Virgin Mary Painting Miraculously Survives as Fire Destroys Entire House

Firefighters in Serbia were left stunned after discovering an untouched painting of the Virgin Mary amid the charred remains of a family home.

The fire tore through the house in the town of Senta, in northern Serbia, destroying nearly everything inside. But remarkably, the religious icon—a symbol of faith and hope for the homeowners—was found completely unharmed.

Firefighter Nenad Matijasevic recovered the painting while battling the blaze, leaving the team in awe. Serbia’s Interior Ministry called the discovery a “miracle,” saying, “In moments when they fight the fire, firefighters save memories, and restore faith in the things that mean the most to people. This is not just a miracle, this is a calling, this is humanity, and this is the reality of firefighters.”

The miraculous survival of the Virgin Mary painting is part of a long list of similar stories around the world. Last year, in a small town in Guatemala, almost all the books in a local shop were destroyed in a fire—except for the Bibles. One firefighter said, “The word of God is incredible because the Bibles are intact. Seriously. It’s something we really can’t put into words.”

Decades earlier, a soldier in World War I claimed a bullet-riddled Bible saved his life. Private Leslie Friston, who served with the Royal Army Medical Corps, was blinded and suffered lung damage after a gas attack in 1917—but credited the Bible at his bedside with protecting him from even worse injuries.