Hail Mary

So, people have descended upon West New York, which is actually in New Jersey, because an image of the Virgin Mary has appeared on a tree. This must be the Descension, as opposed to the Ascension.
If, in fact, God, or Mary herself, created this image, why there? What makes West New York a prime place to install her likeness in tree bark? Perhaps one clue lies in Census figures, which indicate that West New York is a town of about 50,000 with a largely Hispanic population. They're devout people. So that could be a reason. Hey, West New Yorkers, Mary in a tree shall be your reward for your devotion.
But that raises other questions. Like why tree bark? Maybe it was the work of a pious squirrel. Or woodpecker. And why are extraterrestrial visitors so interested in people's rectums? Perhaps a person created this Mary image so people would flock to the town and spend money. Previous appearances by Mary, and Jesus, too, have involved food, which raises even more questions. Food is perishable. Or else people eat it and then digest it, dealing Mary a grim fate. Tree bark has more longevity, though bird droppings present their own challenge.
Sometimes the religious figures' images take the form of apparitions. So much so that the Vatican has issued rules regarding such sightings. They're called Norms Regarding the Manner of Proceeding in the Discernment of Presumed Apparitions or Revelations. That's pithy. And would people really lie about something like that? Well, maybe not lie, but I guess the Vatican needs to lay down the law to make sure people saw what they thought they saw. Like a puddy tat.
Is God or Mary installing these images or appearing as apparitions to maintain an air of mystery? If so, why? Why can't God give us a sure sign he's there and not just, you know, appear in coffee milk or on the surface of an English muffin? Why must faith be the doctrine by which the Church guides its flock? Maybe people look for Mary in a tree because they need to see an outward sign of her existence. Maybe faith sometimes wears thin. Apparently we know what Mary looked, or looks, like because a guy in Mexico saw a vision. Ok, that seems pretty solid. I was worried we might not really know what she looked like.