patroness of America
Overview | Our Lady of America, The Immaculate Virgin
Introduction
Special Update: On May 7, 2020 the U.S. Bishop that have oversight of this private devotion issued a Singular Decree and a Statement. Please see the post for more information.
The findings placed a positive light on Sr. Mary Ephrem, the devotion, fruits and the place at Rome City – Kneipp Springs. However, the commission was not able to authenticate that the origin of the devotion is supernatural in nature. However, the devotion is allowed to continue as a private devotion of the faithful.
Concerning this website: Any reference to apparitions or other supernatural claims of Sr. Mary Ephrem, or any blog posting and comments referring to the same must be understood as alleged. Furthermore, any reference to Our Lady of America must be understood to mean Our Lady, The Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of America.
It was on the eve of the feast of the North American martyrs, September 25, 1956, that Our Lady appeared to Sister Mary Ephrem. Beginning in 1938, Sister began to have what seem like mystical spiritual experiences. She thought little of them, presuming all religious have them. As these visits took on the nature of a specific program of devotion to Mary which Sister was asked to propagate, she then turned to Monsignor Paul F. Leibold. Monsignor Leibold, later Archbishop of the Cincinnati, Ohio Archdiocese, would be her spiritual director for many years until 1972, when he suddenly died due to an aneurysm. Archbishop Leibold had become so convinced of the authenticity of this message that he approved Sister’s writings and placed his imprimatur on the design of the medal. Our Lady had asked Sister to have struck a medal that would bear the image of Our Lady of America on the front and the symbol of the Christian Family and the Blessed Trinity on the back.
Our Lady promised that greater miracles than those granted at Lourdes and Fatima would be granted here in America, the United States in particular, if we do as she desires. Sister Mary Ephrem stated that Our Lady called herself Our Lady of America in response to the love and desire that reached out for this special title in the hearts of her children in America. For example, Our Lady repeatedly spoke approvingly about the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. This new title is a sign of Our Lady’s pleasure in the devotion of her children of America towards her and this visit is a response to the longing, conscious or unconscious, in the hearts of her children in America.
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:
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TANIKO Madagascar 