My wife grew up in Minersville, Pennsylvania
Why do I write this? Well, you may have heard that Minersville is experiencing a bit of a religious revival, as the Virgin Mary has begun appearing on a garage door on one of the town's main streets. Krys's grandmother even went down there and touched it! Krys's grandmother is a hard core Catholic, but she was also the kind of person who, ten or fifteen years ago, would mock people who believed in this sort of thing. We're a bit worried about her these days if she's buying into this.
Here's a story about the phenomenon. The text is accompanied with this picture:
Yeah, I think it's a bit of a reach as well. But here's a better picture:
Uh, okay, maybe not. This is from the WNEP story. WNEP is YOUR SOURCE FOR NEWS in northeastern Pennsylvania!
You don't get a good view of it in this video, but you do get a good look at the kind of people who live in Minersville. Considering that back when Krys lived there, the county was number one in the country for alcoholism, maybe the Virgin Mary is telling these people to stop drinking so much Yuengling!¹
I didn't pick on Miss Teen South Carolina for her answer about American education because I can sympathize with her - she's on television and probably really nervous. These people, however, are easy to pick on. I know WHY they want to believe in the Virgin Mary appearing on garage doors. It's the same reason people in the Middle Ages wanted to believe in such things: their lives on Earth are so shitty they need to believe in something better. Believe me, if you'd ever been to Minersville, you'd understand why people want to think that there's something better out there.
Krys is going back there in October to visit her family and introduce them to Norah. I hope the Virgin is still there so she can check it out!
Minersville is just to the west of Pottsville on this map, by the way. In case you're wondering.
¹ Yuengling, America's oldest brewery, does make some damned fine beer, however. So I guess I can't blame all the Polacks up there for drinking it!
Here's a story about the phenomenon. The text is accompanied with this picture:
Yeah, I think it's a bit of a reach as well. But here's a better picture:
Uh, okay, maybe not. This is from the WNEP story. WNEP is YOUR SOURCE FOR NEWS in northeastern Pennsylvania!
You don't get a good view of it in this video, but you do get a good look at the kind of people who live in Minersville. Considering that back when Krys lived there, the county was number one in the country for alcoholism, maybe the Virgin Mary is telling these people to stop drinking so much Yuengling!¹
I didn't pick on Miss Teen South Carolina for her answer about American education because I can sympathize with her - she's on television and probably really nervous. These people, however, are easy to pick on. I know WHY they want to believe in the Virgin Mary appearing on garage doors. It's the same reason people in the Middle Ages wanted to believe in such things: their lives on Earth are so shitty they need to believe in something better. Believe me, if you'd ever been to Minersville, you'd understand why people want to think that there's something better out there.
Krys is going back there in October to visit her family and introduce them to Norah. I hope the Virgin is still there so she can check it out!
Minersville is just to the west of Pottsville on this map, by the way. In case you're wondering.
¹ Yuengling, America's oldest brewery, does make some damned fine beer, however. So I guess I can't blame all the Polacks up there for drinking it!
Labels: Americana, Culture, My excellent wife, Religion
posted by Greg | 12:09 PM
5 Comments:
I don't mock either Miss Teen SC or these folk, the former for the reasons you stated (and because the infamy is WAY out of proportion to a 45-second answer on a TV beauty contest).
The latter for the reason you said, too, actually; we all need something to believe in. I may (OK, do) think it's silly personally, but it's not my place to judge.
The biggest problem I have with people like this, Roger, is that they act all pious around a "miracle" like this, but most of them will not translate that into their regular lives. If they want to regard this as a miracle and actively change the way they live, then it's a good thing. But once this goes away, they'll return to being the shits they are (I'm generalizing, of course, but I bet a lot of these people aren't particularly good Christians). That's what vexes me about these things.
This mysterious vision reminds me of Moses (Ex.III,2)
... only, in this case, "the vision of the mysterious non-burning flame" is happening on an almost everyday basis, and for everyone to see ...
Is the "garage door" made of wood ?
Also, it reminds me of the King of Babylone (Dan.V,7-8,26-28)
... evidently, "the thoughts of many are getting troubled" (as we read through the blogs)... something is there on the wall, and again, no-one is found to give an answer ...(only spurious answers).
Francis Batt
Paris, France
If your angry liberal wife is so ashamed of her roots, then tell her to stay out of Schuylkill County, she is not welcome. For someone like "greg" (who I'm sure doesn't know what or where the coal region even is) to refer to the people in this town as "shits" who "aren't particularly good Christians" is ridiculous. As anyone who knows anything about this town can tell you, Minersville is filled with religion and faith. Not just the "go to church every Sunday" kind... but the be a good neighbor kind. This town has a church on nearly every block and a prayer at every dinner table. It is the kind of place where you can ask your neighbor for anything, where the entire town is your family, and where people are genuinly nice to one another. It may be silly to some to think that it was actually the Virgin Mary appearing on the garage doors, however, to make generalized and rude comments about the people in this town is uncalled for. For all of you holier than thou idiots, calling the people of this town hypocrites and judging us, don't forget that "there's only one true judge." Who is the hypocrite here? And we all thank God that you and your shameful wife are not in Minersville because you are exactly the kind of neighbor we are happy to not know.
I personally don't see why people get so worked up about this. If you think it's a miracle and you change your ways for the better, that's good. But if you don't think so, you don't have to right to criticize those who do.
Post a Comment
<< Home