Urgent Appeal to Save the Apparition Site in Rome City

This note was written as an urgent appeal by my friend Nancy. It is reprinted with her permission and speaks to the emergent need for a person or persons to step forward and save Sylvan Springs in Rome City where Our Lady of America first appeared. It also includes a brief but thorough history of the apparition site. If you know anyone who might be able to support it with either finances or prayers, please forward this on to them.Thank you in advance and may God bless and Our Lady of America and this holy ground prosper!

Hi All,

I hope all of you are doing well. I am writing to request your urgent help with a very important situation regarding the Canonically approved Apparition Site of Our Blessed Mother here in the United States. The apparitions started in 1956 in Rome City, Indiana. The devotion has had the imprimatur of the local bishop since 1963, Archbishop Leibold. He also actively promoted the devotion. The Apparition site was bought in 2000 by Larry Young. Larry's mortgage was held by a private investor. Last year the private investor had a difficult year and in June 2009 the private investor called for the full payment of the mortgage which was at the time $1.55 Million Dollars. Larry did not have the money to pay off the investor. In July 2009 the apparition site went into foreclosure. In 2001 the replacement value from the insurance company was valued at $18 Million Dollars. This did not even include the 200 acres of land at the site. The true value of the site is about $20 Million Dollars, however it has gone into foreclosure for only $1.55 Million.



This is a very holy site. The site has Natural Springs. The waters have been scientifically tested against the holy water from Lourdes and found to be almost exact in mineral content. There have been hundreds of documented miraculous healings attributed to the holy water at this site through the intercession of Our Lady of America. One of the most recent healing is the healing of a 2 year old girl of a brain tumor. The details of this healing are posted on the web site for your review. WWW.OLTIV.Org. We need to save this site so that it is available for the faithful to go there to worship God. Think about all of the people who travel each year to Lourdes to worship God and pray for healing. Think of the thousands who have found comfort and healing at Lourdes. Imagine what a loss it would have been for all of us if Lourdes had been taken by foreclosure before it became know as a place of spiritual and physical healing. Such is the case with the apparition site of Our Lady of America in Rome City Indiana. It is a place of Spiritual and physical healing. It would be a tremendous loss to all of us if this site is sold through public auction.



We are running out of time to save this site. On July 2nd the bank will set the date in July that the site will be sold by public auction. We desperately need people to go on the web site and make donations to try to save this site. Every dollar counts. You can make a donation using "paypal" on the Website. WWW.OLTIV.ORG. On behalf of all the people who will travel to this site in the future seeking physical and spiritual healing I thank you for helping to save this very holy site. May God bless you and your family for your prayers and generosity. To follow below and as an attachment please find a brief history of the site for your review.



In Christ's love and peace,

Nancy Goggin

(781) 961-6555



Our Lady of America





A brief history of the Apparition Site in Rome City, Indiana



To follow you will find a brief history of the Apparition site of Our Lady of America in Rome City, Indiana and the devotion. You will also find links to four 10 min video presentations by Dr. Mark Miravalle's (Franciscan University, Steubenville, OH) on the importance of this apparition and the attending messages from Our Lady of America.





* Apparition started in 1956 At Rome City Indiana to a Precious Blood Nun, Sister Mary Ephrem



* Sr. Ephrem left Rome City to become a member of a contemplative branch of the congregation located at Our Lady of the Nativity Convent at New Riegel, OH



* 1963 Archbishop Paul F. Leibold, Archbishop of Cincinnati put his imprimatur on the devotion and actively promoted the devotion. Archbishop Leibold was the Spiritual Director of Sr. Ephrem. He was the local Bishop with authority to approve the Apparitions because the Mother home for the Precious Blood nuns was in the Cincinnati Diocese.



* in the 1970's the Precious Blood Nuns saw a decrease in vocations and needed to consolidate. They could no longer maintain the Rome City, Indiana Site. They hired a 3rd party to sell their properties. This 3rd party sold the Rome City Site to a Cult in 1976, The Way College International Cult. The Way College Cult had the Site till 2000 when Larry Young bought it.



* 1979 the Contemplative branch of Precious Blood was suppressed. Sister Mary Ephrem now used her baptismal name, Sister Mildred Neuzil.



* Apparitions continued till the death of Sr. Mildred Neuzil, January 10, 2000. Apparitions have full approval first from local Bishop, Archbishop Liebold in 1963 and then unanimously through the American Bishops in 2007 through the Canonical letter written May 31, 2007 to the American Bishops by Archbishop Raymond Burke.



* Larry Young bought the Apparition Site in July, 2000. A private investor held the mortgage. With the economic downturn, the private investor had a difficult financial year last year. In June of 2009 the private investor called for the full payment of the mortgage which was $1.55 Million Dollars. Larry did not have the $1.55 Million to pay back the investor. The Site went into foreclosure in July, 2009.



* In 2001 the insurance company's replacement value for the structures on the site was valued at $18 Million. This did not include the value of the 200 acres of land. The true value of site is approximately $20 Million. It has gone into foreclosure for only $1.55 Million.



* We are trying to save the site to have available as a place of worship for future pilgrims and as a place of youth evangelization and family ministry. Everyone can help to save this. Please go on web site and make a donation every dollar helps. WWW.OLTIV.ORG

.

*This is an urgent situation. We are running out of time. On July 2nd the court will set the date in July that the site will be sold by pubic auction. There is a New Age Cult that is trying to get the court to sell the site to them.



*contact information Web site: www.OLTIV.Org. owner of site: Larry Young: (847) 726-7520, Director of the Non Profit: Irvin Kolska, (574) 536-0504, Massachusetts contact for site: Nancy Goggin (781) 961-6555,

NFGoggin@AOL.Com



* These four links below will get you Dr. Mark Miravalle's (Franciscan University, Steubenville, OH) complete discussion on the importance of this apparition and the attending messages from Our Lady of America. It is a very good presentation.



http://airmaria.com/?sn=89&vp=8322&prefx=mcast&plyrnb=1&ttl=Marycast





http://airmaria.com/?sn=90&vp=8397&prefx=mcast&plyrnb=1&ttl=Marycast





http://airmaria.com/?sn=91&vp=8399&prefx=mcast&plyrnb=1&ttl=Marycast


http://www.catholic.org/video/?v=2971

Statue of Our Lady of America in the John Paul II Center in Washington D.C. (awaiting enthronement into the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in D.C. - just 4 blocks away) as Our Lady requested in 1956.

Explanation of the church approved devotion next to the statue in the JP II Center.

The Miraculous Healing of Jordan Marie

 For the account of another miracle through the intercession of Our Lady of America, please check out this link:
http://www.oltiv.org/2010/06/miraculous-healing-of-jordan-marie.html

Baby Jordan's brain tumor is now totally gone after use of the healing water from the apparition site of Our Lady of America in Rome City! Praise God!!!

The Good Friday Miracle of 2010

In Rome City, Indiana on Good Friday 2007, at the apparition site of Our Lady of America (Sylvan Springs), the well that had been dormant since 1976 suddenly began gushing water. There have been many miracles since then that have been attributed to this water and the Good Friday Well. 

Once again this year on Good Friday another miracle occurred....and the testimony of that miracle follows. It is reprinted with permission of the woman who was healed. Though she lives in Michigan, she has been bringing groups to the apparition site in Rome City since October 2008....including many children and their families. She is truly fulfilling Our Lady of America's request to "Bring me my children, bring me all my children."

On April 2nd of this year, at the prompting of Karen F., a group of us decided to spend Good Friday at Sylvan Springs in Rome City, Indiana. We had all been there several times before and everyone was talking about how the well had once sprung on Good Friday in the year 2007. We all knew that something miraculous, either big or small, would happen that day. It always does in Rome City. The kids were as excited to go as the adults.



Before the trip I began praying that I would find peace there, that the daily worries of having DVT would subside. Peace is always found at Sylvan Springs but my request was for a deeper, lasting peace about my situation. Having been diagnosed with DVT 7 months prior, my concern has been for being here for my children and husband. Though the daily duties of life quickly take my mind off of it, always lingering in the back of my mind was the possibility of what could happen.


Upon arriving at the Springs, we had a picnic and prepared for the day. We then headed up to Holy Family Hill to pray the rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet. It was immediately peaceful up on the hill. The presence of Our Mother and her Son was intense. We all took our places and began. The sound of the lulls of the children's voices praying brought tears to my eyes. I wondered and hoped and prayed that we mothers were leaving an impressionable mark on our children's souls as they praised our Lord. I hoped that as they become adults that they will cling to their faith and not to the world and it's ways.


After the rosary we were all led in different directions to explore and experience the property. Nick was on sight to give the kids a tour. A few had brought friends that had not been to the Springs before. I went into the big chapel to pray. As I was kneeling, I was prompted to go and stand at the apparition site of Our Lady of America, near the statue of Mary. I offered my intentions, including prayers for my health.


As a few of us were walking up to the main building we saw a van and wondered who was there. I then heard a familiar voice, my cousin, Bobby Kloska, his wife, Margy, and their 5 children were there. It was a nice surprise to see them. Bobby has been very instrumental in my spiritual growth over the past few years. It was very comforting to be with them.


After our visit, I then went with a few others to fill up jugs of water. As we took them to the car, I filled up a cup I had with water and drank it and kind of jokingly to myself hoped to flush the blood clot away.


As our time of departure closed in, the moms had a nice conversation with Nick Chester and thanked him for his time that day. We then gathered up the kids and headed back to Michigan.


As always, many pictures were taken that day in Rome City. I have been blessed with many miraculous pictures in the past few years. That day, however, I just knew that they would not be. Unbeknown to me, another miracle was ensuing. Upon returning home, I sent the pictures that I had to Larry Young, the owner of the property. I promised him that I would send a report when I had a chance. Because of the business of my life, nearly a week had gone by and I still hadn't the chance to sit down and write it.


In the meantime, this past Tuesday, April 13th, I started experiencing a sharp pain in the leg where the DVT is present. About every 10 minutes it would come. So, the following day I called the doctor and went in. He sent me for a scan of my leg to check the status of the blood clot. Previously, on March 10th, I had had a scan and the blood clot was the same exact size it had been the previous September, even after 4 months of medication. I had been off medication for about 3 months at this point. During the scan, I asked the tech if the clot was still below my knee. Her response was that she was unable to see it. She then called in another tech to make sure. The 2nd tech looked at me and said, "It's gone. It's not there anymore." It took a minute to register and then immediately a peace came into my heart.


Later that day, I began wondering how on earth the clot was fully there one month ago but all of a sudden vanished. It then dawned on me that I had been to Rome City on Good Friday. It all started making sense. My trip to the ER in March produced a scan that showed the clot unchanged. The random pain in my leg earlier this week prompted me to go to the doctor for another scan. The 3 months off of my medication left no medical reason that the clot would just vanish. My inability to "get to" writing my report of the day was put on hold until now, now that I have something even more wonderful to report! Of course anything is possible, but the chances of the clot just vanishing like this are highly unlikely. Smaller or a scant remainder of it would be likely, but not a trace was found.


The peace that I found that day remains in my heart. Thank you, Mary, for drawing us to Rome City so that your Son, Jesus, could heal me. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Our Lady of America Appears Pleading for Recognition

Reprinted with permission of oltiv.org and the witness whose testimony is below. It originally appeared on January 31, 2007. Now more than ever we need to spread the word about Our Lady of America and this apparition site in Rome City. Also known as Sylvan Springs, this site continues to be a source of  miracles. Our Lady has asked that we bring her children to Rome City. It is open to pilgrims at any time presently, but the possibility of foreclosure looms closer. If you can help with any monetary donation please contact oltiv.org. As always your prayers for the recognition of Our Lady of America are most important. She has promised miracles greater than Lourdes and Fatima combined if we heed Her requests.

Witness Testimonial from First OLOA Pilgrimage on July 14, 2006

The following letter was cleared for submission after months of long and careful consideration by this person's spiritual director. It had been originally sent to two Bishops, who are on the record as being supportive of Our Lady of America, for their own discernment. This is something everyone needs to know.

As if to add a forceful punctuation to this person's personal testimony, Our Lady of America is credited with the instantaneous healing of another man within minutes of this apparition occurring.

The man who was healed during this event has continued to keep us informed of his condition and is also working to inform the Bishops of his special healing through the intercession of Our Lady of America. We give thanks for his continued good health. His original letter was posted here on January 3, 2007.

On July 14, 2006, during the first pilgrimage ever held at Sylvan Springs in Rome City, Indiana, I received a vision of Our Lady of America. This vision was in the same chapel where Our Lady is said to have appeared for the very first time as “Our Lady of America” to Sister Mary Ephrem, (Mildred Neuzil) on September 26, 1956.

I received this personal vision and interior locution from Our Lady during the evening prayer of the 15 decade rosary, following with the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I was sitting in the chapel in front of the location thought to have been originally our Blessed Mother’s altar upon which a statue of her may have stood when it was a convent in the 1950’s and also where the original vision is thought to have occurred. Now standing in that particular spot is a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. (This is important to note for future reference regarding my vision.) As you know, Our Lady appeared to Sister Mary Ephrem, (Mildred Neuzil) on September 26, 1956, in this chapel. During the apparitions of Sister Mary Ephrem, Our Lady promised her many things including that the United States would be protected against the coming tribulations, and that the United States of America, would lead other countries to peace, if her requests were met. One of the most important conditions, is for a statue in the likeness of Our Lady of America, as she appeared to Sister Mary Ephrem, to be taken in solemn procession into the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. and put into a place of honor.

I will now do my best to describe my experience of that evening. We were half way into the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary, and I had been praying with the group. I then found myself no longer being part of the group prayer and being led to look up at the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes and went into some type of “state” where I no longer was aware of anything around me except the statue. As I prayed with my lips moving, but in silence, I soon saw a vision of Our Lady of America. I could not hear my own voice or the words of others; just what appeared to be mumbling to me in the background. I knew I was praying the rosary, but saw nothing but the statue and the Vision, while I continued in prayer. I continued with the rosary, never concerning my self with the order in which I was now saying it as the prayers just automatically appeared to flow from my lips. In my vision Our Lady of America was to the left and slightly behind the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. She would have been to my right as looking up at her. She also appeared slightly above the statue; at least her crown did. She appeared more one dimensional than three dimensional in comparison to the statue. I never saw her complete full body though I know it was life size. What I saw as I continued praying was in my peripheral vision the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes and in my direct sight the vision of Our Lady of America. I have no doubt, that the only vision was that of Our Lady of America and the other was just the actual statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Lady of America’s crown was a brilliant deep gold but the jewels were of blue, green, red and yellow, rather than red and blue as depicted in the original painting from the vision of Sister Mary Ephrem. That appeared to be the only difference I noticed. I was able to see clearly the texture of the crown and it appeared to be of a metal, but I am not certain. I saw each point on the crown and actually found myself stopping to pray to count the points, which were seven, as are in the painting. The crown was sitting on top of her head with what appeared to look like a white short veil draping from each side of the crown at an approximate 45 degree angle. What was unusual is that a misty gold hue covered her body, face and hair, and also covered what appeared to be the whitish veil. I saw absolutely NO detail of the face, which I thought was unusual at the time. I just saw the shape of the face, what appeared to be a veil, some hair and what looked to be her neck. The misty gold hue seemed to be a reflection off of her crown. Nothing was in exact true color except for the deep gold crown and the jewels in the crown. The rest of her body down from her neck was hazy and seemed to diminish down from there to a light wispy white/gold mistiness.






At some point of observing her, while still being aware my lips were moving in prayer, I heard her say to me very, very clearly in an almost desperately, pleading yet gentle voice, “Get Me There.” I knew she was speaking directly to me. The helplessness in her plea and the tone of her voice was very unsettling. If I had to emphasize what she sounded like, it was ----“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease Get Me There!!” ----This was a cry for assistance, not a command----. I remember answering almost immediately in as desperate of a voice as hers ----“How?’’ I actually remember moving my lips when saying the word, though it did not sound audible to me. I then said it to her two more times in my mind--- “How?-- How?’” Unfortunately I never received an answer, but I could feel such deep concern from her it caused me to gasp within and I knew immediately she was speaking of the Shrine of The Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. I just knew it!! I did not need to ask her where. I knew if it were a different place she would have told me. She knew my thoughts! Her plea was said with such great urgency and concern! Up until that moment I had always thought she would get there in time; but now I myself was not so sure. I know she was, by her message, telling me not to take it for granted, but to really work at it NOW!! It was very unsettling for me because of the request and the helplessness I felt. I felt as a child disappointing her mother.

The vision disappeared after that and I found myself slowly coming back into the group prayer which by then was well into the Divine Mercy Chaplet. When I realized how far along the group was by the time I became a part of them again I knew I must have been in this “state” 15 to 20 minutes.

Through much contemplative prayer I have since been given the inner knowledge from Our Lady of America that the reason her facial features were not there was because she is not being “Recognized.”

T.W. in South Bend, In.