Our Lady of the Rock

M. Bitel Lisa

Description

For more than twenty years, Maria Paula Acuna has claimed to see the Virgin Mary, once a month, at a place called Our Lady of the Rock in the Mojave Desert of California. Hundreds of men, women, and children follow her into the desert to watch her see what they cannot. While she sees and speaks with the Virgin, onlookers search the skies for signs from heaven, snapping photographs of the sun and sky. Not all of them are convinced that Maria Paula can see the Virgin, yet at each vision event they watch for subtle clues to Mary's presence, such as the unexpected scent of roses or a cloud in the shape of an angel. The visionary depends on her audience to witness and authenticate her visions, while observers rely on Maria Paula and the Virgin to create a sacred space and moment where they, too, can experience firsthand one of the oldest and most fundamental promises of Christianity: direct contact with the divine. Together, visionary and witnesses negotiate and enact their monthly liturgy of revelations.Our Lady of the Rock, which features text by Lisa M. Bitel and more than sixty photographs by Matt Gainer, shows readers what happens in the Mojave Desert each month and tells us how two thousand years of Christian revelatory tradition prepared Maria Paula and her followers to meet in the desert. Based on six years of observation and interviews, chapters analyze the rituals, iconographies, and physical environment of Our Lady of the Rock. Bitel and Gainer also provide vivid portraits of the pilgrims-who they are, where they come from, and how they practice the traditional Christian discernment of spirits and visions.Our Lady of the Rock follows three pilgrims as they return home with relics and proofs of visions where, out of Maria Paula's sight, they too have learned to see the Virgin. The book also documents the public response from the Catholic Church and popular news media to Maria Paula and other contemporary visionaries. Throughout, Our Lady of the Rock locates Maria Paula and her followers in the context of recent demographic and cultural shifts in the American Southwest, the astonishing increase in reported apparitions and miracles from around the world, the latest developments in communications and visual technologies, and the never-ending debate among academics, faith leaders, scientists, and citizen observers about sight, perception, reason, and belief.

Sujets

• Christian theology
• Sociology
• Local history
• Catholic Church
• Theology
• History of the Americas
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 25 août 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801455445
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

Our Lady of the Rock

Our Lady of the Rock vision and pilgrimage in the mojave desert

LISA M. BITEL photographs by MATT GAINER

Cornell Unîversîty Press

Ithaca and London

Cover photograph: October 13, 2006 (pîlgrîms at the Rocks). Copyrîght Matt Gaîner. Used wîth permîssîon.

Copyrîght © 2015 by Cornell Unîversîty

All rîghts reserved. Except for brîef quotatîons în a revîew, thîs book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced în any form wîthout permîssîon în wrîtîng from the publîsher. For înformatîon, address Cornell Unîversîty Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

Fîrst publîshed 2015 by Cornell Unîversîty Press Fîrst prîntîng, Cornell Paperbacks, 2015

Prînted în the Unîted States of Amerîca

Lîbrary of Congress Catalogîng-în-Publîcatîon Data Bîtel, Lîsa M., 1958– author  Our Lady of the Rock : vîsîon and pîlgrîmage în the Mojave Desert / Lîsa M. Bîtel ; photographs by Matt Gaîner.  pages cm  Includes bîblîographîcal references and îndex.  ISBN 978-0-8014-4854-6 (cloth : alk. paper)  ISBN 978-0-8014-5662-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)  1. Mary, Blessed Vîrgîn, Saînt—Apparîtîons and mîracles—Mojave Desert. I. Gaîner, Matt, îllustrator. II. Tîtle.  BT652.U6B58 2015  232.91'70979495—dc23 2014029088

Cornell Unîversîty Press strîves to use envîronmentally responsîble supplîers and materîals to the fullest extent possîble în the publîshîng of îts books. Such materîals înclude vegetable-based, low-VOC înks and acîd-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorîne-free, or partly composed of nonwood ibers. For further înformatîon, vîsît our websîte at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.

Cloth prîntîng10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Paperback prîntîng 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Peter, who saw God in a jord.

etBsaL

ForMomandTrangforhelpingmeseeclearly, andforMelaandChloe,thatyoumaytoo.

Matt Ganer

Contents

1 2 3 4 5 6

Preface: Looking the Wrong Way

Déjà Vu 1 HeDesertïsWde29 HeModeVsonary40 Lookng Lke Pgrms 69 From Wtness to Vsonary 115 Dscernment at a Dstance 137

X

Conclusion:HeLongue DuréeoCrstan Regous Vson151

Notes157 Index177

ïmpressons: Our Lady o te Rock, 2006–2011,a photo essay by Matt Gainer

October 13, 2006

Preface Lookng te Wrong Way

n 2006 ï was browsng te ïnternet or te atest news o appartons and mraces ï wen ï stumbed across te story o Mara Paua Acuña. A 1997 artce prnted n te Los Angeles Timesreported tat se camed to see te Vrgn Mary at a pace caed Our Lady o te Rock, just outsde Caorna Cty n te Mojae Desert nort o Los Ange-  es.On te trteent o eery mont, undreds o men, women, and cdren oowed Acuña nto te desert to watc. Ony Mara Paua coud see and speak wt te Vrgn, te artce eXpaned, but onookers searced te skes or sgns rom eaen, gazng drecty nto te sun and snappng potograps o te sky. Appartonscomeasnosurprsetoamedeast.ïntepagesoancentmanuscrpts and n te carngs o crumbng curces, ï ae encountered ar more bzarre appar- tons tan te Bessed Vrgn. Premodern Crstans (and oowers o oter at trad- tons) reguary spotted sants, anges, demons by te dozen, lyng sps, rans o bood, irebas, gosts, and sape-sters, among oter mareous sgts. Mara Paua Acuña and er oowers seemed to ofer me a rare cance to wtness regous sons n process rater tan n te pages o a document, and to pose questons tat ï mgt take back to te past. Wat mgt ts mong pcture o ancent practces, ï wondered, reea to me? ït tempted me ke tme trae. ï decded to go see or myse. ï ad mXed eengs wen ï irst wtnessed Mara Paua Acuña a to er knees and address tn ar. Ater a, as an antropoogst rend ad tod me recenty, “We’re researcers—we test te credbty o stuf.” Appartons o te Vrgn Mary seem ess pausbe tese days tan oter knds o nsbe penomena, suc as back oes n space or deces o nanotecnoogy. ï tred to ook troug Mara Paua’s eyes, but o course tat s mpossbe—ony Mara Paua knows wat se sees. ï consdered causes or er beaor and wondered about er background and motes. ï pondered er reaton to te wtnesses wo accompany er to Our Lady o te Rock n te Mojae Desert. St, we ï mgt be abe to rue out some causes or er sgtngs, ï ack edence—asde