Thursday, June 26, 2008

What The Bishops Say


In a recent interview Bishop D'Arcy of the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese said he accepts the ruling that nothing in Sr. Mary Ephrem's writings contradicts Catholic teaching.

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, who was asked to review the matter by Our Lady of America supporters, also sent U.S. bishops a letter in May 2007, stating Leibold had approved recognizing Mary as Our Lady of America.

"Sr. Mary Ephrem's spiritual adviser, the Rev. Paul F. Leibold's, opinion opens the way for people to pray privately to Mary as Our Lady of America", D'Arcy said

Bishop David L Riken of Cheyenne told Catholic News Service,"Our Lady of America's message about purity, chastity and growing in one's faith through devotion to Mary and the body and blood of Christ especially resonated with young people, he added.

Bishop Richard J Garcia of Monterey California told CNS, "Our Lady of Guadalupe is important for all the Americas but to have Our Lady of America and the Immaculate Conception as a special patroness for our nation will bring about the peace we so yearn for (and) a resolution to many social issues," including euthanasia and abortion, California Bishop Richard J. Garcia told CNS.

"The Blessed Mother is so important to all of us Roman Catholics, and Christian people in particular, and, specifically for our country, for peace within our land; and the intercession of our Blessed Mother is so important on many issues that affect us morally and socially," Bishop Garcia said.

"Marian devotions, including those to Our Lady of America, also can lead the faithful to really listen to Christ's message that all must be "bearers of the Gospel and bring about Christ's love," he said.

Recently Archbishop Raymond Burke of St.Louis, a world renowned canon lawyer, issued a letter opinion on Our Lady of America. In his letter dated May 31, 2007, he reviews the history of Our Lady of America and the actions of Archbishop Leibold approving this devotion. From Archbishop Burke:

"What can be concluded canonically is that the devotion was both approved by Archbishop Leibold and, what is more, was actively promoted by him. In addition, over the years, other Bishops have approved the devotion and have participated in public devotion to the Mother of God, under the title of Our Lady of America."

"Although the devotion to Our Lady of America has remained constant over the years, in recent years, the devotion has spread very much and has been embraced by many with special fervor," he wrote. "Our Lady of America calls the people of our nation to the new evangelization through a renewed dedication to purity in love."

Archbishop Burke also noted a distinguished difference between Our Lady of America and Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is considered "Empress of all the Americas." The two devotions, he said, are "completely harmonious," however, Our Lady of America is considered the patroness of the United States.

On October 13, 1956 Our Lady appeared to Sr. Mary Ephrem." She was very beautiful and smiled in her heavenly way. She was dressed in the same manner as I first saw her, except her Immaculate Heart did not appear. Instead of the lily,she held with both hands a small replica of the finished Shrine of the Immaculate Conception."

"This is my shrine,my daughter, I am very pleased with it. Tell my children I thank them. Let them finish it quickly and make it a place of pilgrimage. It will be a place of wonders. I promise this.."

She requested a statue be made according to her likeness and placed, after being solemnly carried in procession, in the Shrine of The Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. She wishes to be honored there in a special way as Our Lady of America, the Immaculate Virgin.

This America ,chosen by Our Lady has been asked to seemingly accomplish the impossible, to lead the world to peace by the purity of our lives. Great miracles await us if we do as she asks.

How will we respond?

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Valiant Torchbearer

A tribute to Pope John Paul ll The Great.

Pray for us John Paul ll, and intercede with Our Lady that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

A Prayer For Peace




Prayer to Our Lady of America, Patroness of our Land

Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956 by Sister Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil)

Oh Immaculate Mother, Queen of our country, open our hearts, our homes, and our land to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure and so bright with the radiance of Gods light shining in and about you. Be our leader against the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us with infinite charity.

We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.

We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen, that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.

We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of our lives according to your desire.

Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your children of America, as your instruments of peace among men and nations. Work your miracle of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed, and sanctifies us.

May your valiant spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in "renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother, and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King.

Amen
(200 days)

Nihil Obstat: Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur: +Paul F. Leibold, V.G.
Cincinnati, Jan. 25, 1963

A girl touches the plaque that hung in the convent where Sr. Mary Ephrem lived. It is one of many Archbishop Paul Leibold made before his untimely death in 1972

Monday, June 2, 2008

Venerable Dominic's Miraculous Image of Mary


OUR LADY OF THE BOWED HEAD

There have been miraculous images of Mary since the beginning of the Catholic Church, some of the very first ones having been painted by St. Luke, the Evangelist.

Since the time of St. Luke, thousands of pictures and statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary have been carved, painted, or fashioned in some way, by all kinds of different people from around the world. Some of these pictures become famous, usually due to some form of miraculous intervention. One such picture is Our Lady of the Bowed Head, from Vienna, Austria.

A Carmelite Monk, Venerable Dominic of Jesus and Mary, found one in 1610. He was looking over an old broken down house which he wanted to convert into a Carmelite Monastery. Fr. Dominic walked around the outside of the house and passed by a pile of garbage, but paid no attention to it. But as he entered the house and started looking over the rooms, suddenly he felt the urge to go back to the pile of garbage. Lighting his lantern, the good priest took a closer look at the heap of garbage.

Suddenly his eyes fell upon an old oil painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

He was shocked! "Who would throw a beautiful picture of Our Lady in the garbage," he wondered. Then Fr. Dominic apologized to Mary, "I am sorry, dear Mother, that someone has treated thy image in such a terrible manner. I will take it back to the monastery with me and fix it up, and I will give thee the homage which thou so rightly deserve." After returning to the monastery, Dominic cleaned the picture and repainted the damaged parts. Now he could hang the picture up in his cell and give Mary the devotion and attention which she deserved. He prayed to the Madonna with great confidence, asking her for many graces and blessings.

One evening when he had just finished sweeping his cell, Fr. Dominic noticed that the picture of Our Lady had some dust on it. He was crushed, "Oh, I’m terribly sorry my dearest Mother!" He exclaimed. "I humbly beg thy pardon for forgetting to dust thy picture." Then taking out his handkerchief he began to dust the picture saying, "O purest and holiest of Virgins, nothing in the whole world is worthy to touch thy holy face. Dear Mother, I only have this coarse, old handkerchief and I beg of thee to please accept my good will in dusting thy image." Fr. Dominic continued dusting the picture of Mary, when suddenly the face of Our Lady came to life! She smiled at the holy priest and nodded her head as a sign of thanksgiving. Dominic was afraid that what he was seeing was a trick of the devil. But Our Lady cleared up his doubts saying, "Fear not, my son, for your request is granted! (Dominic had earlier requested a favor of her.) Your prayer will be answered and will be part of the reward, which you will receive for the love that you have for my Son Jesus and myself. Now Dominic I want you to ask me with all confidence, what favor you would like me to give you." The holy monk then fell upon his knees. "O my dear Mother, I offer myself entirely to thee and to thy dear Son Jesus, and I desire to do anything that thou and Jesus will ask of me. O my Lady, I know that the soul of a benefactor is suffering in Purgatory. Wouldst thou please be so kind as to deliver this soul from the fires of Purgatory?"

"Dominic, my son," Our Lady encouraged, "I will deliver this soul from Purgatory, if you will make many sacrifices and will have many Masses offered for this soul." Then the apparition of Mary faded away.

The good monk hurried to do as Our Lady had asked. Some time later, when all had been completed, he again knelt before the miraculous painting of Our Lady. Suddenly Mary appeared to him again, but this time she appeared with the soul of the special benefactor, whom she had delivered from Purgatory. The benefactor was grateful, "Thank you, Fr. Dominic, for helping to release my soul from the fires of Purgatory with your prayers and sacrifices."

"Dominic," Our Lady encouraged, "I would like you to ask me for more favors and blessings. I am the Mother of God and I delight in helping my children to obtain graces for their salvation." Fr. Dominic thought for a moment and then spoke, "Dear Mother, wouldst thou please be so kind as to listen mercifully to the prayers of all those who will honor thy image and ask for thy help." Our Lady replied, "All those who ask for my protection and honor this picture with devotion will obtain an answer to their prayers and will receive many graces. Moreover, I will pay special attention to the prayers which are offered to me, for the relief of the souls in Purgatory."

The vision of Our Lady soon disappeared and Fr. Dominic thought about what he should do: "Our Lady made her promises to all who would honor and pray to her, before this miraculous image. Therefore, I can no longer keep this holy picture in my cell, I must have it put in a church, where the people can honor it. "

He then took the picture and had it placed in the Oratory of St. Charles, which was attached to the Church of Santa Maria de la Scale. Many people came to pray before the picture of Our Lady and it became a source of many graces and blessings. The holy image remained at the Oratory until Fr. Dominic’s death, which occurred in Vienna, on February 16, 1630. Some copies of the miraculous picture were painted and soon they were honored in many places.

Maximilian, the Duke of Bavaria, had been one of Dominic’s good friends, and also a friend of the Carmelites. One day he asked Fr. Nicholas, the Vicar General of the Carmelite Order, if he could borrow the miraculous image of Mary. The priest said he could borrow it and the Duke was overjoyed.

Arrangements were made, and Br. Anastasius of St. Francis was chosen to take the holy picture to Munich, Germany. He had been Fr. Dominic’s travelling companion for over 15 years, and was most worthy of this honor. On August 7, 1631, Br. Anastasius also wrote and signed a special document telling about all the things which Dominic had told him about the miraculous picture and all the miracles related to it.

The Duke of Bavaria took the miraculous picture when it arrived in Munich, and kept it for a while. He then gave it to the Carmelite Priests in Munich, who received it with great joy.

Some time later, in 1631, the Carmelites loaned it to Emperor Ferdinand II. He was a very generous man, who founded the Carmelite Monasteries in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and Vienna, Austria. The Emperor and his wife, Empress Eleanor, were delighted when the picture of Our Lady arrived at the palace. They placed it in the palace chapel and had it richly adorned in a splendid fashion. Thus, they honored the Queen of Heaven in a most glorious manner, a manner that she so much deserved. The Emperor had great confidence in "Our Lady of the Bowed Head," and always begged her to help him with all his difficulties. Ferdinand loved the Most Blessed Virgin very much and he is even supposed to have taken the picture with him every time he had to travel somewhere. Time passed, and one day the good Emperor died. Empress Eleanor then joined the convent of Carmelite Nuns, which she and her husband had founded in Vienna. The miraculous picture of Our Lady was also transferred to the convent, and Eleanor placed it in the chapel, over the main altar.

When the Empress died in June 1655, the picture was given back to the Carmelite Fathers. Now the picture was back in a public church where people could pray before this miraculous image of Our Lady. Soon crowds of people were coming to pray before the holy picture. Our Lady did not forget her promise that: "All those who ask for my protection and honor this picture with devotion, will obtain an answer to their prayers and will receive many graces. I will pay special attention to the prayers which are offered to me, for the relief of the souls in Purgatory."

When people prayed to Our Lady of the Bowed Head, she heard their prayers and granted them special favors and graces; souls were comforted or released from Purgatory, people were cured and sinners were converted. In time a new Church and Monastery was built, and on December 14, 1901, the miraculous image of Our Lady was transferred to its new place of honor. Benefactors had built a beautiful altar in honor of Our Lady of the Bowed Head and the holy picture of Mary was placed by this altar. From here it can still be venerated by loving devotees and pilgrims.

I found this story the day after a dear friend of mine died of cancer. A reminder to always pray for the holy souls in purgatory.
History is full of brave torchbearers. God is limitless in His goodness.

Short Biography

Father Dominic of Jesus and Mary was born in 1559. He became a Carmelite at an early age, but desiring to live a stricter life, he joined the Discalced Carmelites founded by St. Teresa of Avila, and became its fifth General.

During the Thirty Years War between the Catholics and the Protestants, Pope Paul V sent Father Dominic to Emperor Ferdinand II, who was preparing to engage in what was hoped to be a decisive battle. Father Dominic brought with him a picture of the Nativity of Christ, in which the Protestants had poked the eyes out of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and the shepherds. "With a crucifix in one hand and the picture suspended around his neck, he moved among the combatants, animating the Catholics to fight for their Faith and to gain the victory he promised would be theirs." The Catholics won a decisive victory.

He died on February 16, 1630, while on a mission for Pope Urban VIII to settle some differences between the nobles of Austria. His biographers relate numberless miracles alleged to have been wrought by him during his life for which he was called the "Thaumaturgus" (wonder-worker) of his time. Fr. Dominic was declared Venerable by St. Pius X, in 1907.

Our Lady Of The Nativity Convent 1950

Our Lady Of The Nativity Convent 1950
This Storm Spared The Convent, But Other Forces Proved Fatal