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.

http://www.commondreams.org/further/2009/07/09

Here in the United States people worship the tree at least once a year.

Why should this be any different.

Should people worship a tree???
Why not??? They worship crosses and statues. At least trees are living things. At least a tree is a tangible thing unlike an all knowing all loving yet all spiteful "being" up in the clouds.

I would ask a single question.

What does praying over a stump do?

Professor Joseph Campbell would say:

Follow your Bliss

same thing that kneeling by your bed with your hands folded together and praying does.

At least a tree is a tangible object and they can actually respond to you. Look up plants and music stimulus info. They respond to music, talk etc. I hug and pet my trees all the time, and it makes them grow better! LOL!

agreed. That's pretty much what I said earlier. Tho... I imagine if it's just a stump it might be dead. But I love trees.

Should people worship Galactic Lord Xenu?

people should worship whoever they feel comfortable worshiping. Some people have different callings.

Do you have the sources? Music effecting plant growth is a very old concept and IMHO been thoroughly debunked, I am ever open to seeing actual proper research, so if you have a source Id love to check it out.

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=do+plants+grow+better+with+music&page=1&qsrc=178&ab=3&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwiki.answers.com%2FQ%2FDoes_music_help_plants_grow

Maple Tree

Oak Tree

Pine Tree

Palm Tree

Birch Tree

Douglas Fir

I do love trees.

They are full of magic also

and have a unique language

I feel comforted being around trees. I feel their energy. Can you imagine the history they could tell you if they could talk?

To the ancient Celts the oak tree had mystical, sacred properties, and the name "Druid" is named after it.

The Sankrit word for oak is "druh". The Greek word for oak is "drus".

Remember the Celts where not only in Ireland at one time, they where on the entire European continent reaching past Greece. They were everywhere at one time and much of their culture is integrated with other cultures without even us knowing it, unless you study the historical aspects of the Celtic civilization.

Druid was derived from parts of two words. The first syllable "dru" emphasizes the importance of the oak tree. The second syllable "wid" or "id" emphasizes "to know".

So if you put the meanings together we have "the knowledge of the oak tree".

In other words ancient Druids believed they received energy, knowledge, and help from oak trees and the use of nature.

"Trees of knowledge" or "trees of life" are symbolic of religious spirituality for many cultures.

The appreciaten of nature and its powers is real for many people. Let alone the serenity and peacefulness we get when we admire nature gives us healing effects.

The problem is we as a human species have distant ourselves over the centuries. We have forgotten the magic and energies nature provides us.

Yet at one time we have used the knowledge, help, and wisdom of the magical properties of the largest organism in the world, which are trees.

Nature is keeping us alive and we have forgotten this a long time ago.

yet there is hope, but for how long?

Ancient Druid practices and wisdom is slowly returning into the 21st century. They at one time listened to the wisdom and language trees offered us, in which we have long forgotten and find nothing more then a superstition.

Nature will survive with or without us, but humans cannot live without nature.

May we once again find knowledge and wisdom from trees again to ensure that we as a species can live with nature harmoniously again.

If you read that whole thing it illustrates my point.

The research done, all of it, is both irregular, and inconsistent, and not reproducible on large sample sizes.

Thus inconsequential.

Plant growth has many many variables which must be controlled in tests like this, I will reference a few well done studies when I get home I have the links handy.

The idea that "music" makes plants grow better is completely causally unfounded.

The idea that "sound" can have an effect is founded and explainable.

Oh I did read the whole thing. I'm saying there's proof that music does have an effect. I'm just pointing out it's not proven that it doesn't either.
Truly, I believe that people that play music for their plants to help them grow do have better and healthier plants. BECAUSE people that would go to that length for their plants, just in general take better care of them. They're monitoring them and caring for them. It probably has nothing to do with the music itself.

Worship a tree along with all the other hippies....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSEaHyzbqTA