Comment of The Week
So many good comments are being submitted by visitors to this Blog that it seems only fitting that an attempt be made to give attention to the most outstanding comments by posting them on the front page so they are not missed by the casual passersby.
The following account was submitted by a writer named Margaret who blessed us with a wonderful story regarding her conversion and the events surrounding her coming to Jesus through Our Lady of America. It speaks volumes as to what the use of this Holy Ground is to be for future generations.
Submitted Jan 10, 2006 @ 2:43 p.m.
I will always remember my first visit to Rome City. It was just after I was divorced and I was in a very angry mood with everyone.
I was driving around one Sunday and I stopped in to this big place because I needed to use a restroom.
There were some people around and they directed me inside and I did my business. I came out and looked around a bit because it had a very comforting feel to it.
I got to talking with the owner and he said his name was Larry. He said he and his wife were trying to build this into a place that would help kids and their families and they would be doing sports events and family retreats.
I was kind of anti-family oriented at this time given the fact I had just gone through a bitter divorce and I told him I thought it was "nice" even though I was thinking "screw the kids and the families".
Larry picked up on my emotional state and asked if there was anything I wanted to talk about. For some reason I just unloaded 24 years of pent up rage at this guy and he took it without flinching a muscle. I mean I called my ex everything in the sailor's dictionary plus a few made up phrases that nobody should ever hear in their lifetime. And he just looked at me when I was done and asked me "now, aren't you glad you had to pee?"
We ended up taking a ride around the property and he told me about the apparitions that had happened there years before. He said he had no idea about them when he bought the place but that he was quite certain they had indeed happened because of all the people like me who end up there wondering why it was we stopped in the first place.
He told me I needed to learn to love myself more and that once I did, I would then allow others to love me too and that would complete the essence of Christ's image in all of us. I may be paraphrasing but I had never heard that before and it made so much sense. I have never forgotten that moment and I hope I never will. We were up on a hill looking over a meadow it was so peaceful.
He dropped me back at my car and I thanked him for showing me around but I really wanted to thank him for showing me the way out of my misery.
On a later visit, I met an old priest who was living there and he sat and talked with me in the lounge for a while. He was very inspiring and he listened to everything I said so completely. He prayed with me and gave me a blessing.
I have since come to know Jesus in a way I had never thought possible and I was introduced to him by the Blessed Mother and Our Lady of America. I completed my RCIA training and was baptized 3 years ago Easter.
I have to say "Yes, I am glad I had to pee".
posted by OLTIV @ 12:15 AM
28 Comments
28 Comments:
That's a great story.
Chalk one up for Our Lady of America.
Good people, you should closely inspect the statue of the so-called lady of America that appears on the front page of this website. If you do, you will realize how absurd it is to claim that it represents an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It looks more like a barbie-doll than anything else. The statue completely lacks the aspect of grace and holiness that we see in true representations of Our Lady. Just take a close look at it. Discern, good people. Do not fall for such a sham! That statue is not only an attempt to deceive you, but also to humiliate you, by trying to convince you to venerate an impious caricature of the Blessed Virgin.
Also, look at the veil on that statue. It appears more like some silly fashion accessory, like a scarf, rather than a garment of modesty and grace. Have you ever seen the like in any of the true icons of our Blessed Mother? On true statues of the Blessed Virgin, her veils are long and graceful...reaching to the ground or very near to it. That is because they reflect the beauty and grace of our Blessed Mother, unlike the statues of the false apparition in Indiana. It is blasphemous to suggest that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary ever appeared in such a pretentious get-up. Just look at the statues of Our Lady of Lourdes, or Our Lady of Fatima, or Our Lady of Guadalupe, then look at the statue of the so-called lady of America. You can immediately see how out of place that statue is when compared to the true icons of the Handmaiden of the Lord!
There is an unmistakable affinity and harmony among the true icons of Blessed Mary. They all clearly convey the sense that they are, indeed, of one and the same Lady. It is this quality of harmony with the others that is lacking in the statue of the so-called lady of America. The difference is as sharp as a thistle among roses. Reject the thistle! Embrace the rose!
God bless you and reveal the truth to you!
Dear Anonymous-
Now you are an art critic. Good to see you are increasing your base of criticism. The old lines were getting a little stale.
I'll pray for you.
I am a firm believer in Our Lady of America and I intend to visit Rome City as soon as the weather gets better.
Are there hotels nearby or can we rent a room on the property?
To me, this is solid eveidence of the good fruits being harvested at places such as this that the discerning faithful should be taking into account when considering whether to believe the veracity of an event such as Our Lady of America.
I find this to be a truthful event. The messages are timely for our country and the spiritual conviction of those involved cannot be disputed. The Holy Spirit is definitely working through these people and has chosen this place for important work.
Please pray for Our Lady of America.
I pray for Our Lady of America and I will pray for the unfortunate who will not open their eyes to the possibilities that exist for this great movement.
I do plan to make a trip to Rome City when I can. This is exciting.
"Also, look at the veil on that statue. It appears more like some silly fashion accessory, like a scarf, rather than a garment of modesty and grace. Have you ever seen the like in any of the true icons of our Blessed Mother?"
Uh! Oh! Doubting Anonymous. I hope you won't faint, but you just might want to check out Our Lady of La Salette:
http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/approved/appariti/lasalett.html
or Our Lady of Miracles - a much less clothed image with only a crown; not veil as per your instructions! (And btw, OLOA has more layers of modesty upon herself - even the cape is to the ground - as per your instructions!! than most images of traditional art)
"On true statues of the Blessed Virgin, her veils are long and graceful...reaching to the ground or very near to it."
Guess we just eliminated Our Lady of Medjugorje too! Actually, the veil of OLOA is about the same length as Our Lady of Medjugorje whom you've apparently approved of. Wish to change your mind about that one too? Incidentally OLOM has her hair appearing from the veil as well.
And I suppose you had better instruct the Church about honoring St. Elizabeth Seton and her sisters of Charity in such dress with only a short cape and bonnet!
"Elizabeth Ann Seton is a Saint. She is the first daughter of the United States of America to be glorified with this incomparable attribute."
Pope Paul VI, September 14, 1975
Could it possibly be that in the first image of Our Lady of America there could be some connection to the first saint of America??? The distinction being the crown?
P.S. I've never seen Barbie dressed so modestly - with veil et al!
KRIS
Kris-
A few of us were talking at breakfast this morning about how much we are enjoying the articles and comments being generated on this blog. It has spurred some very lively discussions and helped us bring more people to agree that Our Lady of America is worthy of belief.
One of our group mentioned the continual negative comments from the anonymous commentor and how she waits for your replies to shed more truth on the allegations and negate the allegations.
We also noticed that your own tone has seemed to become much more open and supportive of the efforts of the OLTIV group and Rome City in particular. I offered as an explanation that many people outside of this particular area had no idea of the history and current events associated with this Holy Ground. Now that they are finding out what many of us have known in our hearts for so long, it is hard to deny the fact that the Holy Spirit is all about this special place and that there is a special plan yet to unfold.
I have heard the owners repeatedly admonish people from going overboard with their enthusiasm in regard to their experiences and pray and discern what it is that has been happening. They never told these people to deny their experiences but that they should try to remember these are gifts of the Holy Spirit and we need to keep the proper perspective. This could be a big reason why these things were not very well known before this.
The healings are wonderful and the sun spinning is fantastic but the real work is the spiritual development and bringing families to a stronger commitment to Our Lord Jesus.
Come, Holy Spirit!
Well, the white statue isn't nearly as pretty as the new statue. I prefer the color one.
This comment is not in response to this particular post. It is being commented here only in hope it will get noticed easier since this is the most recent on the blog.
Our Lady is pleading with all of us to please remember and read her messages again and again to Sister Mary Ephram. Please all remember why Our Lady of America appeared to this visionary. She appeared to her in many places it seems other than just Rome City and Fosteria Ohio. Rome City seemingly appears to be the most Holy Ground felt by most who are commenting on this blog. It truly does have a holy and historical background of healing waters, and even a miraculou healing as far back as the turn of the century. She led the current owner of this land to it, more than likely, to pick up this plea since her first apparition was there. I have a lot of respect and piety for these grounds which I consider Holy as many of you do. I personally love visiting and praying at Rome City, Indiana, but this is still not addressing what Sister Mary Ephram was asked to do by Our Lady. You all have read the messages and already know what this is truly about.
Our Lady is pleading to be recognized by her bishops and to have her image, as Our Lady of America, honored in a solemn procession and be placed in a place of honor at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Wahington D.C. She has promised many miracles of the "soul", so much more important than that of the body. She has promised to protect the United States of America through all the tribulations so that we, with Her Son's direction, will be the country to lead the world to peace. She has asked us to lead lives of familiy devotion and purity. She has asked this country to be the example for the rest of the world. Do we not yet realize how important during these horrific times in this world Her message is? I beg with Our Lady, that we all need to gather as one to fulfill her wishes. It is wonderful to respect and honor the places she chose to appear to her visionary; it is wonderful to recognize the miracles of Christ's heaings of those that were touched at some of these locations. But what we need to do is focus together on bringing our bishops together and praying to help Her realize her wishes for our sake and the sake of this country and the world.
Our Lady does not want us to lose sight of the reason she appeared to the wonderful visionary she chose. All the rest will fall into place once this is accomplished, and we will have many places of peace and Godliness to go to if we can fulfill her wishes.
In the name of Our Lady of America and in the name of all of the apparitions She chose to come as to different visionaries, she is begging us to refocus our energies on this one solitary goal right now. She wants us to Please work together to get her into the Shrine and to change our lives in this country and to help lead the rest of the world to peace.
In the wishes and love of Our Lady, please read the messages, refocus the goals and let us take one step at a time to make this very timely plea become a realization.
In the name of the Immaculate Virgin, she is pleading with us.
God bless and guide each of us on our way to answer her call!
Just as it takes the many facets of a diamond to show its brilliance, so is the many ways we need to view the messages, the meanings, and the works of Our Lady of America to really grasp their full beauty and character.
We do need to focus on the messages as we have been asked to do since 1956---although nobody outside of a fairly small group of people were really aware of them for nearly two decades after they were initially delivered because of the need for discernment.
From a Catholic Church perspective, the average lay person can do nothing but wait for the Bishops to answer Our Lady's call. In the meantime, however, we can help to spread the word---by use of internet, person-to person communications, and any means available---to help as many people come to know the wishes of Our Lady of America. I think many people will reject it just as this forum has shown. BUT, many more will gladly accept Our Lady's request in a childlike manner if we just inform them.
We need to focus on the messages, but we also need to be prepared for what may be (and respond to what we determine is obviously happening before our eyes that the Holy Spirit has delivered to us).
If we do not work to polish all of the facets, we will not come to see the full brilliance of "God's light shining in and about you".
This is an awesome website. Very emotional expressions and some very informative posts.
I don't think the Bishops will do anything anytime soon because they rarely do anything without considerable discussion and tabling it for years. The church just moves slowly.
Amen Ortz and Speaking from the heart. Pray for our bishops. Pray for our country. Pray for purity and our families. Have faith in Our Lady and her Son.
I agree with Ortez. We need to be working on all fronts while we keep the thrust moving towards confirmation.
ALL of the great devotions inspired by messages from Our Lady took root amongst the populace long before they were ever "approved" in one fashion or another by either local Bishops or the Vatican. The big places like Lourdes and Fatima had people visiting the actual sites of these apparitions for years.
I don't see anything going on in Rome City taking away from the priority of enshrinement in the National Shrine. If anything, I see it supporting it to a great extent by bringing more people to full knowledge.
If exceptional things are happening to various people in need of special gifts along the way, why should we ignore the bounty of God's blessings and say they don't matter as much? I say don't look that horse in the mouth. Remember that Jesus only performed miracles so that people would believe in Him and come to know the TRUTH of His message.
I have read and shared this person's testimony over and over. I have shared it with everyone on my mailing list. To me, this is what it is all about. Bringing people to Her Son.
Didn't Sr. Lucia say something about the fact that we would enter the new age through a groundswell of belief from the common people and that we would not be lead by the higher authorities in the Church?
I am no expert but I believe Lucia did have something to say about the movement would come from the people and not be started from the top. This sure looks like it has all of the hallmarks of what Sr. Lucia was saying.
Are we headed for even bigger trouble than 9/11? Is avian flu going to strike? What about earthquakes---8.3 in the Pacific just the other day and scientists say we are over due for the BIG ONE. Global warming?
I say forget about all of the natural disasters and terrorist threats. It's too late. We have already done ourselves in with all of the moral decay we have so willingly let creep into our society. We threw God out of the schools (and just about everywhere else) and we ask ourselves why we are facing huge increases in fatherless children, inherited poverty, drug dependence and alcoholism (and that's just the teenagers)?
People, Our Lady is showing us the way and it is through HER SON---it always has been---and She keeps repeating it everywhere She goes and makes herself visible to people like Sr. Neuzil and the young Bernadette.
FOCUS PEOPLE----FOCUS!
Concentrate on the messages and learn their true meaning---don't just memorize them---make them a part of your being.
Pay attention to the signs as well. It is quite alright to travel to places like this in Rome City where Our Lady appeared and offer devotion. It is NATURAL for you to want to respond in such a way---BUT---keep working diligently to fulfill HER wishes and let's find a way to get Her image as Our Lady of America into the National Shrine---IN A PLACE OF THE HIGHEST HONOR---for all to see.
WOW!!! Way to go Royce. I want to be in your boat when the flood comes.
This is "Aunt Raven" Wenner again, even though I'm posting as anonymous because that's all I can get the computer to do.
Re comments about the appearance of Our Lady of America: The veil length and the style of dress reflect the typical silhouette of an American bride: the crown with its 7 rays is reminscent of the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
A person with no religious background remarks. "She reminds me of the good witch in the movie 'The Wizard of Oz"! Now this may sound on the surface disrespectful; however the United States has never been a Catholic country and Our Lady is well aware that her image will resonate in certain ways outside the Catholic community. It is noteworthy that she refers to the holy youth who will carry her message to the world as "Our Lady's torch-bearers" --this, along with the seven-rayed crown, will have some resonance with the national icon of the statue of Liberty. I suggest that "The Wizard of Oz is also an Iconic American work of art (in the modern medium of film) which is meaningful to the majority of un-churched Americans, and that Our Lady is consciously hinting references to these quintessentially American images in the way she appears as Our Lady of America. She is in fact, "baptizing" these secular icons to a Christian and Marian frame of reference; much as the Church enculturates the good aspects of pre-Christian icons in other countries. (eg., missionaries used the Chinese Kuannon and Japanese Kuan Yin "goddess' as a pagan prophetic type of the merciful mother of God.)
Our Lady of America is the Immaculate Conception, but her appearances to Sr Neuzel remind the average American in the USA of the wholesome "girl-next-door" as radiant bride which is appealing and somehow "familiar" to non-Catholics as well as Catholics. She is lovable and "looks like one of us" which is the way she appears in every culture--that's what she did as Our Lady of Guadalupe to convert the native peoples, and that's what she's doing as Our Lady of America to convert all those who are non-amerindians, descendants of immigrants from many nations.
Very good insight Aunt Raven. I like the way you think.
*ATTENTION***ATTENTION***ATTENTION*
You will soon have access to online registration for the upcoming Spring '07 Pilgrimage Retreats at Sylvan Springs in Rome City, IN.
The Spring schedule will begin on April 11-13 and continue every Wed-Fri through mid June.
There will be daily Mass, prayer, and topical speakers at each event. Adoration and Reconciliation services will be determined by schedule and availability of priests.
If you are looking to bring a group and would like to schedule your own retreat, and you are able to schedule your own priest, we can help you with a Friday-Sunday schedule.
Rates for the two night stay are $195/room single occupancy and $260/room double occupancy. ALL ROOMS HAVE 1 FULL SIZE BED AND SHARE A BATH/SHOWER. Refrigerators are available in each housing unit.
ALL MEALS AND STUDY MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED. Those attending may wish to bring a notebook for private study.
If you would like immediate information or would prefer to register by mail, please email us at info@oltiv.org.
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