Virgin Mary in de Tree worship in Limerick

Sceala Clann T.D. Location: Dublin

Seanio u going 2 pray 4 de Kerry footballers.

Irish Community Video

By Barry Duggan
HOW little times change: 1985 -- recession, unemployment and a moving statue of the Virgin Mary in Ballinspittle, Co Cork.
Fast forward 24 years: recession, unemployment and the Virgin Mary in a tree stump in Rathkeale, Co Limerick.
In their hundreds and from across the country, pilgrims are flocking to St Mary's Church grounds in the west Limerick town to pray and touch the willow tree stump, which many claim depicts an image of the Blessed Virgin.

Candlelit rosaries continued last night in Rathkeale and locals have pledged to keep a 24-hour vigil to ensure that nobody removes the tree stump.
Workmen employed on a FAS scheme were contracted to remove the 80-year-old willow tree on Monday evening as its branches were overhanging a primary school.
Chairman of Rathkeale Community Council Noel White recalled the moment the image was seen.
"The wood was rotten and they were cutting away when one of the lads working on it, Anthony Reddin, said, 'Look, there's the Virgin Mary.' Immediately, another one of the lads knelt down, blessed himself and began praying," Mr White said.
"About 30 minutes later, a crowd had gathered," he said.

But scepticism remains even among the most devout of Catholics. Local priest Fr Willie Russell has said, "There's nothing there . . . it's just a tree. You can't worship a tree."
Rathkeale parish priest, Fr Joe Dempsey is away on a fortnight's holidays but over 2,000 people have signed a petition to prevent the tree's removal. Those praying at the stump yesterday were in no doubt of what was before them.

Hope
Seamus Hogan who runs a gift and toy shop in the town said people from all walks of life arrived into Rathkeale.
"We had American and Swedish tourists here last night and people from all over the country. If all they are looking for in these times is hope and this is where they finding it, in a piece of wood, then God knows that is a good thing," Mr Hogan said.
"The Catholic Church needs something like this at the moment and if this gives hope and inspiration, then that is great. We have people suffering from cancer here, people on wheelchairs and those with walking aids, it is amazing," he added.

Carmel Conway and her mother, Bridget travelled from Lixnaw, Co Kerry.
"I think it is real," Carmel said. "Even if it isn't, if it makes people pray, that is a good thing," she said.
Pensioner James Richardson stopped off en route from St Ita's nursing home in Newcastle West, Co Limerick to a medical appointment to pray at the scene. He said he felt better having seen the stump.
Local man, Frank Markham said: "It is getting young people into the church that never went. I haven't missed Mass here in over 70 years and this has strengthened my belief."
Another man who asked not to be identified said he travelled from West Cork to pray to be reunited with his ex-girlfriend. "If it helps, it will have been worth it," he said.
Plans are now being made to have a glass case placed around the wooded stump to protect it from the elements.
- Barry Duggan
independent.ie/national-news/searching-for-a-grain-of-comfort-1815658.html?start=1

Thousands of Irish Catholics have flocked this week to a church in County Limerick to pray at the stump of a recently cut willow that many observers say has the silhouette of the Virgin Mary.
The phenomenon at St Mary's parish church in Rathkeale, population 3000 or so, harks back to decades when Catholic devotion and pilgrimages were the dominant feature of rural life in Ireland.
Some are linking the fervour for Rathkeale's "Holy Stump" to Ireland's stunning economic decline over the past year.
"People have been crying out for something good to happen. And this is all good for the soul," said Noel White, who has been overseeing a church project to cut down trees dangerously overhanging the neighbouring school playground.
When one willow was felled near the church entrance on Monday, he said, a major branch cracked off and made "a funny shape".
One worker cut through the stump at a near-vertical angle, revealing a wooden relief that inspires some to see the Virgin Mary.
"One lad beside the one who'd made the cut immediately saw the outline of Our Lady and blessed himself. It really is unreal. Every one of us could see it," he said.
The workman who made the cut, Anthony Reddin, said he doesn't see the Virgin Mary.
"I see it as the grain of a tree myself," he said.
Nonetheless, word of mouth brought about 100 to inspect and pray at the stump that first night. Numbers swelled to several hundred the next night. By Wednesday, more than a thousand came and went as a makeshift shrine of candles, rosaries and miniature statues of Mary grew. The praying continued past 2am on Thursday.

The parish priest is away on vacation. His summer replacement, the Reverend Willie Russell, is not impressed. He says residents are letting their imagination run wild and threatening to violate the commandment: Thou shalt not worship a false God.

"It's just a tree. You don't worship a tree," Mr Russell said.

The priest said he saw no harm in saying Hail Mary prayers at the spot - so long as the faithful don't actually find themselves praying to the stump itself.

"I don't believe in idolatry. That would be the danger," he said.

The County Limerick diocese of the church said it viewed the stump with "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," the diocese said in a statement.

Mr White said he did not understand the church's distinction between its age-old love of statues and this natural discovery.

"We pray in front of statues which are marble and chalk. What's the difference if it's timber?" he said.

Not all find what they come to see. Sometimes, the crowds prove too great to get a good look. Others wonder if the lighting has to be just right, or the wood dry and not damp.

Irish Catholics saw images of the Virgin Mary during Ireland's last recession in the mid-1980s, when thousands prayed at village statues believed to gesture, nod or even hover.

The stump has proven a boon for the local economy, with the curious travelling from neighbouring counties to light votive candles and say rosaries - and sample the local pubs and shops.

Rathkeale shopkeeper Seamus Hogan is leading a petition drive to deter village authorities from uprooting and removing the stump, as they originally planned to do on Wednesday. The petition has more than 2000 signatures - and Mr White's tree-cutters have got the message.

"We won't be removing the stump. We'd remove it at our peril," Mr White said.
AP

Register

The Irish Community have posted
5 REPLIES TO THIS TOPIC
for logged in members to view.

Irish Forums Message Discussion :: Virgin Mary in de Tree worship in Limerick

Virgin Mary in de Tree worship in Limerick

Irish Community Video