Virgin Mary Tears Prayer Rope, hand bracelet. Made by the Mount Athos Monks. Monks use seeds of the plant “tears of Virgin Mary”, which grows in Mount Athos. According to tradition, the plant grew under the cross of Christ, where the tears of Virgin Mary fell. Years later, a monk was sitting sad because he couldn ‘t learn to knit a prayer rope. Virgin Mary appeared to him and advised him to use the seeds of the plant to make a prayer rope, while repeating the words “Holy Mary save us”.