Posted on 12/23/2002 1:44:31 PM PST by Shermy
A “No Parking” sign posted to keep the street in front of a South Alpine home clear of unwelcome vehicles has done just the opposite, with many local residents claiming to see the face of Jesus Christ in dark patterning on the sign.
Pilgrims and curiosity seekers make the trip to the home of Luisa Ibarra, 610 W. Avenue I, nightly to discern the “image” in the sign.
According to Ibarra, owner of the residence across from the old Centennial School, a friend of her grandson, Michael Carrillo, first noticed the image.
“His friend asked if we had noticed the image on the sign… so we came home to look at it,” Ibarra said.
According to Carrillo, who resides with Ibarra, his friend notified him that the reason why vehicles passed by his home in the evenings was due to rumors of the image.
Alma Betancourt, Ibarra’s daughter, stated that the family has known of the image since they were notified in September but did not want to make a big deal out of it.
“We didn’t know what to think,” Betancourt said. “We wondered if it was our imagination and if we were seeing things.”
While it may have taken some months for word of the image to reach the rest of the community, more and more people are taking the time to visit the sign and see for themselves.
According to Ibarra, she realized just how many people have heard of the image late last week when numerous cars began to drive by the house.
“Friday night is when the rest of the community started noticing and coming by,” Betancourt said.
The sign had lain discarded in the backyard if the Ibarra residence and was finally tacked to a utility pole by Luisa this summer in hopes of keeping cars from parking on her front yard during baseball games.
Ibarra stated the family was unable to watch the ball games from the home due to vehicles parking in the front of the residence, which was also causing traffic due to the street being so narrow.
Many have touched the sign, some because they believe a small miracle may have occurred and others out of skepticism or curiosity.
The image, is more visible at night - only appearing as a dark smudge during daylight hours, visitors say.
“In September you could see it, but barely. Now you can see it real good,” Carrillo said. “I just thought it was weird and it gave me the chills. I really don’t know where it came from.”
The family has even tried, to no avail, to wipe the sign with a washrag to remove the apparent stain, Betancourt said.
“I really don’t know what to think. I hope it’s something good,” Betancourt said. “A lot of people were saying that it was a good blessing, and we want to share it with everybody. Maybe it’s a blessing for everybody or the neighborhood.”
Alpine resident Barbara Franco is just one local resident who heard of the image and decided to visit for herself.
“After my husband and I saw it, we got Father Mike (Alcuino, of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church),” Franco said. “I don’t know what it is. I think it’s a miracle that his appearance is there and my faith is strong enough to believe it’s of God.”
While Alcuino did not bless the image as many thought he had, he agrees that the image is very similar to that of Jesus Christ’s face.
“Well, if you’re going to ask my opinion, I did see some image, which personally I can associate it with the image of the ‘Shroud of Turin,’” Alcuino said. “Supposedly, it was believed to be the cloth used to wrap our Lord when he died and it left an imprint of his face.”
Alcuino stated that images of Jesus Christ found in old pictures and films while he studied are similar to the image on the sign.
“Officially, I cannot say anything about it,” Alcuino said, adding that he is not in any position to make comments until the Church makes an official statement.
“(The Church) can only (make a statement) after a thorough investigation of an event or the assuming appearance on a ‘No Parking’ sign.”
According to Alcuino, the Church would launch an investigation “if there is a clamor for the church to investigate,” which would come from the people.
While Alcuino said that if an investigation was made, it would take years to come to a conclusion.
“That would be the greatest and most wonderful thing that could happen in Alpine once the church authenticated it,” Alcuino said. “Alpine will never be the same again. It would mean that you will see thousands and thousands coming here and that is why Alpine will never be the same.”
In the meantime, locals continue to flock to the residence.
“I got curious and wanted to check it out,” said Rosa Ramirez, an Alpine resident.
Ramirez stood outside the Ibarra residence Monday night with about 50 other residents to view the image and exchange opinions on it.
Many brought cameras and video cameras to capture the image on film.
Ramirez went back home in search of her video recorder and taped the image like several others did.
This is not the first time Ramirez has witnessed unusual images.
Ramirez said she traveled to Marfa three years ago to observe a tree with an image that supposedly resembled the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ with the crown of thorns.
“They had a light shining on the tree and you could see the faces in the shadows and they were very clear – it was amazing,” Ramirez said.
There have been many apparitions throughout time, some of which have had full Church approval.
One of the most famous appearances was that of an apparition of the Virgin Mary said to have appeared to a poor Indian, Juan Diego, in Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City in 1531.
She is said to have visited him several times before embedding her image on Juan Diego’s tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth.
The Ibarra’s expect that as word of the image spreads more people will travel to Alpine to witness the image outside their home.
For now vehicles have been known to drive to view the image from the time the sun sets to about 1 a.m. in the morning.
“Some stop during the day but mostly at night… You can’t really hear them,” Carrillo said.
Although some passersby just drive through, some stop to place candles under the image and pray.
“There are so many places like Our Lady of Fatima and Guadalupe - those are appearances or apparitions that took so many years to approve,” Alcuino said. “Seemingly it always takes years, in other words – time.”
Even an advanced nation such as ours can have our little third-world moments.
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