PASSAIC, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- In a quiet, New York City suburb to the northwest, Catholic residents have created a shrine to the Virgin Mary where they feel they see her face -- in a tree stump.
The unlikely altar sits between an overpass to Route 21, an empty lot, and an old factory on Hope Avenue. The stump itself has been dressed with a crown and symbols of purity in handmade white cloth, and is surrounded with candles, flowers, and coins.
The New York Times reported that on Dec. 12, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- the patron saint of Mexico -- hundreds of people gathered in the dark of night to worship and pay tribute to "La Virgen" and a man who saw her face on that very day, in 1531.
Mexican local businessmen in the town of Passaic have dressed the area around the stump, putting in a little park with brick and lighting. It is not a coincidence, residents feel, that Exit 12 above on Rt. 21 is directly above the site.
But it isn't just Mexicans who are flocking to the tree stump - Poles, Cubans, Colombians and Ecuadorians are also bringing flowers to the shrine to pray for peace and good health.
Read more on the history of this stump in the community here from NorthJersey.com.
Money Markets and More for Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snow in Washington, D.C., puts some testimony of interest to Wall Street on hold. Staying connected can cost you; many consumers are spending a bundle on electronics. Did e-tailers get a boost from holiday shoppers?
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PASSAIC, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- In a quiet, New York City suburb to the northwest, Catholic residents have created a shrine to the Virgin Mary where they feel they see her face -- in a tree stump. 
Mexican local businessmen in the town of Passaic have dressed the area around the stump, putting in a little park with brick and lighting. It is not a coincidence, residents feel, that Exit 12 above on Rt. 21 is directly above the site. 
