Wise Torchbearer

Today January 25th the church celebrates the The Conversion of St.Paul The Apostle.
Archbishop Paul Leibold, Sister Mary Ephrem's spiritual director, had considered St. Paul to be his patron saint. In may of his letters to Sr. Millie, Archbishop Leibold would instruct and encourage her with St.Paul's writings.
In one such letter he encourages her to be pliable in Our Lord"s hands. As a potter molds the clay to form his work. To allow Our Lord to mold her into His beautiful work of art.

For Archbishop Leibold the conversion of St.Paul would also be connected to his work with Our Lady of America. It is on January 25th 1963 that the Imprimatur is given to specific prayers written by Sr.Millie. Perhaps in Archbishop Leibolds discernment he recognizes the great need of spiritual conversion our country and our world needs. A experience powerful like Saint Paul's, one that would bring us to our knees.

This is our prayer. For our eyes to be opened.
For St.Paul it would take a great spiritual miracle to turn his heart from sin to his creator.
And so it is with us. Let us learn from this great saint.
Do not forget that Our Lady has promised spiritual miracles greater than those granted at Lourdes or Fatima if we do as she asks. It will have to be a grace powerful like St.Paul's to turn us from the path we are headed.
May Our Lady of America, The Immaculate Virgin intercede for us.

Our Mother of Mercy

Decades before the church would call the first Sunday after Easter Divine Mercy Sunday, Our Lady shows herself to Sister Mary Ephrem as Our Mother of Mercy on the second Sunday after Easter in the year of 1957. Perhaps one day the church will honor our Mother's mercy the Sunday following Her Son's.

In a May 5, 1957 letter, Sr. Mildred Marie Neuzil speaks of Our Lady of America’s appearance to her as “Mother of Mercy.”

Our Lady showed herself to me today as the Mother of Mercy. With her arms extended, her blue mantle affording a safe refuge for the sinner, she said,

“I am the Mother of Mercy. Under my mantle I will hide my children. The justice of God will not reach them if they seek refuge beneath the protection of my mercy. My Son gives to me all those souls who come to me with confidence, calling upon my aid. Their salvation is in my hands. I will obtain for them the necessary graces to save their souls.

“Come to me, poor suffering and frightened ones. I am your Mother. Never will I forsake you. Only come to me with a wholehearted and loving trust. Place your souls into my keeping. I am that faithful Mother who never forsakes her children. Honor me by your confidence and love. This I desire and ask of you, my poor children. Do not deny the wishes of your Mother.”

Our Lady of America Newsletter

The Our Lady of America Center issued the first newsletter on the eve of The Feast of The Immaculate Conception.
Now more than ever our country needs Our Lady. Let us pray that God's will be done.

The above photo shows a group of seminarians praying in the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, located in the crypt chapel at Holy Cross Church atop Mount Adams, the highest point of Cincinnati. Archbishop Leibold fondly referred to Mt.Adams as "The Holy Hill"

May She Rest In Peace

Archbishop Paul Leibold's brother's wife Theresa (Martin) Leibold passed away on Nov.4th 2008, at the age of 74. She was born July 14th,1934 in Dayton Ohio. It was there that she met and married her teenage sweetheart, Jerome P. Leibold.
They were married for 54 years. I had the honor to speak with her and discuss Our Lady of America. Theresa worked often for the late archbishop. It was a privilege for her to serve him. Whenever there was a event she was the official hostess. Archbishop Leibold trusted Theresa with the letters that Sister Mildred would write. She recalled how the archbishop would guard those letters. He trusted her to file them and encouraged her to read them saying,"you know she sees the Blessed Mother" Archbishop Leibold had a great love for Our Lady. Theresa understood this. It would be Theresa who would find the archbishop as he collapsed due to a aneurysm. "The whole time we were in the ambulance he just held his arms out. Gazing beyond us at someone we couldn't see. Wanting so to embrace whomever was waiting for him." Let us pray that Theresa rest in peace and that she enjoys the presence of Our Lady and all the saints. Theresa's obituary can be read at http://www.legacy.com/Dayton/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=119765726

The Angel Of Peace

The next incident took place in the fall of the year 1954, when I was stationed at a different house of the Congregation. I do not remember the exact date, as I did not intend ever saying anything about it. I was sitting in the room next to the kitchen with the intention of saying some of my prayers. Almost at the very moment I began to pray, I saw an Angel. I knew this immediately, although the apparition did not reveal itself as such until later. I saw the Angel standing before me towards the left. He was dressed in a white robe or garment, which was perfectly plain and perfectly white. The whiteness of his robe stood out against the darkness about him. It was like a light in the midst of darkness. He was holding a green palm and a drawn sword in his left hand, the tips of both palm and sword resting against his left shoulder. I saw all this at a glance. The Angel said to me, "Receive the palm of victory.” I became suspicious. I could not think of any victory of mine that deserved such a reward. Besides, it sounded a bit like flattery to me. I have always been wary of words of praise; they put me on my guard. Why was the palm not given to someone else more deserving of it than I? So I shook my head and resolutely went back to my prayers. But the Angel would not go. He spoke again, "You do not believe me. Will you accept the cross?" For me this struck more nearly home. I said, "Yes, I will accept the cross." To this he replied, "Then you will accept the palm and the sword. With the sword the saints conquered themselves, the world, and the devil. I am the Angel of Peace. I come to those whose hearts are attuned to the Voice of God. To such as these I remain a perpetual light through blinding darkness. I was sent by Him Who said, 'I am the Light of the world.' "

Later it was made known to me that the Angel of Peace was St. Michael.
Our Lady of America diary page 7

Photo courtesy of Harrison Richardswise

Our Lady's Beloved Son

The Catholic Telegraph,reports on the instalation of Archbishop Paul Leibold.

1969: “Installation ceremonies Oct. 2 in St. Peter in Chains Cathedral will make Dayton-born Archbishop Paul F. Leibold the seventh Ordinary of the Cincinnati archdiocese. Ordained in 1940, he was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati June 17, 1958, and installed as Bishop of Evansville, Ind, June 15, 1966. Announcement of his appointment to the Cincinnati see was made July 23. Pope Paul VI, who gave him his appointment, has described the consecration of a bishop as ‘a source of grace, a gift of God, a spiritual treasure, a higher sanctification. It is not just a transmission of liturgical, teaching and juridical power, but a perfection conferred upon the one consecrated, who before sanctifying others is himself sanctified.’ ” (See related story, The Catholic Telegraph, October 2, 1969)

Archbishop Paul Leibold was Sister Mary Ephrem's spiritual director until his untimely death in 1972. Sister Mary Ephrem prophesied that Monsignor Leibold would be elevated to Archbishop. This of course came to pass.

He was able to fulfill many of Our Lady's requests. One of them was to have a medal cast as requested by Our Lady.

Those who wear the medal with great faith and fervent devotion to Our Lady will receive the grace of intense purity of heart and the particular love of the Holy Virgin and her Divine Son. Sinners will receive the grace of repentance and the spiritual strength to live as true children of Mary. This blessed medal will be as a sheild to protect them against the evil spirits, and St. Michael himself will be at their side to allay their fears at the final hour.
*as reported by Sister Mary Ephrem, page 26 Our Lady of America

A Vision of Light

Tall, immensely so, a figure enveloped in light, brilliant, whiter than white, a circle of what looked like stars about the head. Eyes, too, shinning with the same inner light, could not make out any color. In its right hand it held a gigantic sword tipped with a searing white flame. In the left hand were held bolts of lighting that pierced all the environs of the universe. On the right shoulder of this extraordinary being perched a pure, white dove. From the right shoulder down to the waist towards the left side was a sort of medium wide band on which was printed, Power of God. At first the letters revealed themselves in black. Then when I recognized what the letters were they changed to such a color of gold light I could barely make them out.

Addressing me as 'My sister", this glorious being explained who it was:

"I am the Angel Sultra, sent by the Almighty whose faithful servant I am, to help the people of God in their hour of need. I have been appointed guardian, protector and defender of the United States of America whose people honor and love the Immaculate Virgin, the Queen of Angels and have dedicated their land to Her.

If the people of this land carry out faithfully the instructions and pleadings of the Lord Jesus and the Virgin Mother then they will be following me to the hour of peace. With this sword of the Divine white flame of Love and the lighting bolts of His infinite Justice God will strike down his enemies and heal the repented sinner. This nation and all who follow in the pursuit of peace will know the protection of God and the destruction of those who fight and seek to destroy them through the evil powers of the infernal spirits of darkness and hate.

Follow me, people of God, brothers and sisters, as our Queen paves the way and the peace of the Lord will reign once more upon the earth."

August 22,1981
Diary of Our Lady of America ,page 41