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TechnoratiA Sign! A Sign! Virgin Mary in Tree Stump
The Belfast Telegraph (Ireland) reports:
Virgin Mary seen in tree stump in Limerick
As a place of worship, it's verging on the bizarre: a tree stump in the grounds of a church in Co Limerick which many believe depicts an image of the Blessed Virgin.
So far, more than 2,000 people have signed a petition seeking to prevent the removal of the stump, while scores more have turned up to say the Rosary and light candles.
However, the local parish priest last night advised people not to worship the tree.
Fr Willie Russell said: "There's nothing there... it's just a tree...you can't worship a tree."
Workmen made the discovery of the stump at the Holy Mary Parish Church in Rathkeale while cutting down trees earlier this week.
Residents organised the petition in an effort to have the tree stump, which was due to be dug out of the ground yesterday, made into a permanent fixture at the church."We have almost 2,000 signatures on the petition already and we are going to continue getting more," local shopkeeper Seamus Hogan said.
Mr Hogan said the discovery was bringing people from all walks of life to Rathkeale to pray.
"It's doing no harm and it's bringing people together, from young and old to black and white, Protestant and Catholic, to say a few prayers so what's wrong with that? There's enough violence and intolerance going on in the world," he said.
According to Noel White, chairman of Rathkeale Community Council's graveyard committee, the trees were cut down because of old age and the danger they posed to the adjacent school yard.
"These trees will be replaced. However, I have given assurance that our committee will not be removing this tree stump," he said.
"Nature has a funny way of showing things up and let it be a freak of nature or something else but whatever it is, surely it is a wonderful thing to see so many people coming out to pray, especially young people who have been saying the Rosary in the church for the past few nights," he added.
"There have been queues of cars up and down the street of the town all day belonging to people who have never been here, all coming to say the Rosary and light candles.
"Maybe this is Our Lady's way of getting people back to the church."
A spokesman for the Limerick diocesan office said the "Church's response to phenomena of this type is one of great scepticism".
"While we do not wish in any way to detract from devotion to Our Lady, we would also wish to avoid anything which might lead to superstition," he said.
A temporary shrine was erected at the tree stump last night where a vigil was held.
51 Comments so far
Show AllThere was a tree in ol' Limerick
That when cut done showed us a sight
But it's not the Virgin Mary
Because quite to the contrary
Thanks to randy Paddy, and a knot hole one night
Judging by the guys in the pic....they went out to worship the tree and all they got was wood.
Hail the Holy Chainsaw!
And termites are going to be the real satan here.
If you count the tree rings will you be able to tell how old 'Mary' is? - Or does it portend to the second coming....or the end of daze....
Images of Mary seen in such things as: a tree stump, toast, a stained wall.....gee, what does that say about the calibre of so-called 'miracles' these days?
Quick! - Donate 8 million dollars or else the tree stump will be called to heaven!
Check out my new kitchen cabinet....it's made from holy Mary chipboard......
"you can't worship a tree"?
Why not? A tree is part of nature. If one actually feels the need to "worship" something, doesn't it make more sense to worship nature than an imaginary supernatural all powerful sentient being who allows so much suffering worldwide? "Wait!" you say, "God created nature." And I say to you, prove it! "Faith" my ass.
Yup, that's her all right!
· Yr Obd't Servant
"There's nothing there... it's just a tree...you can't worship a tree."
Oooh, that's going to piss off the Druids. :)
"ubrew12 July 9th, 2009 10:39 pm
About 10 years ago, I ran across a redwood with a large scar on the side of its trunk that looked EXACTLY like the Virgin Mary. "
OH, so you too think that you lived a little over 2,000 years ago in Nazareth, etcetera, and knew or met her personally, face-to-face, eh?! How people since her ceased existence here could think they know "exactly" what she looked like, and to the point they could identify or recognise her without any possibility of being mistaken if she happened to be walking around somewhere on Earth tomorrow, and I doubt it'd be in the USA, or Europe, thinking she'd prefer to be where she initially walked the Earth and therefore lived; well, how anyone could imagine that they know what she looked like is ... COMICAL.
Western Christians think they know what Jesus looked like too, only they have him as white and he wasn't.
ubrew12,
As for your immediate thinking of capitalising on what you found, capitalising in the way you described, too, you sound like a "typical" American alright, that is, indeed. First thing that comes to Americans' minds? Money. It hardly ever fails to be the first or one of the very first things on their minds; being unable to simply, innocently, ... appreciate what's beautiful about Nature.
Tsk, tsk.
===================
"lvrich July 9th, 2009 5:25 pm
People are pattern-seeking animals, it helped them survive as a species.
But when they see patterns that aren't there it is called pareidolia, a psychological delusion. ..."
"SPAD July 9th, 2009 5:45 pm
"People often believe in something not because it is true, but because they want it to be true. They confuse reality with their hopes and fears."
-- Carl Sagan"
THOSE are two fitting posts.
================
"ppeters July 9th, 2009 4:48 pm
As a "relieved" (asked for relief and it was granted) priest, I have always wondered why it is so easy for Catholics to see Mary in a tree stump and so difficult for them to see her son in one another."
IT MIGHT be easier for female Catholcs to see Blessed Mary in each other than it would be for them to see Jesus in each other. After all, there's the sexual physical difference.
That's meant without offence, only as a joke; besides the fact that the sexual differences are true, that is.
======================
I wonder what kind of real faith such people would have, if they had to live without their delusional beliefs and ways.
From what I can tell from the picture in the article, that tree stump doesn't look at all like it could possibly be meant to represent any human person at all, so certainly not Blessed Mary of Nazareth, either.
About 10 years ago, I ran across a redwood with a large scar on the side of its trunk that looked EXACTLY like the Virgin Mary. It was along a trail on the Kaiser Mountain Wilderness Area in the Southern Sierra's in California. Being fresh, it was quite red, and the surroundings were deeply beautiful. Some part of me knew that I could be a millionaire if I just took a photo, and took people on pilgrimages to my find. I'd be able to charge whatever I wanted.
And some part of me, to this day, regrets not doing that. People are fools, might as well make a buck off of them (probable WallStreet banker daily affirmation).
BARKing mad.
(i was nearly stumped for a comment here)
He's not responding. I think it's time for us to leave . . .
Only a sap could believe this story.
I, for one, am rooting for you . . .
incorrect placememt of comment deleted by author
Yeah, you really had to go out on a limb...
Walk in peace.
There once was stump in old Limerick
So one evening the locals thought of a trick
And after a few drafts, and a few media dafts
They cashed in on the blokes pretty damn quick.
People are pattern-seeking animals, it helped them survive as a species.
But when they see patterns that aren't there it is called pareidolia, a psychological delusion. Of course the specifics of what they "see" depends on what belief system they've been indoctrinated into.
"People often believe in something not because it is true, but because they want it to be true. They confuse reality with their hopes and fears."
-- Carl Sagan
...and even more: people are pattern creating animals (see Feldenkrais on invariance). ...and what we see depends on the belief system of what we create. I'll go with what is created from the hopes of visioning "Mary", then to go with the spinning wheels of war and the patterns created by the thought forms of the reality of Iraqi Special Operative Forces assignation behavior any day. The pattern of which most CD writers are enmeshed in, and relegated to the pattern of self-righteous mewing kittens, conditioned to the pattern of reactionary mews at the latest ISOF assassination.
"Mother Mary, full of grace..." - even if an atheist, those five words allowed to pattern mindfulness can create most wonderful flow forms, much more interesting then assassination infatuation...
Mother Mary, full of grace...
"People often believe in something not because it is true, but because they want it to be true. They confuse reality with their hopes and fears."
-- Carl Sagan
that explains people clinging to the official 9/11 story.
You know, before I read your comment, I was thinking: Exactly! That explains the otherwise reasonable lefties who turned into "9/11 Truth" wackos.
To continue EKATON's train of thought . . .
Please explain why 9/11 is nowhere mentioned on Osama bin Laden's "Most Wanted" page on the FBI's website.
Please explain why Donald Rumsfeld has publicly given THREE (all well documented) different stories about where and what he was doing that day.
Please explain the enormous amount of "put" options on United Airlines and American Airlines stock that made someone(s) LOTS of money on that day.
Please explain how two to four "hijackers" on each plane could hold off passengers at 15-to-1 odds, armed with nothing more than box cutters.
Please explain how an Arab man who flunked out of flight school was able to put a major passenger airline through a sharp 270-degree turn, while dropping at hundreds of miles an hour, and hit the the Pentagon perfectly on one side and hardly scratch the lawn.
Please explain where all those security camera images of an airplane hitting the Pentagon are.
Please explain why the Secret Service allowed President Bush to remain in a very public place (while his itinerary that day was also very public) for over a half hour, thus putting hundreds of kids and teachers at risk, when it was obvious the country was under attack.
Please explain the numerous, coincidental business connections between the Bush family and the bin Laden family.
Please explain the coincidence that Marvin Bush (George's brother) and Wirt Walker III (their cousin) were both principles in the company (Securacom) that provided security for the World Trade Center, as well as United Airlines.
Please explain, if 9/11 was such a massive surprise and failure, why the only people to lose their job as a result were those who have questioned the official story.
and yes, please explain how a passport of one of the hijackers was found intact on the pavement..................
. . . . . . . . while the black boxes were destroyed beyond use.
Please explain Building Seven.
Please explain the lack of damage to the Pentagon where the "airliner" wings would have contacted the building.
Please explain why pieces of Flight 93 were scattered over an eight mile radius.
Please explain whey seven of the "hijackers" were later discovered to still be alive.
These are facts, not conspiracy.
Hey, I'm just asking, I have no theory to promote.
Please explain.
As a "relieved" (asked for relief and it was granted) priest, I have always wondered why it is so easy for Catholics to see Mary in a tree stump and so difficult for them to see her son in one another.
Pffft, my toaster consistently serves up golden brown images of the sacred hello kitty in every slice of bread or bagel.
oooooh, where'd you get your toaster?...............i love h.k.
Aw, c'mon, you guys.... lighten up and play along... in that second photo, you CAN see eyes, a nose, and a simpleton smile perhaps a bit less than becoming to the traditional image of the BVM.
I see Eric Clapton in that tree stump, and, as we all knew by the late 1960's Eric Clapton IS God. But why is he appearing in stumps? Is he on a world stump tour or something? Or is he trying to choose the proper tone wood for his next custom built guitar? Eric does indeed work in strange ways.
i see a dolphin.................
I saw god once when I had an orgasm. Does that count?
Big deal. That's the only time I've EVER seen God.
As long as you were having it by yourself, I suppose the Virgin Mary may have showed up.
Were regressing: a tree stump today, and then it is back to worshiping the sun, moon, thunder, lightening...
Just one question: are these Irish stump worshippers drunk or sober???
And what is wrong with worshipping the Sun, Moon and other natural phenomena?
At least they give life to the world...
Walk in peace.
"All our problems began when gods became male and were no longer located on Earth."
Good quote from one of my Environmental Political Theory readings.
It's good to see the old religion is not quite dead. Poor Mary, having to hide in a tree stump.
Here in the Southwest, it's more likely to be a cactus or taco that Mary takes residence in. Of course, here she's the old Goddess in the guise of Our Lady of Guadeloupe.
Mary and Jesus - stolen from Isis and Horas - and it was Osiris in the tree as I recall.
Egypt had a more interesting myth than what the bishops cooked up.
With all of its superstitions, the Catholic Church and all of its Protestant children are really pretty boring. It's my opinion that the human race should grow up and get rid of the whole crowd.
I once saw Jesus smiling at me from a stool sample... the lord works in mysterious ways!
I had skid marks in my boxers in the shape of W . . .
I've seen better chainsaw carvings in Harrison, BC.
And they are of Sasquatch, something people can believe in...
Walk in peace.
When people "see" the Virgin Mary in objects, I always wonder why they think they know what she looked like.
Didn't someone see the Virgin Mary on a pizza at one time?
That was me. I ate the Virgin Mary.
nah, it was here:
In the U.S., there is an image resembling the Virgin Mary seen in the reflection of a building in Clearwater, Florida. In 2004, vandals broke the glass in the windows and damaged the image. Someone throwing a corrosive liquid at it has also damaged it in the past, but the image later returned.
it's a miracle..................
When I get home tonight I'm going to cue up Monty Python's "The Life of Brian" for some relief.
"ALRIGHT!! I AM THE MESSIAH!! I AM THE MESSIAH!! NOW . . . F**K OFF!!"
. . . . . . . . . . .
"How should we f**k off, oh Lord?"
Whenever anyone is gobsmacked at the power, influence, and money of religious figures, one need only look at this.
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary for Man to invent him." Voltaire
What do you call it when the superstitious call the superstitious "superstitious?"
'very superstitious'................stevie wonder.
I'd rather have people worshipping trees than worshipping the Virgin Mary...
No comment.