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| Sister Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil) |
Excerpts from Our Lady's address during her
visit on the feast of the Immaculate Heart, August 22, 1957: “My heart, my Immaculate Heart, is the channel
through which the graces of the Sacred
Heart are given to men. O my sweet child, time passes and with it
wasted graces and constant refusals on the part of man to co-operate with me in
the accomplishment of the Divine Will for his own sanctification and salvation.
"What am I to do, child of my heart, when my children turn from me? The false peace of this world lures them and in the end will destroy them. They think they have done enough in consecrating themselves to my Immaculate Heart. It is not enough. That which I ask for and is most important many have not given me. What I ask, have asked, and will continue to ask is reformation of life. There must be sanctification from within. I will work my miracles of grace only in those who ask for them and empty their souls of the love and attachment to sin and all that is displeasing to my Son. Souls who cling to sin cannot have their hands free to receive the treasures of grace that I hold out to them.
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| Immaculate Heart of Mary, full of Love |
"Behold, my small one, so tenderly loved
by your Mother, behold then my Heart pierced by a cruel sword! Oh, what grief
my children have caused me! My humble one, my small flower, we must have
more souls who love, love unselfishly and without reserve. Who does anything
who does not love? I wish to gather about me, my tender
child, soldier and valiant bearer of the torch, an army of brave lovers, who as
my torchbearers will enkindle the fire of Divine Love in the souls of men. Only
those who are strong in love can become my soldiers to bear aloft, not the
sword of destruction, but the sword of fire, the flaming torch of Divine
Charity.
“My poor child, you have suffered much, but do not fear. Take courage, for soon a haven of rest will be given you--not a refuge from suffering and pain, but a nest of solitude for the little white dove, so dear to me and the Heart of my Son.
Words of Our Lady as recorded under the dates of September 26-27, 1957:
"Beloved sons, so cherished and greatly blessed among the sons of men, be careful to uphold the sanctity and dignity of your calling. Let the faithful see in you the favored and especially loved imitators of the Son of God. Be modest in your dress and speech as becomes those of so exalted a vocation. The apparel and manners of a man of the world is not for you, who, though living in the world, must not take on its ways.
"It is through you that the grace of the Sacraments is given to souls. Strive then to make yourselves more worthy receptacles to receive these graces and transmit them in turn to the souls under your care.
On the evening of the feast of the Most Holy Rosary, October 7, 1957, Our Lady again appeared. Her hands were clasped in an attitude of prayer. Her look was serious, though her countenance retained its usual deep serenity. Hanging from her right hand was a blue rosary of a glass-like quality, I was conscious of the fact that what she was about to say to me was not only very grave but of the utmost importance. Our Lady reiterated in a similar manner her first warnings:
"My child, there will be peace, as has been promised, but not until my children are purified and cleansed from defilement, and clothed thus with the white garment of grace, are made ready to receive this peace, so long promised and so long held back because of the sins of men. My dear children, either you will do as I desire and reform your lives, or God Himself will need to cleanse you in the fires of untold punishment. You must be prepared to receive His great gift of peace. If you will not prepare yourselves, God will Himself be forced to do so in His justice and mercy.
“Making the rosary a family prayer is very pleasing to me. I ask that all families strive to do so. But be careful to say it with great devotion, meditating on each mystery and striving to imitate in your daily lives the virtues depicted therein. Live the mysteries of the rosary as I lived them, and it will become a chain binding you to me forever. They who are found in the circle of my rosary will never be lost. I myself will lead them at death to the throne of my Son, to be eternally united to Him.
"Write these words upon your hearts, my dear children, because of the compassion I have for you in my Immaculate Heart. Oh, if you knew the punishments I am holding back from you by my pleading and intercession on your behalf!
Here is the account of November 22-23, 1957: Our dear Mother showed herself to me in a special way around 11:30 on the morning of November 22. The next day, a Saturday, the experience was more detailed as more was shown me, or perhaps I had not noticed details the day before. This vision of herself is very important, as it reveals Our Lady as she really and truly was, the Immaculate Tabernacle of the Indwelling God.
Our Lady was standing on a globe, her right foot resting on a crescent or quarter moon, the left on the snout of a rather small and very ugly looking dragon. I saw fire come out of his huge jaws, but not very much, as he could not open them wide enough because of Our Lady's foot. At times he seemed to be somewhat black, again of a shade of green. Our Lady was all in white. Her veil was so long that it seemed to envelop the globe halfway. Sometimes the veil appeared so transparent that Our Lady's hair could be seen through it, and the hair seemed to be sparkling with the light of many glittering stars. At times the edges of the veil, sleeves, and garments seemed to be outlined in light. The veil was held about her head by a wreath of white roses. Her feet were bare.
The previous day Our Lady had appeared with her hands outstretched. At this second visit she slowly raised them, then crossed them on her breast rather close to her waist. While doing so, she bent her head slightly forward, and it seemed that her eyes were closed, not just lowered. On her breast, as though through a veil, the Triangle and the Eye, which is often depicted as the symbol of the Divine Indwelling, could be visibly seen. I said that Our Lady's feet were bare, that is, devoid of any kind of footwear, but on each foot was a large white rose. The roses, both on the feet and on the crown, were of such dazzling whiteness that the outlines of the petals could barely be seen, sometimes not at all. It seemed that a strong beam of light streamed from the Divine Presence within Our Lady onto the globe at her feet. Then halfway around the figure of Our Lady above her head appeared a scroll on which were written in letters of gold the words: "All the glory of the King's daughter is within."
Though it did not appear that her lips moved, yet I heard these words quite plainly:
On the eve of February 11, 1958:
The next day Our Lady spoke again:
"Beloved daughter, you wonder at the sword and the deep wound it has made in my Heart. It is the sword of grief plunged therein by my children who refuse to let me teach them the true way. There is only one true way to the Father, my child, only one way to eternal union. It is the way of the divine humanity. It is through my Son, the Only-begotten of the Father, that souls attain perfect union with the Divinity, as perfect as human nature is capable of, aided by divine grace.
“I ask greater sacrifices of the most favored
and beloved of my children. I ask in the Name and for the love of my Son, Who
so desires this. If I ask for reform of life, it is first
from the chosen that I look for it. They must by the example of a sacrificial
life lead the way for souls to union with Christ, honoring the Father by
putting on His Spirit and His likeness in all things. O my small one, beloved of my Son's
Heart, prepare yourself by prayer, penance, and suffering for what is to come. Your Mother has many more things to tell you,
but this is enough for now. Take your
rest now. I wish it. Good night, sweet child."
Towards evening of February 11, I heard these words addressed to me by Our Lady:
Further accounts relating to the "mission" given me and to others closely connected with it:
But the youth must be prepared, and this must be done by instilling into them, not only the knowledge of the Divine Indwelling, but a serious study of It, living It in such a way that the Divine Presence becomes, as it were, an intimate and necessary part of their life and daily living. From this will flow a great love, a conflagration that will envelop the world in the flames of Divine Charity. This is what Our Lady is working for, because this is the great desire of her Divine Son, and it is to the youth of America that she is holding out this challenge. A medal which Our Lady asked to be made is to be their shield against evil, the picture or statue of Our Lady, the protection of the home, the statue at the Shrine in Washington, D.C., a special safeguard for our country. America, the United States in particular, is being given the tremendous, yet privileged, opportunity to lead all nations in a spiritual renewal never before so necessary, so important, so vital.
SAINT MICHAEL, THE ARCHANGEL OF PEACE
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St. Michael came to me one evening shortly
after Our Lady's visit, holding an immense
flaming torch. He held it towards me saying: “My little sister, you must carry this torch
through the world." He came again the next night in the same
manner. T he next day I was interiorly enlightened
during Mass. It was made known to me that those, particularly the youth, who
are willing wholeheartedly to follow Our Lady in her great battle against evil
would bear the special title of "Torchbearers of the Queen." This
torch, of course, is Divine Love, for it is Love alone that will conquer hate
and all that hate brings with it.
In regard to the medal that Our Lady requested to be made, I was told that as long as it bore the form of a shield, the medal itself could be of any shape desired. Around the image of Our Lady, as she appeared September 26, 1956, these words are to be engraved: "By thy Holy and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, deliver us from evil." '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. As in life, so in death, this blessed medal will be as a shield to protect them against the evil spirits, and St. Michael himself will be at their side to allay their fears at the final hour.
The Coat-of-Arms Our Lady had inspired some years previously. I did not know at the time for what purpose it was to be used, and Our Lady did not enlighten me on it until much later. As mentioned before, Our Lady also requested a picture or statue of herself as she appeared on September 26, 1956, to be honored and venerated in every Christian Home.
SAINT JOSEPH
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| Our Lady of America confided, "My holy spouse has an important part to play in bringing peace to the world." |
On March 11, 1958, Our Lady said to me:
"St. Joseph will come on the eve of his feast. Prepare yourself well.
There will be a special message. My holy spouse has an important part to play
in bringing peace to the world."
St. Joseph came as was promised, and these are the words he spoke at this time:
“All fatherhood is blessed in me. The Eternal Father chose as His representative on earth, the Virgin-Father of His own Divine Son. Through me the Heavenly Father has blessed all fatherhood, and through me He continues and will continue to do so till the end of time. My spiritual fatherhood extends to all God's children, and together with my Virgin Spouse I watch over them with great love and solicitude.
“Fathers must come to me, small one, to learn obedience to authority: to the Church always, as the mouthpiece of God, to the laws of the country in which they live, insofar as these do not go against God and their neighbor. Mine was perfect obedience to the Divine Will, as it was shown and made known to me by the Jewish law and religion. To be careless in this is most displeasing to God and will be severely punished in the next world.
"Let fathers also imitate my great purity of life and the deep respect I held for my Immaculate Spouse. Let them be an example to their children and fellowmen, never willfully doing anything that would cause scandal among God's people. Fatherhood is from God, and it must take once again its rightful place among men."
As St. Joseph ceased speaking I saw his most pure heart. It seemed to be lying on a cross which was of brown color. It appeared to me that at the top of the heart, in the midst of the flames pouring out, was a pure white lily. Then I heard these words: "Behold this pure heart so pleasing to Him Who made it." St. Joseph then continued: "The cross, my little one, upon which my heart rests is the cross of the passion, which was ever present before me, causing me intense suffering. "I desire souls to come to my heart that they may learn true union with the Divine Will. It is enough, my child; I will come again tomorrow. Then I will make known to you how God wishes me to be honored in union with Jesus and Mary to obtain peace among men and nations. Good night, my little one."
On the evening of the next day, March 19,
1958, St. Joseph again appeared to me as he had promised and addressed me in
these words: "My child, I desire a day to be set aside
to honor my fatherhood. The privilege of
being chosen by God to be the Virgin-Father of His Son was mine alone, and no
honor, excluding that bestowed upon my Holy Spouse, was ever, or will ever, be
as sublime or as high as this. The Holy
Trinity desires thus to honor me that in my unique fatherhood all fatherhood
might be blessed. Dear child, I was king
in the little home of Nazareth, for I sheltered within it the Prince of Peace
and the Queen of Heaven. To me they looked for protection and sustenance, and I
did not fail them. I received from them
the deepest love and reverence, for in me they saw Him Whose place I took over
them. So the head of the family must be
loved, obeyed, and respected, and in return be a true father and protector to
those under his care. In honoring in a
special way my fatherhood, you also honor Jesus and Mary. The Divine Trinity has placed into our keeping
the peace of the world. The imitation
of the Holy Family, my child, of the virtues we practiced in our little home at
Nazareth is the way for all souls to that peace which comes from God alone and
which none other can give"
Then suddenly, as he ceased speaking, I was favored with a unique and marvelous vision of the glorious St. Joseph. He seemed suspended, as it were, a short distance above what had the appearance of a large globe with clouds moving about it. His head was slightly raised, the eyes gazing upward as if in ecstasy. The hands were in a position similar to that of the priest during the celebration of Holy Mass, only they extended upward somewhat more. The color of his hair as also of his rather small and slightly forked beard seemed a very dark brown. His eyes resembled in color the hair and beard. He was clothed in a white robe that reached to his ankles. Over this he wore a sort of cloak which did not come together at the throat, but covering the shoulders and draped gracefully over each arm, reached to the hem of the robe. The cloak at times had, or seemed to have, the appearance of a brown, sometimes a purple, hue, or perhaps a slight blending of the two. The belt about his waist was of a gold color, as were his sandals.
His appearance, though quite youthful, gave at the same time the impression of rare maturity combined with great strength. He seemed a bit taller than medium height. The lines of his face appeared strong and purposeful, softened somewhat by a gentle serenity. I also saw his most pure heart at this time, Moreover, I saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove hovering above his head.
Standing sideways, facing each other, were two
angels, one on the right, the other on the left. Each carried what appeared to be a small
pillow in a satin covering, the pillow on the right bearing a gold crown, the
one on the left, a gold scepter. The angels were all white, ever their faces
and hair. It was a beautiful whiteness that reminded me of the stainlessness of
heaven. Then I heard these words: "Thus should he be honored whom the King
desires to honor.”
When the vision ended, St. Joseph before taking leave spoke to me in the following manner:
"Lovely child, precious to the heart of your spiritual father, I will come again on the last Sunday of this month. Jesus and Mary will come also in a special visit. Receive my blessing,"
March 30, 1958 As he had promised, St. Joseph came again on March 30. His requests were similar to those of Our Lady and the First Saturday. The Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph have been chosen by the Most Holy Trinity to bring peace to the world; hence, their request for special love and honor, also, in particular, reparation and imitation. These are the words of St. Joseph as recorded on March 30:
As St. Joseph had promised, Jesus and Mary also came on March 30. Jesus had the appearance of a boy about fifteen or sixteen year old. He spoke to me first. It was about the sanctification of the family and other matters. He said it would not be required of me to write it at this time, as He would ask this of me at a later date. Our Lady and St. Joseph also spoke to me concerning the same subject and also about the Divine Indwelling.
In June 1958, several weeks after I had entered the Cloister, I was walking in the enclosure courtyard before going to prayer. I felt overwhelmed with a sense of frustration and heaviness of heart. As I gazed towards the heavens, Our Lady suddenly appeared to me as she had done on September 26, 1956. She said to me:
On February 23, 1959, Our Lady came to me and admonished me to work on the “message'' as soon as possible so that it might be placed in the hands of the Bishops who would be responsible for its fulfillment.
"What am I to say of you, my best
beloved? How long will you resist My love? It is from you I expect everything,
and you give Me but the husks of your affections. How long will I bear with you, O My chosen
ones? How long will you spurn My approaches? My little white dove, it was this ingratitude
on the part of My priests and My religious that caused Me so much sorrow in my
passion. Oh, how they resist My grace! How they fight
against My love! So fearful are they that I will deprive them of their tawdry
trinkets that they turn their backs lest they see the reproach in My
eyes."
Our Lady came to me again on December 20, 1959. These were her words to me as I understood them: O my child, tell your spiritual father that I come again to warn and to plead. Oh, penance, penance! How little my children understand it! They give me many words, but sacrifice themselves they will not. It is not me they love but themselves. Oh, what blindness, sweet child, what blindness! How it pierces my heart!
(Note: Except on a few occasions, as one when she showed herself as Our Lady of the Divine Indwelling, Our Lady always came in the manner in which she appeared on September 26, 1956, namely, as Our Lady of America.)
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| Our Lady of America asked to be PROCESSED into the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. and PROMISED many miracles when it is accomplished. AMERICA certainly needs her GUIDANCE AND PROTECTION as it seeks to foster PEACE IN THE WORLD. |
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)
(Text of this prayer is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN)
O 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 God's 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 in bringing peace among men and nations. Work your miracles 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, January 25, 1963
MEDALLION
The one side bears the image of Our Lady of
America and around it the words, "By your Holy and Immaculate Conception,
O Mary, deliver us from evil." The Coat of Arms of the Christian Family is
on the other side of the medal. The Divine Indwelling is represented by the
Triangle and the Eye on the red shield of the Precious Blood, through which
sanctifying grace was made possible to fallen man. The sanctification of the
family through imitation of the Holy Family is represented by the Cross and the
two lilies, on each of which is depicted a burning heart. The flaming sword is
a symbol of Divine Love so necessary to attain union with God, while the rosary
indicates a most profitable means of drawing closer to the Holy Family, through
devout meditation on the various Mysteries. The scroll above bears the
inscription, "Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritu Sancto" and the one
below,"Jesu, Maria, Joseph." These aspirations are simply
explanations of the whole theme and are also acts of praise to the Trinity and
the Holy Family.
This medallion is to be worn with great faith
and fervent devotion to Our Lady for the grace of intense purity of heart and
the particular love of the Holy Virgin and her Divine Son.
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| Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. |
Booklet Version - January 1, 2008, Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Source: Our Lady of America.pdf at Our Lady of America (Website)
Source: Our Lady of America.pdf at Our Lady of America (Website)
Love, Jeanne