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The Story of Our Lady of America

Archbishop, Paul Leibold† in his wisdom as shepherd and spiritual director to Sister Mary Ephrem (Sister Mildred Neuzil) ordered her to keep a diary of her spiritual and mystical experiences which included visitations and apparitions of Our Lord, Our Lady, Saint Joseph, St. Michael and holy angels.
Through the writings of Sister Mildred, the Archbishop was able to compile and edit some of them which he self-published into a small booklet entitled “Our Lady of America” in honor of the title Our Lady wished to be known among the faithful of the United States of America.
Archbishop Leibold† compiled the writings of Sister Mildred without mentioning her name, religious community, or specified any distinct place among Sister’s many missions in different dioceses and states. It is through his honorable and care-filled discretion for the hidden and cloistered contemplative life of Sister Mildred that the Archbishop so prudently protected her identity.
After issuing his imprimatur to the writings of Sister Mildred, and as Archbishop of Cincinnati, he commissioned a statue, plaques, prayer cards and a medallion to honor and promote the title of Our Lady of America.
Slowly over the years, and with the guidance of the Most Holy Spirit, the Our Lady of America center in Fostoria, Ohio is now working to make this unique apparition known to the faithful in the United States. We wish to educate, aid and encourage the Roman Catholic Bishops of the United States of America to adopt Our Lady of America as the Official image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, patroness of The United States. We also work in aiding our Bishops in fulfillment of Our Lady’s request to be enthroned in the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C as Our Lady of America. We hope to continue our collaboration with the Bishops in spreading this particular devotion of Our Lady of America to the nation and throughout the world. We also pray and work tirelessly that America will return to Purity as requested by Our Lady of America.

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Our Lady of America: Introduction as written and edited by her spiritual director, Archbishop Paul Leibold†, V.G.
The following lines were penned by a religious Sister, Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil), from her cloister cell. She was professed as a religious in 1933. Exteriorly she was much like any other Sister in the Community, trying to be faithful to the Rule and the religious practices of the Community. She received her assignments to work in various houses, mostly in domestic work. From 1951 to 1954 she taught kindergarten classes in a parish school and enjoyed very much working with the little ones.
About the year 1938 she began to have what seemed like mystical experiences. They may be described as flights of the spirit, interior locutions, etc. Having these did not disturb nor overawe her in any way. In fact, by her own admission she thought they were a common thing to all religious.

In 1948 these experiences were brought to the attention of her confessor. He prudently advised her to be very cautious, lest it be a case of an overactive imagination. The experiences became more vivid and the messages more pressing. She considered seriously entering a cloister, perhaps to find her fulfillment of God's Will there. But various events indicated otherwise. Finally, her own Community established a cloistered group within the active, and in May 1958 she was permitted to enter this cloister.

These supernatural happenings, referred to above, included many things that concerned only her own personal spiritual life: special espousals with Christ, designation as the Little White Dove, etc. During all this time there were no external signs that she was different from any other member of the Community.

After some years she began to write down briefly the happenings during these occasions of special communication with God. These were read by one of the other priest to whom she had gone for direction, and in general they never found in them anything contrary to faith and morals, nor anything to indicate mental debility. On the contrary, some points, especially the great emphasis on the Indwelling of the Blessed Trinity, showed a theological understanding beyond what this Sister had been able to obtain from her regular courses in Religion.

Finally, in 1954 these visits took on the nature of a specific program of special devotion to Mary which this Sister was commanded to propagate. In fulfillment of these expressions of Our Lady which this Sister is convinced Mary wants her to carry out, she has set down in writing this Message of Mary, who presents herself here as Our Lady of America.

Sister Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil) died on January 10, 2000 in Fostoria, OH. This Sister was blessed to have Archbishop Paul Leiobold † for her spiritual director from 1940 to 1972, when he died. He authorized the first and second printing of these Messages and had the Medal of Our Lady of America struck.

Nihil Obstat: Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur: †Paul F. Leibold, V.G.
Cincinnati, OH – January 25, 1963

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