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PILGRIMS are flooding to pray for protection from Covid-19 at the foot of a water stain they believe is a representation of the Virgin Mary.

The "miracle" mark was first spotted on the wall of a car park outside a bakers in Bogota, Colombia, by a security guard doing his rounds.

The 'miracle' water stain appeared on the wall of a car park outside a bakers
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The 'miracle' water stain appeared on the wall of a car park outside a bakersCredit: Newsflash
Some Catholics believe the mark is a representation of the Virgin Mary
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Some Catholics believe the mark is a representation of the Virgin MaryCredit: @vivi.citta/Real Press

It has now been transformed into a makeshift shrine - complete with flowers and candles - by locals desperate for help during the pandemic.

Bakery worker Lorena told the newspaper Noticentro: “Every day, between 50 and 60 people come here.

"Before buying something they visit the spot and pray, and somehow it is really important for them and us.”

She added that they believe it is a “miraculous figure” and not something created randomly by humidity as others are saying.

Lorena said that “it could not have been from a leak” and rejected claims it was wall damage insisting “it is a miraculous image”.

She added that no one at the bakers has been diagnosed with Covid-19 and therefore the Virgin Mary stain must be protecting them.

Locals attend the makeshift shrine to pray for protection from the coronavirus
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Locals attend the makeshift shrine to pray for protection from the coronavirusCredit: Newsflash
The stain was discovered by a security guard on his rounds in Bogota
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The stain was discovered by a security guard on his rounds in BogotaCredit: Newsflash

She said “that is exactly what most people pray for” adding that most devotees pray that they stay safe from the killer virus.

Colombia reported 7,612 new infections on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 1.16m which includes 33,148 deaths.

It's not the first time a "holy" stain has caused a storm in Colombia.

In 2017, worshippers flocked to see a patch of algae growing under a leaking pipe that the were convinced looked like Mary.

In August, we told how a mum from Dundee was left in shock after discovering

And in 2018, we told how a stunned man from Kent spotted the image of the Messiah in his living room curtains.

A year earlier we reported how pilgrims flocked to a home in Honduras after an image of Christ "miraculously" appeared on a flour tortilla.

The Catholic Church believes miracles are works of God, either directly, or through the prayers and intercessions of a specific saint or saints.

There is usually a specific purpose connected to a miracle, e.g. the conversion to the Catholic faith or the construction of a church "desired by God."

Italian residents flock to a Virgin Mary statue that appears to be weeping blood
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