People are flocking to a tree in northern New Jersey where some claim to have seen the image of the Virgin Mary, according to the Associated Press.
The tree in West New York is on a sidewalk, along a commercial strip.
Eva Copantitla of West New York was the first person to notice the image on Tuesday around 3 p.m. immediately after she informed Mayor Felix Roque, who allowed flowers to be placed at the base of the tree.
"Most of the people believe it's a miracle," Copantitla told reporters.
Makeshift shrines have been constructed by the tree to tend to people who've been praying, crying and leaving flowers and candles. Visitors to the tree have said they have seen Virgin Mary at the small opening where the bark has been stripped away. A fence and other barricades also have been set up around the tree.
Newark Archdiocese spokesman Jim Goodness told The Journal of Jersey City that the image was likely "some discoloration that resembles Our Lady of Guadalupe."
In June 2011, a South Carolina couple reportedly said that Jesus' image appeared on their Walmart receipt. A Brisbane, Australia, pizza shop grabbed headlines in March 2011 when it produced a three-cheese pizza that believers swore contained an image of Jesus' face.
And a New Mexico man claimed he had found an image of Jesus on a freshly-baked tortilla.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
