20-foot Virgin Mary statue to be built atop its Douglas ski slope (Mt. Shasta Ski Park )[/caption]
A 20-foot tall statue of the Virgin Mary is planned for Mount Shasta Ski Park. The platform for the statue is already being built at the top of the Douglas Lift. The statue is planned to be in place next summer.
It was a shared goal of Owner Robin Merlo and her late husband, Ray. In a post to the Mt. Shasta Ski Park’s social media, the park wrote, in part, “This statue is a promise fulfilled and a true representation of the dedication to family that we all value so much at the ski park.”
The park says the goal of the statue is not to focus on any one religion, but to acknowledge and honor the beauty and spiritual power of the mountain.
However, there are detractors. A petition was started on Sunday, Dec. 10, on change.org, asking the United States Forest Service to force the Merlos to stop work on the project, and asking the Merlos to donate their money to something to benefit the entire community instead.
“We ask the owners of Mount Shasta Ski Park to cease and desist this construction project immediately. We ask the US Forest Service, with whom the ski park holds use permits, to insist that Mount Shasta Ski Park discontinue this project. We suggest donating the money allocated for this project toward something that might actually benefit the community in a real way, such as a much needed homeless shelter or detox facility,” the petition says.
Petitioners say the large statue will take away from the natural beauty of the park and create an environment that’s not inclusive or respectful.
As of this report, the petition has 596 signatures with a goal of 1,000.
From KRCRTV
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If private citizens lease property from the government, aren’t they allowed to erect outdoor “decorations” (with, of course, reasonable consideration of the environment and some other specific issues)?
This is such a dumb idea. A 20-foot tall statue doesn’t belong there. It will spoil the natural beauty that the organizers claim they are highlighting. A ski lift and park isn’t a religious space. It’s on leased public land. I am a Catholic and I hope this misguided project gets halted. Put a statue in your backyard. This does not honor the Blessed Virgin. This is an expression of ego and misdirected piety.
If you can’t look at this objectively, as I have, then consider what you would think if the park owners leasing the land sought to erect a 20-foot statue of Buddha in the same place. Or of Bart Simpson. Those would also be out of place.
In the first place, the Buddha and the Blessed Virgin were historical figures, Bart Simpson, not so much. Secondly, if it were a statue of the Buddha, even if it did make the news, there wouldn’t be nearly the push back. No doubt in my cynical mind that the constitutional rights of the family will be violated on this point. I’m also convinced that intense, organized prayer would assist them in prevailing.
And…’out of place’….seriously….like a bunch of industrial sized electric motors, pulleys and lift chairs blend in with alpine terrain…spare us. I’ll take misdirected piety over toxic hostility from within any day of the week….
Really?
You can’t see the difference between a statue honoring the Mother of God and Buddha? Or Bart Simpson??
What about Truth?!?!
Bart Simpson is a fictional character.
Buddha is dead, founder of a false religion.
Catholic Truth must reclaim the public square.
Look what happened over the past 60 years since the Council, when Holy Mother Church suddenly fell silent.
The Revolution proceeded — and the Evil One now controls the Narrative everywhere.
This must stop.
The saving Truth of God Incarnate through His Most Holy Mother must be proclaimed from every mountaintop!
Downthumbers are likely misguided Integralists who want America to be a Catholic theocracy.
Winner! You are correct that they are Integralists. They oppose the display of the rainbow flag but they support a ginormous statue of Mary in a ski park. They only want their way. They are as totalitarian as China, but they think being Catholic makes them automatically right.
Maybe…or maybe they just want equal treatment under the law…the issue isn’t a statue…the issue is it is Catholic, If it were Bart Simpson, there would be no discussion at all. It would go up and stay up. Clearly this has struck a nerve that is causing some very uncomfortable introspection that is manifesting in toxicity veiled in woke speak. But whatever….self awareness has never been a defining characteristic of progressive ideology.
I fear this will be up just long enough for a court order requiring it to be removed.
Among new agers Mt Shasta is legendary as a ‘spiritual ‘vortex’.Beneath it is a ‘crystal city’ full of the former inhabitants of ‘Lemuria’ whose continent was sunk after a war with the Atlanteans. Over the years , Mt Shasta area inhabitants have moved into the area just to be near the ‘energy’ of the mountain. just google ‘mountain shasta spiritual’. the New Age movement loves diversity except when Christianity asks for a space….the petition signers are growing number daily
“New Agers’ Satanist by any other name… triggered to irrationality by the depiction of the Mother of the One they hate the most…
Fascinated by any Catholic who would oppose the statue…bet they rationalize abortion also. What the heck ever happened to private property rights, even long-term lease property? The opponents have no idea how anti-American government’s control over every part of our lives is in spite of laws to the contrary.
I wouldn’t know that was Mary if you did not tell me.
I don’t think I have ever seen any representation show her thigh before.
New to Catholicism? Welcome. This is a depiction of her in many statues actually taking a step toward the observer.
The placement of this statue is a wonderful thing and extends the inspiration brought to the Americas by the Virgin Mary Mother of God when she appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico in December of 1531. After her appearance, which is well documented, millions converted from the practice of human sacrifice to a compassion toward humankind. Because of that event, Mary, ofen referred to as Our Lady of Guadalupe, has been recognized as the patron of the Americas and it is a wonderful thing to have her represented within the beauty and wonder of Mt. Shasta.
I have learned that the ski park is on privately owned land. The permit with the US Forest Service is for commercial traffic on a forest service road through a US forest to get to the inheld plot. As private property, the owners can do whatever they want with it, subject to building and zoning restrictions. So, go ahead and put up a statue.
Mt. Shasta– or any mountainous area– is a perfect place for a beautiful, serene, holy statue of Our Blessed Mother! Beautiful, serene, inspiring statues of Christ and Our Blessed Mother, are badly needed, in today’s evil, corrupt, Death Culture-saturated world. These statues, rare in America, often inspire people, and bring hope and peace to troubled hearts. The holy Mother of Christ is a Biblical figure that any Christian can relate to, and many non-Christians may also be drawn to. Her beauty, peace, love, kindness, goodness, and serene, heavenly grace, may attract, daily uplift, and eventually transform many broken hearts, hurting victims of today’s corrupt Death Culture. We need more beautiful, holy, serene statues of Our Blessed Mother, in public places, in our country– wherever they can be safely placed. It is always heartening and uplifting, to see a picture or statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, honored in Mexican places of business—- even if the business owners do not seem very religious. The inspiring Christ the Redeemer statue, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is world-famous, and uplifts the hearts of all who see it.
Not me
Some ski resorts have indigenous arts and religion as do even some national parks. So, why is a Christian statue objectionable? Christians aren’t asking for special treatment, only equal treatment (under the law).
https://coloradosun.com/2023/11/10/winter-park-indigenous-art-installation/
This is a wonderful idea. California and America needs more expressions of faith.
I pray she feels some of the honor Christ gives her there. Maybe she’ll grace the state with a real apparition someday, so more will love her who is “blessed”.
I love the statue. Great idea!