Posted on 09/21/2009 8:56:50 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
The supposed vision surprised locals who have come in their hundreds to pray and light candles in the grounds of Holy Mary Parish church.
While some believe the willow should be preserved and covered in glass, others think the believers are just barking up the wrong tree.
Noel White, Rathkeale Community Council Graveyard Committee chairman, said workmen sprucing up the church land saw the image when they cut the tree.
"One of the lads said look, our Blessed Lady in the tree," Mr White said.
"One of the other lads looked over and actually knelt down and blessed himself, he got such a shock.
"It was the perfect shape of the figure of Our Lady holding the baby."
Candles and rosary beads have been draped over the stump by prayerful locals with up to 700 holding a candlelight vigil last night and into the early hours of the morning.
Mr White said people have been travelling from neighbouring Co Kerry as word of the phenomenon spread, while it is believed a local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club from a nearby parish also brought two busloads of people.
"It is just a tree, but it is what it depicts when you look at it," Mr White said.
"It is just phenomenal what's going on. And it's not just Rathkeale, they're coming in from all over the place."
But not all villagers have seen the supposedly divine image with some treating the discovery with scepticism.
Local priest Fr Willie Russell refused to get caught up in the hype but said he was not surprised by the outpouring of interest.
"This is just going to go on and on," he said.
"My impression of it at the moment is that I have no impression of it.
"It doesn't interest me
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I personally found myself trapped in a stampeding mass of humanity when a homeowner in my town identified the Blessed Mother in some wood grain on a closet door on the third floor of her house.
It’s weird stuff like this that gives Catholics a bad name.
It’s weird stuff that gives weird people a bad name.
Pete
-member of ‘Weirdo Catholics fighting against Catholic Weirdness.
Irish Whiskey alert...
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Well, OK. Assuming this actually is an image of Mary (and I’m not quite certain how anyone knows what she really looked like),what is the purported meaning and significance of this?
Why is it in a tree stump, on a piece of toast or on a rock?
Why do Catholics gather en masse to stare at it?
What is it supposed to do?
that’s Bigfoot
"Catholics" do not. Claims are made by people and the Catholic church evaluates them and declines 99.9% of them.
Why would Protestants be looking for Mary in a waffle, or in a water stain on the wall? I don't think they would be.
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