Part II Miraculous Healings, Through Our Lady's Intercession, Documented in 1915
When Sister Mary Reparata left the sanitarium (
Sister made her religious profession in August of 1916. Father Walz attended the ceremony. Sister related to Father an incident that occurred during her novitiate. One night, not able to contain the burning love in her soul for Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament she went to the chapel door (which was locked) and spent part of the night prostrate on the floor in ardent prayer. Also in 1916 Sister Mary Reparata was sent to Holy Family School in Saginaw, Michigan. There she gave piano and violin lessons and also taught singing.
In December of 1918 Sister was so ill with tuberculosis that she was dying. Again she was miraculously cured. One of the sisters brought the dying nun a statue of Our Blessed Mother. She immediately opened her eyes and smiled. She was cured. It was 3:00 pm on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12th).
Soon Sr. Mary Raparata was transferred to Holy Rosary Academy, Bay City, Michigan. There on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 1919 she met with Father Walz. During the visit she told him that Our Lady had appeared to her the night before her miraculous cure (Dec. 11th-12). The apparition occured at 2:00 am. Our Lady was dressed as Our Lady of Grace. Our lady's hands were folded before Her. She was smiling.
The next day (December 12th) at about 1:00 pm Our Lady appeared again. Sister asked Our Blessed Mother if she was going to die. Our Lady answered "No, you will have to suffer very much for the conversion of sinners. Pray much for my Son's ministers. His Heart is bleeding for them. What do you want My child?" Sister replied "I want to love Christ as much as I can, so much that I cannot love Him more, so that I may die of very love. I am willing to suffer, but You must help me." Our Lady responded "I am your Mother" and added "you will not stay here long." Our Lady referring to Fr. Walz, told Sister to "tell him all." Immediately Father wrote down everything he had heard from this saintly soul.
posted by OLTIV @ 9:47 PM
37 Comments
37 Comments:
Was this facility run by the Precious Blood Missionary priests or by the Sisters?
When was it founded?
I was given this website info outside of church this morning. a deear friend invited me for coffee to discuss the topic.
This looks to be quite authentic and from what I was told it may be ready for approval. If it is I can assure it will be a big success. Our Lady draws big crowds.
Interesting articles and very supportive of Our Lady of America's messages. It seems that She was laying the groundwork at this place long before She announced herself as Our Lady of America.
I was quite skeptical of the truthfulness of Our Lady of America when I first heard about it several years ago at a Medjugorje conference held at Notre Dame. Michael Brown talked about it and I just wasn't sold on it (partly because I was hearing it from him and he seems a bit of a salesman that the sky is always falling).
One other problem I had was that there were copyrights and trademarks for everything the official center was putting out. It looked commercial and not authentic. I can see trying to protect your publishing rights but I can never agree with anyone owning the name Our Lady gave herself. This is something that belongs to everyone who reads these messages just like Our Lady of Fatima and Lourdes and Guadalupe.
After reading the articles on this site and the various comments I have come to a different decision and I now fully support and believe in these messages. What sold me is all of the common threads I can connect between these messages and the circumstances surrounding their delivery with those of the other "confirmed" apparitions of Mother Church. I see all of this following the historical patterns set up by all of the other approved apparitions of Our Lady under her various names and geographical identities.
I plan to visit Rome City when I am able. Since I have already been to The National Shrine of The Immaculate Conception I do not plan to return unless Our Lady of America is "enshrined after a solemn procession".
Come, Holy Spirit and Bless us all.
Mary responded to Elizabeth’s praise of "Hail, Mary, full of grace" with the humble, exuberant prayer known as the Magnificat: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” She reflects the attention to Her back to the heavens. No one need fear that honor given her will detract from the majesty of Her divine Son. She deflects all praises given her back to God, the source of her own greatness.
True devotion to Mary according to the Second Vatican Council calls not for sentimental piety or any preoccupation with every rumored apparition. But rather, imitation of her virtues, particularly her faith.
I would not place this apparition in the same category as any of the other alleged apparitions already condemned by Church authority. It has been granted the first levels of approval and should be considered among the most authentic of the yet-to-be-confirmed apparitions of Our Lady that exist today. We need to imitate Her virtues, particularly Her faith and take to heart Her message of purity.
I pray for the success of Our Lady of America and for all the places where pilgrims may gather in honor of this very special devotion.
Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts on this web space. I too plan to visit some time this summer.
"One other problem I had was that there were copyrights and trademarks for everything the official center was putting out. It looked commercial and not authentic. I can see trying to protect your publishing rights but I can never agree with anyone owning the name Our Lady gave herself. This is something that belongs to everyone who reads these messages just like Our Lady of Fatima and Lourdes and Guadalupe."
This all sounds like a money making scheme. First they are trying to popularize the place in Indiana. Then the shops and hotels and restaurants will follow. The problem is that most people are not buying the stories of apparitions at that place. That's why it's gotten nowhere in 50 years.
In 50 years there hasn't even been a committee to look into the claims of apparitions which are really nothing more than a promotional campaign. This place will never become a place of pilgrimmage such as Fatima and Lourdes and even Medjugorje because it lacks the approval of the Church and the blessing of the Lord.
God bless you and keep you in His graces always!
It looks to me like all this site is doing is letting people know what has happened. Are you afraid of people telling their truthful stories? Are you calling Fr. Max Walz a liar because he reported what he saw? Get with it.
Anonymous-
I am personally getting fed up with your line of thinking. Why are you so bullish on the possibility that this is real. Maybe you don't recognize that Bishops are really priests and that they ARE talking about it. Hence these websites with information for us to share. What is so hard about realizing that there might be more to God's plan than what you were taught when you were a child? You sound like an old stuck recording.
My God is alive and he has wondrous gifts to give His children if they just ask for them through his Son and The Queen of Heaven and Earth.
Anonymous-
"First they are trying to popularize the place in Indiana. Then the shops and hotels and restaurants will follow."
Would you rather pilgrims sleep under their cars and not have medical service personnel on hand to assist them in the event of an emergency? What about toilets and food services for the people? I think you need to be realistic.
KRIS
"One other problem I had was that there were copyrights and trademarks for everything the official center was putting out. It looked commercial and not authentic. I can see trying to protect your publishing rights but I can never agree with anyone owning the name Our Lady gave herself. This is something that belongs to everyone who reads these messages just like Our Lady of Fatima and Lourdes and Guadalupe."
If I may offer some reasons here. The very fact that these messages do belong to everyone, now and as well into the future, is why there has to be the protection to the original messages by those who were the closest personally to Sr. Mildred as witnesses to the true history and facts. This is also extremely important when the mission given by OLOA Herself is to work towards the bishops' acceptance and action. Bishops demand such authentification. If you go to the hundreds of various websites or blogs on Medjugorje you will see the huge distortion in many of them of the messages. That is why the messages, to be authenticated, can only be released by the office in Medjugorje with the immediate direct contact to the seers with witnesses to what they say. Anyone with their own particular bias, or who may wish to add something to the messages for posterity would have no objective basis to refute their errors if the messages were not legally protected. This really is a duty in obedience of Sister Joseph of the Center.
There is precedent for this in the messages to Sr. Lucia of Fatima and to Bernadette - since those two places have been emphasized here. Sr. Lucia would write only under the bishop's orders and give them only to her rightful authorities. Visitors were completely controlled, in her later life, by Rome itself. Bernadette's life itself was completely controlled to keep her away from the public's constant probing and possible distortion of the main facts. If there were all kinds of rumors about the messages of OLOA with no control, this cause would go nowhere. There were many distortions of the true messages in the times of Fatima, Lourdes, and the same goes today for Medjugorje as well as other places, either in the neutral position of approval or approved.
BTW, do you know that only a very, very few of the better known and visited apparition sites have full approval - stating definitely there have been supernatural happenings? Most remain in some neutral position, allowing the faithful to pilgrimage to them and that there is nothing in the messages contrary to the Faith - what a Nihil Obstat is. This is why Pope Benedict has said that any private revelation (which all of these are) should have only human assent. Private revelation helps revelation but is not what is center to Church teachings.
"This place will never become a place of pilgrimmage such as Fatima and Lourdes and even Medjugorje because it lacks the approval of the Church and the blessing of the Lord."
Anonymous, actually OLOA has more approval by the Church currently than Medjugorje which is still ongoing. If you are going to continue to express your personal resentments for whatever personal reasons, please at least offer some factual basis for your objections in the future. Perhaps you honestly didn't know these facts, but now you do!
KRIS
Well done Kris!
Is anybody actually reading the articles? I think this stuff is fascinating. Was this like a hospital or something?
I have been reading them and they are telling a wondrous history which helps to put the events of the apparition on a magnificent stage.
One earlier comment had it right. Our Lady sure knows how to pick beautiful places to bring her children. This will happen. It might take a while but it will happen. The messages are too perfect and this site, although only one of five purported sites, is definitely the foundational meeting site.
This is great news. I wish you all the best and I cannot wait to come for a visit . I will be following the progress and praying for Our Lady of America.
Just wanted to let you know that after Mass this morning, a few of us piled into my van and drove to Sylvan Springs in Rome City. Absolutely gorgeous!!!!!
The views are spectacular and the water is making a lovely sound as it falls down the hillside.
We made it to Holy Family Hill and offered a rosary and prayers for Our Lady of America that Sr. Neuzil wrote. What a great blessing for us.
We believe and will be returning often.
I've downloaded the messages and the picture of Our LAdy of America. Thank you very much.
I have a few questions:
1) Can't you set it up so we can use our credit card to buy the devotionals?
2) Why isn't this place already owned by the "Official" Our Lady of America group? Is this what the plan is with OLTIV.org?
KRIS
May I add to the questions above?:
1. Are those who run this blog the current owners of the Rome City property?
2. Is it an incorporated group or one person or what?
3. Just what is included on the property - for those not living near the site to see for themselves.
4. In the future, with Church approval of this cause, would this property be permitted to come under the local bishop's authority by the owner/owners?
5. Presently does any priest need the local bishop's permission to offer mass in the chapel on the grounds?
Is there any reason why the above questions cannot be answered here by the blogmaster? It's just that it's an awful long trip from where we live!! And I have been asked these questions by good, faithful priests I've spoken to who are rather cautious besides being prudent. They've asked who is operating the site.
KRIS
KRIS
I see they posted some new photos which may help answer some ???'s for you.
Although I am nobody I can help answer a couple questions for Kris and Anonymous.
I don't know anything about the credit card stuff or who runs the blog.
I had heard from one of the workers that OLOA wanted to buy the place last year but couldn't put the money together. As far as I know the ownership has not changed.
The buildings on the property are huge. I think it can sleep over 400 people.
There is the old church which seats about 400 and the grounds are immense. I do know Mass has been said there by visiting priests for private retreats with no problems. Fr. Hoevel used to live there until his health deteriorated a few years ago and he said Mass every day and would hear my confession when I visited. He is a lovely priest who believes in Our Lady very much. There is no Eucharist kept on hand with no priest in residence.
There is a lot of land. I would say there are hundreds of acres but I don't realy know.
The dining room is really big. I have been there for dinners and they do a really good job with the food.
I think it would be a good idea for the OLOA group to have the place or operate there but that is just my idea. I have never seen the Fostoria complex.
I have met the current owner and I know he is a good man who is a true believer and has hosted a weekly rosary for many years now. He has a wonderful wife and parents who we get to see every now and then. The weekly rosary is a wonderful Holy Hour that has been a great source of comfort for me personally on many a Friday evening.
No matter how far away you live I would think you would find the trip to be well worth the effort. At least you can answr your questions for yourself.
Apparently there are 197 acres. Is this man/group the current owner does anyone know?
"ACTGG Partnership LLP bought the property Nov. 2, 2000.
ACTGG’s Larry Young has announced plans to build a baseball and softball tournament venue on the property’s fields, and to preserve the historic buildings for commercial and other uses. Some elements of the property will reflect its beginnings as a Catholic mission, he said.
Young said he expects Sylvan Springs to be open in its new form in June 2003. That was about a year later than plans originally called for, but tournaments at the site for the United States Specialty Sports Association seem likely for 2003."
This is the person about whom one of Spirit Daily's articles speaks - along with a message also received by him re: certain dire prophecies.
KRIS
Photos are really lovely. Thanks
KRIS
I think this whole movement is L-E-G-I-T! The messages from OLOA are right on. The Archbishop was on board before he died suddenly. The guy who owns the property seems to have been pre-destined to be there and he knew nothing about the apparitions before he bought the place. Things are obviously happening and signs are manifesting to bring this all together that are out of his or any other mortals control.
There is good fruit being harvested through these events and the Bishops should be reading these messgaes, listening to their members, and hearing all of this testimony as they discern.
I believe with all mmy heart and I will be making a trip to Rome City to see for myself and I will make a trip to The National Shrine once OLOA is enshrined.
I agree with Kris that the photos are beautiful but they do not even compare with how attractive it is in person and how it makes you feel when you enter the gates of this holy, HOLY ground.
Thank you Blessed Mother of Our Lord Jesus, Queen of Heaven and Earth.
A group of scheming people who have seen the millions of pilgrims that vistit places such as Fatima and Lourdes, and the vast sums of money that are spent in the local businesses by the pilgrims, could conceivabley hatch a scheme to try to set up such a place in the U.S. in order to cash in on the large numbers of people who made pilgimmages to such a place.
Such profiteers could conceivably exploit the love and devotion that some people feel toward our Blessed Mother to make money off of them. What they would do is try to attract the crowds to their contrived false apparitions site and try to keep them returning. This would cause the property values in the area to skyrocket because those crowds would need accomodations and places to eat and probably would want to acquire mementos of their visit to such a place. All such businesses would need to buy parcels of land in the area to set up shop, so whoever owns that land would be able to command enormous prices for even tiny plots.
Yes indeed, a place such as the alleged apparitions site in Indiana could make tons of money for those who own the real estate in the area. There's just one problem. It isn't real. It's an illusion. The mistake that such profiteers make is that they think they can popularize such a place simply through contrived marketing techniques. They try to create legends of apparitions and miracles at the place and mistakenly think that will make the site a place of pilgimmage, and of big profits. But such a plot is doomed to failure.
Genuine places of pilgimmage attract the faithful because they are tugged at by the Spirit of God....the Spirit of Holiness. It isn't accomplished by fabrications about apparitions and miracles. Genuine apparition sites attract millions of faithful because their souls are nourished by the Grace of God that abounds in such places. People can sense it deep within their hearts. And that is what keeps them coming back and spreading the good news to other faithful so that the number of pilgrims that visit the genuine places where the Mother of God has appeared grow over time.
Profiteers cannot manufacture the Grace that makes a genuine apparitions site holy and irresistable to the faithful. And they cannot buy that grace with money either. So, any attempt to develop an artificial apparition site with money, and lavish settings, and empty rumors, is doomed to failure. Money and marketing campaigns are no match for the Grace of God, and that Grace is the thing that makes His specially selected and holy apparition sites to thrive.
God bless you and lead you all to the true places where His Mother has appeared.
Riiiiiiiiiight!
And profiteers will hatch schemes that begin 60 years before they unleash their diabolical plan upon the unsuspecting faithful drooling masses. They will also employ the hapless wayward Bishop who will unwittingly fall into their evil will 50 years before the door to their trap is shut fast upon the world. And then they will set out to rule the world by selling cheap trinkets to the MILLIONS of pilgrims who step past their mobile kiosks (which can easily be moved to area shopping malls just in time for the Christmas selling season).
It may take a long time to hatch this plan, but once it is in place, one man can RULE THE WORLD one fake shrine at a time.
Excuse me while I pause for an evil laugh..........................................................................................................................................................................
Your hypothesis is utterly ridiculous and I have just ridiculed it. Somebody throw this guy a bone or something....
Anonymous-
What the heck was that I saw outside Lourdes then? Are you saying Lourdes is a bunch of hooey because it has shops and vendors right up to the gate? Heck, you go to church and they pass a collection plate.
You really need to buy a Sudoku book and keep your brain busy on other things for a bit. This is pure fantasy on your part. Our Lady of America is quite believable to me. You don't have to believe it yourself.
KRIS HERE
Anonymous,
You DO know what Lourdes looked like in the beginning?? You know the "shrine" originally was a garbage dump? People today, you are telling us, are being accommodated (I mean the sick and crippled - in body and spirit - and those who care for them - in the millions) by lying on the ground still at the garbage dump? You've also seen the stands of candles for sale .. on the grounds of the shrine itself (aside from the street loads of shops surrounding the shrine) - not outside of it - with the largest candles having English written price tags ... for the wealthy Americans to donate?? And those extra huge, churches today on top of one another with even more modern public buildings - they were of course there originally in your imagination? No money was needed to be gathered in rather large sums to build them nor is there any great lots of sums necessary to maintain the grounds, security, staff, doctors, etc.?
"any attempt to develop an artificial apparition site with money, and lavish settings, .... is doomed to failure."
You HAVE seen the latest proposal for the newest public gathering building at Fatima? No? Well, I doubt if you'd approve -- rather too modern and "lavish" for your tastes I would assume!
Somehow too I doubt if it will just appear over night through the Holy Spirit! That sounds like your kind of required miracles to pass your approval. But then, you're the one living in reality ... and others in illusions!!
"People can sense it deep within their hearts."
Exactly what Archbishop Leibold said made him add his Imprimatur to OLOA. Are you also into correcting saintly bishops of the Church as well?!! As the Holy Church teaches .. "where the bishop is, there is the Church"!
KRIS
I'm sure glad Sylvan Springs isn't a garbage dump. Look how far ahead of Lourdes it is already!
In my opinion, if the USA is to have a Holy Shrine along the same elevated status as Lourdes or Fatima, I would want it to have these reported miracles and illustrious history like Rome City does.
I think The National Shrine will have its pilgrims but I think people will identify with a place like this much more. Beautiful open spaces and lots of fresh water give me more of an impression of "life".
In response to Anonymous' inane reasoning-
"People can sense it deep within their hearts."
I certainly feel it when I was at this Holy Ground. I feel sad for you if you did not. I feel even worse for you if you are making these awful comments from a point of ignorance because you haven't even been there.
I have a couple of questions that I hope somebody can answer for me.
Why is there a trademark on the phrase "Our Lady of America"? Did I just violate a trademark property right? Do I owe someone money now because I used it? This does not seem right for a title that Our Lady gave herself should be owned by ANYBODY.
I did not find trademarks for Our Lady of Lourdes or Our Lady of Fatima. Maybe these are trademarked properties too and i didn't locate it? Is this going to be an issue for the Bishops? Maybe it is fully explainable but it just seems a little too "business-ish" for me.
For the record, I believe the messages and the apparition and the legitimacy of the testimonials and history of what I have read on this site and the OFFICIAL site.
"Why is there a trademark on the phrase "Our Lady of America"? Did I just violate a trademark property right? Do I owe someone money now because I used it? This does not seem right for a title that Our Lady gave herself should be owned by ANYBODY."
Just some reasons here - again. This question was sort of answered in another thread by specific comments re: the possible abuse by those, esp. in our times, who, through the now massive high tech communications, have added to or "aped" images and attributed falsehoods or confused messages connected to a particular image representing Mary. There are also specific legal protections to the authentic messages/books, etc. out of Fatima, Lourdes and other places. Also, Mary was quite specific about just how Her image for this particular cause should be presented, while appearing to Sr. Millie. Especially now while everything is still being presented to the bishops for their exact education about this whole history, it is necessary not to confuse images and/or messages. I think those given the mantle from the seer, Sr. Mildred, have the responsibility to protect just what she was given - esp. now that she is no longer present to give her personal witness - as Bernadette was or Sr. Lucia was during the examination by the Church. This protection, to be official, comes through the legal process.
Even during our Lord's time on earth He never asked people to be naive or keep things in some general manner to themselves. He had specific reasons to give the teachings to personally chosen people who would then officially see that His words and their own particular visions were contained for posterity in an "official" book of scripture. God always works, as St. Thomas More showed us by his very life, in humility and obedience to laws of the times when they can be of use to His benefit and His holy will. We aren't always converting the choir!
Hope these reasonings might help!
KRIS
Kris-
Your answer certainly puts a "party line" spin on things and I can see the reasoning (sorry for the comparison but we just came out of campaign season) but I'm still uncomfortable with a Trademark on Our Lady. I'll let it go.
Since these events began in 1956, how certain can anyone be that others have not been given direction by Our Lady of America in some form as well? And that they have maybe kept it to themselves under the advice of a spiritual director just as Sr. Neuzil was advised by AB Leibold to do for so many years.
I read on Spirit Daily about the owner's comments back in 2001 before 9/11. No comments since then, but it was pretty much on target with what our world has seen. Can anyone be certain he has not had some special direction from Our Lady to guide his efforts? What about the people of this organization? How do they benefit if they are a charitable organization? Have they been asked to perform this service by Our Lady?
What about the statue carved by the man at the pilgrimage described in an earlier article on this site? "It was a statue of Our Lady of America that had been carved out of a solid piece of alabaster by Mr. Kloska at what he felt was Our Lady’s urging. He said he had never attempted anything like it before, and hoped that he would never have to do it again. He said he felt it was, just as he carved it, miraculous in nature and would somehow play a role in his healing ministry." What makes a man do something he has never attempted before and it ends up coming out so well? I bet there is a story there.
I see these all of these converging events as being truthful evidence that Our Lady is yet working through laymen to accomplish this goal and we must be willing to acknowledge that the Holy Spirit has the ability to work through us all if we will just respond willingly.
I am a FIRM believer and I ask that Our Lord and Our Lady use me in whatever purpose they determine for this cause.
Thank you Kris for your diligence too! You have been a very helpful voice as have many others. Thank you also to the person(s) managing this website. You are doing an exceptional job!
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