A Look Back....

Sister Mildred Neuzil was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 2, 1916, just three years after Bishop Shahan's plan for the National Shrine was put into effect, and before World War I had ended.

In 1929, she entered an active community, the Sisters of the Precious Blood, and on August 15, 1933, was professed as a religious, taking the name Sister Mary Ephrem. Sister was professed twenty years to the day that Bishop Shahan had received papal approval for the construction of the National Shrine.

Just five years after her profession, in 1938, Sister began to have mystical experiences, spiritual locutions. 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 Bishop Paul F. Leibold, a holy and highly respected man, as Our Lady had directed. Bishop Leibold, later Archbishop of the Cincinnati, Ohio archdiocese, would be her spiritual director from 1940 to 1972 when he died an untimely death due to an aneurysm.

Archbishop Leibold had become so convinced of the authenticity of this message that he approved Sister's Diary and placed his imprimatur on the sketch 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.

Father Robert Hoevel was born in Fort Wayne, IN on February 2, 1916. Like Sr. Mildred, he too began his religious life at the age of 13 when he entered the seminary at St. Joe in Rensellear, IN.

In 1938, he was granted a scholarship (thanks, in part, to Bishop John Noll) and given a spot at The American University in Rome where he was excited to study with the world's best theologians in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. It was here that the faculty first suggested he consider a track of studies that would put him on a career path towards "higher stewardship" in the Church...because of his strong educational background, they thought he would make a good Bishop someday. He respectfully declined their suggestion and begged that he just be allowed to be a "good parish priest".

Unfortunately, World War II broke out and he was not able to complete his studies when he and all of the other "allied" students were put on one of the last passenger ships out of Italy back to the United States. He was terribly saddened at having to leave his studies so close to the "seat" of the Church, but he was buoyant at the thought of being that much closer to his own ordination.

He finished his studies back at St. Joe and was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1942 at The Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception by Bishop John F. Noll. After several days of family and public receptions, he and the other new priests were a bit tired, so Bishop Noll suggested they go to one of his favorite places, Kneipp Springs in Rome City, to "rest up a bit". When they got there, they were "immediately treated like kings" by the sisters...little did they know, the sisters treated ALL priests like kings when they went to Rome City for private retreat.

Bishop Noll caught up with them at the "Springs" after a few days and the new priests enjoyed the opportunity to get to know their bishop more intimately in the relaxed surroundings. They fished, played shuffleboard, prayed, and said Holy Mass together. It was during a friendly game of shuffleboard that Bishop Noll asked Fr. Hoevel to reconsider his position on "higher stewardship".

To be continued....