patients and maintaining a safe and appropriate healing environment."



People going to to view the window have been asked to park in the lot for Sacred Heart Church at Chestnut and Stafford streets, and to walk to Mercy Medical Center, he said.



Fulco said the window was installed several years ago, and was due to be replaced. Its replacement was delayed because the new window was the wrong size.



A preliminary investigation showed that a seal between the two panes of glass that make up the window must have failed and allowed water to get inside. The image, which is on the inside of one of the two panes, may be the result of mineral deposits in the water, Fulco said.