They come in a steady stream, like modern-day pilgrims. Married couples with children, church groups, older folks, young children, people on crutches and walkers, women with a recently-diagnosed disease. They are black, they are white, they are young and old, they are true believers and they are skeptics. They come in the morning and the evening, at midday and on weekends. And they all come to view what some see as a miraculous apparition.

The scene is the parking lot of nearby Milton Hospital. The object of these prayerful visitations is an oblong glass window on the third floor of a medical office. The true believers say it depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. And they come to worship before this new icon.

The window pane is thermoglass, two panes of class bonded together to hold back the weather. But the seal has broken, and condensation has formed, leaving a stain on the window. It is, under normal circumstances, a simple maintenance issue for the hospital staff: Get a new window and replace the old.

But someone noticed what appears to be an image left on the glass, an image unmistakably similar to the image of Madonna and Child. It is a symbol that evokes strong devotion, and as word spread last week, believers began the trek to the Milton hillside parking lot.

That there has been a miraculous apparition at this otherwise unremarkable site is something that cannot be explained. Technically, there is an answer: the thermal seal on the window simply broke down. It happens all the time.

But for some who have religious faith, there is another understanding: the Virgin Mother has been there, and left a sign of her eternal compassion and goodness. For the true believers, it is an occasion to fall to their knees, and pray.

In another part of town this week, the Catholic Bishop convened his pastors to discuss the financial crisis that now overburdens the Boston Archdiocese. It is now more clear than ever that some dramatic changes will soon come to his church. More schools will close, more church buildings will be shut down, more parishes will be merged.

After two years of scandal, and long months of anguish, so many local Catholic priests have seen their congregations dwindle, and their capacity to minister to the spiritual needs hampered by the hesitation of their parishioners to support their work.

But the true believers remain strong in their faith witness the solemn, reverential tone ot those pilgrims on that hillside in Milton. Walls may be crumbling, window panes may be leaking. But for the faithful, the truth of their religious beliefs remain firm. It is the lasting legacy of the clergy, priests and nuns, whose pastoral work endures.

And hope springs eternal.

-Ed Forry