Beginning in
1938, Washington, DC, USA, a sister of the Congregation of the Precious Blood,
known as Sister Mary Ephrem, began receiving locutions from Christ. These inner
locutions were later followed by apparitions of the Archangels Michael and
Gabriel. On September 25, 1956, while stationed in Rome City, Indiana, the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of America, began appearing to her. The main
theme of the apparitions was the call to purity and conversion of the United
States and for the sanctification of the family.
While Our Lady
continued to appear to Sister Mary Ephrem for the next few years, it was in October
of 1956 that she received an inner locution from St. Joseph, followed by his
apparitions in 1958 in which he spoke of his spiritual fatherhood, his
protection of the Catholic Church and devotion to his Most Pure Heart.
It is known
that Archbishop Paul F. Leilbold, spiritual director of Sister Mary Ephrem, was
a supporter of the apparitions, granting the Imprimatur to the messages and
also having medals struck according to the instructions of Our Lady of America.
"What can be concluded canonically is that the devotion was
both approved by Archbishop Leibold and,
what is more, was actively promoted by
him. In addition, over the years, other Bishops have approved the devotion
and have participated in public devotion to the Mother of God, under the title
of Our Lady of America."
October,
1956
In early October, 1956, about a week
after Our Lady’s first appearance, St. Joseph, though I did not see him at this
time, spoke to me the following words:
It
is true, my daughter, that immediately after my conception I was, through the
future merits of Jesus and because of my exceptional role of future
Virgin-Father, cleansed from the stain of original sin.
I
was from that moment confirmed in grace and never had the slightest stain on my
soul. This is my unique privilege among men.
My
Pure Heart also was from the first moment of existence inflamed with love for
God. Immediately, at the moment when my soul was cleansed from original sin,
grace was infused into it in such abundance that, excluding my holy spouse, I surpassed
the holiness of the highest angel in the angelic choir. My heart suffered with
the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Mine was a silent suffering, for it was my
special vocation to hide and shield, as long as God willed, the Virgin Mother
and Son from the malice and hatred of men.
The
most painful of my sorrows was that I knew beforehand of their passion, yet
would not be there to console them. Their future suffering was ever present to
me and became my daily cross, so I became, in union with my holy spouse,
co-redemptor of the human race. Through compassion for the sufferings of Jesus
and Mary I co-operated, as no other, in the salvation of the world.
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:
Kneel
down, my daughter, for what you will hear and what you will write will bring
countless souls to a new way of life. Through you, small one, the Trinity
desires to make known to souls Its desire to be adored, honored, and loved
within the kingdom, the interior kingdom of their hearts.
I
bring to souls the purity of my life and the obedience that crowned it. All
fatherhood is blessed in me whom 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:
The Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph 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.
March
19, 1958
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:
St. Joseph 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. 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:
The
Holy Father need have no fear, for I have been appointed his special protector.
As God chose me to be the special guardian of His Son, so has He chosen me as
the special guardian of him who in Christ’s Name is head of the Mystical Body
of that same Son on earth. My special protection of the Holy Father and the
Church should be made known to him. God wishes to make this known to him that
he may receive thereby renewed consolation and encouragement. During the war,
little daughter, it was I who saved him from death at the hands of his enemies.
Continually I watch over him and the Church, and I desire this to be
acknowledged for the greater glory of God and the good of souls.
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.
As I knelt down to receive it, I felt
his hands on my head and heard the words: May Jesus and Mary, through my hands, bestow upon you eternal peace.
March
30, 1958
As he had promised, St. Joseph came
again – accompanied by Jesus and Mary. His requests were similar to those of
Our Lady and the First Saturday Devotion. 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.
I
am the protector of the Church and the home, as I was the protector of Christ
and His Mother while I lived upon earth. Jesus and Mary desire that my pure
heart, so long hidden and unknown, be now honored in a special way. Let my
children honor my Most Pure Heart in a special manner on the First Wednesday of
the month by reciting the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary in memory of my life
with Jesus and Mary and the love I bore them, the sorrow I suffered with them.
Let
them receive Holy Communion in union with the love with which I received the
Savior for the first time and each time I held Him in my arms. Those who honor
me in this way will be consoled by my presence at their death, and I myself
will conduct them safely into the presence of Jesus and Mary. I will come
again, little child of my Most Pure Heart. Until then, continue in patience and
humility, which is so pleasing to God.
