In Loving Memory of Alma Vita Arbol (c.
~ 1825–2025)
A Matriarch of Shade, Spirit, and Sanctuary
With solemn reverence we mourn the passing of Alma Vita Arbol, the majestic Bur Oak who glorified God with her life, who stood sentinel on the southwest side of St. Paul Church in Macomb, Illinois. She was a gentle, vibrant, and faithful member of the parish community. Estimated to have lived for over two centuries, Alma Vita Arbol—whose name means “Soul, Life, Tree”—was more than wood and leaf. She was a living testament to endurance, grace, and divine presence.
It is reported that in the early morning hours of September 3, 2025, Alma was felled without ceremony. As children of St. Paul School returned from Labor Day weekend, they were met not with the familiar comfort of Alma’s shade, but with the shock of her absence—her trunk severed, her canopy gone, a sacred space violated. Their grief is a testament to the depth of Alma’s impact and the innocence of those who knew her as a quiet friend. Those who brought flowers in her honor in the hours following Alma’s deliberate passing were further saddened by having their flowers and other memorial items immediately discarded.
Alma became, in the end, another victim of violence—not of malice, but of expedience--a casualty of “progress” that refused to bend. Her limbs, once outstretched in welcome, were severed. Her roots, once deep in devotion, torn from the earth. The silence that follows is not peace. It is absence.
Born long before Macomb itself was founded, Alma witnessed the rise of the first wooden Catholic church in 1867, the establishment of the Diocese of Peoria in 1875, and the laying of brick for the current church in 1925. She shaded generations of worshippers, seekers, and wanderers—her canopy a quiet cathedral above the St. Francis of Assisi Meditation Garden, dedicated to the tireless service of the Sisters of St. Francis from Clinton, Iowa.
Alma did not merely grow beside God’s house—she embraced it. Her limbs stretched wide in welcome, her roots deep in devotion. She offered shelter to prayer, comfort to grief, and a place of reflection to all who paused beneath her branches. One parishioner recalls joyfully running around Alma with David C., the nicest boy in the 6th grade.
Alma’s presence was not ornamental—it was sacramental. Despite being declared healthy and structurally sound by four seasoned arborists, Alma’s fate was sealed by a decision that appears to have been made without respecting their counsel. Though alternatives existed—ones that could have allowed her to coexist with the planned parish hall—her removal was deemed necessary by some who were not flexible enough to bend their plans. And so, a life that could have stretched another century or more was cut short.
Alma’s passing is not just the loss of a beloved tree, but the silencing of a witness to history, a steward of sacred space, and a beloved member of the parish family.
Plans are underway to craft a table from Alma’s wood for the new parish hall—a gesture of remembrance. For any who may choose to gather around that table, may you also remember this: there were some tables Jesus flipped. Let this table be a place of truth, justice, and holy disruption when needed.
Moving forward, Alma would wish to acknowledge that although she lovingly stood beside St. Paul Catholic Church and adored looking over its flock, she was a member of the entire Macomb community. Her beauty and the air she provided for Macomb’s residents was inclusive of all faiths/ non-faiths. Alma loved all and did not discriminate. She would also wish to acknowledge that when “raising saints” we should teach our young people to value and protect life. Alma especially thanks teachers like Ms. Burnham and Ms. Mortier, two teachers who ensured the students under their care grew to understand the sanctity of life. She would want us to especially offer comfort and thanks to Tim Howe, who lovingly stood vigil for her. Alma knows deeply that Tim did his utmost to love, protect, and advocate for her. With profound care and unwavering conviction, Tim sounded the alarm—gently, persistently—hoping to awaken hearts before it was too late. May our community forever cherish his decency and devotion to her legacy.
Although she is gone, we invite you to sit beneath her in spirit. Let Alma’s memory speak to you. Let her silence remind you of what we lose when we do not listen. Let us remember the shade she gave, the prayers she heard, the lives she touched. Let us carry forward her legacy—not just in sorrow, but in resolve. That we might choose preservation over haste, reverence over removal, and listen more deeply to the quiet wisdom of what has stood long before us.
Memorials in honor of Alma Vita Arbol may be made to: The National Arbor Day Foundation, Greenpeace, Amnesty International
