As I write this, I am in a tent on the grounds of the Church of the Immaculate Virgin in Rome City, Indiana. It’s a bit creepy. This isn’t just any church. This is where the Virgin Mary appeared to a nun as Our Lady of America. This is a place with waters that are known to cure cancer. This is a place where a room oozes olive oil from its walls.
It’s also not in use right now. A huge estate with 480 rooms just in its main building, it’s a little bit reminiscent of “The Shining.” I was taken on a long tour today by a wonderful man named Nick Chester, who volunteers his retired years acting as a guide, historian, and maintenance man for the place. He took me around for three hours, through empty cafeterias, hotel suites, prayer rooms, etc., telling me the glorious history of the place.
But while many good things have happened here, I was still a bit creeped out. There were long, dimly lit hallways with paint peeling off in huge chunks. There were abandoned wheelchairs from invalids who had come for healing. Floors were sealed off, everything echoed, and I expected to see a pair of troublesome twins any second. That, or the Virgin Mary. My imagination was imagining the worst, but my wiser side knew that if anything appeared, it probably wasn’t going to be malicious.
I took pictured of the creepy hallways, but they didn’t turn out so well. Here’s one, anyway:
The outside of one of the many buildings will give you a better idea. It’s so big, that it’s in two parts:
I couldn’t believe that Nick offered to let me sleep on the grounds even after he’d left. It’s a bit scary – there are red lights shining through the church windows. I know that they’re only exit signs, but still. And I’m right by the cemetery. Hopefully, I’ll last the night.
There is so much history here, that I can’t go into it in one blog post. So today, I’ll go over the earlier, pre-apparition stuff, and tomorrow I’ll tell about the really cool things.
The oldest part of the building was built in 1895, with the rest coming a few years later. It was founded as Kneipp Sanitarium by Dr. W.C. Geiermann. It had been named after Sebastian Kneipp, a Bavarian doctor who later became a Catholic priest. As a young man, he had consumption, and was not expected to survive. But he surmised that by bathing in the chilly Danube, he could make his heart improve his circulation, and cure himself. It worked.
There are tons of natural springs in Rome City, which produce a chilly water at a constant 54 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re rich in lithium, which acts as a mood enhancer, and had been used by American Indians as a peaceful, neutral healing spot among tribes for centuries before Europeans came. Here is one of the wading pools that Geiermann built for his clients:
As the beginning of the 1900s was much more prudish than than today, men and women waded separately, very far from each other so there could be no visible partial nudity (i.e. an ankle).
Soon after he opened the sanitarium, however, Geiermann found he had more clients than he could handle, and appealed to the Catholic Church for aid. Soon, an order of nuns, the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood, moved in to study with him and help out. After a few years, however, they took over, and Geiermann moved on.
The Kneipp treatment was more than just water treatment, however, and included wholesome diet, hygienic clothing, and systematic regular exercise. Everything was regimented and scheduled, in the belief that it aids the body’s processes. Herbs were intrinsic in the healing, and were grown by teh sisters on the land, which included a farm, a dairy, and a butchery so it could be self-sufficient. That ended with modern food laws, however, which made local production for restaurants impossible and enabled unhealthy food to dominate our national food supply.
Inside the buildings, there are remnants of a beautiful old retreat, such as tin ceilings, stenciling, wooden floors, and hand-laid tile. Much of that is not readily visible, as it was covered due to remodeling and modern fire-safety laws. Take a look at this restored sitting room for men. You can see the tin ceiling in the middle, but the rest has been covered to install a sprinkler system:
Despite the other offerings, water remained the centerpiece of the establishment, which included a bathhouse, steam room, ponds, and many other liquid amenities. The water is still actively flowing from the ground, and provides clean drinking water with no treatment necessary.
People come from all around to get some of the water from Rome City, as they believe i has curing powers, whether drunk or bathed in. Nick took my down into some old tunnels to the source of the spring to fill my water bottles:
So, that’s some of the history of this place as a health resort. Tomorrow, I’ll get into the religious apparitions that occur here. If I make it through the night…
Note 11/22/08: There has been a lot of commenting on this post, and I have made a lot of these comments invisible. There is a big fight over whether what happened at Sylvan Springs was a valid apparition or not. That’s understandable. But the conversation has gotten out of control. Anything that is harassing will be deleted.
While it may look “spooky”, this whole place exudes peace and tranquility. Actually, I was blessed to stay in the “bridal suite” in July ’07 when my husband and I visited. It is actually the suite where bishops would stay. But it is next to the Chapel where Our Lady appeared to Sr. Mildred. As I don’t always sleep well at night, I was able to spend over an hour in the chapel from about 2-4 am – I felt so peaceful and comforted there, wishing I didn’t have to leave the next morning. And while I didn’t “see” anything, knowing Our Lady appeared to Sr. Mildred here, I felt comforted. We also participated in a healing service, witnessed the “weeping room”, drank and took healing water with us. The water has also helped fellow parishoners back home. Ever since our visit my health has improved – so much that family, friends and acquaintances – say I’m a different person. My mobility and attentiveness has improved dramatically. My 20-something skeptical kids both admit “You got a miracle” ( in Rome City). When returning on a thanksgiving pilgrimage in May ’08, the owner, Nick and others I met last July couldn’t believe it was me. And my husband and I and friends that accompanied us in May all witnessed the sun dancing TWICE! Both my mother and friend took pictures with miraculous results. They are just two sets of pictures out of hundreds that have been copied and sent to oltiv.org. Many have been posted there… different cameras, different times, all with luminous effects not visible when the pix were taken. It’s obvious Our Lady loves this place, and visitors continue to witness the “gifts” She and the Holy Trinity give lavishly. Of this site, She has asked, “Bring Me My Children…Bring Me All My Children.”
May the devotion to Our Lady of America grow, the bishops heed Our Lady’s requests (see oltiv.org. and the next post on this blog, “Sister Mildred and the Continuous Apparitions of the Virgin Mary”). May Her statue be placed in the Basilica in D.C. ASAP (especially with this election). May America return to purity, God bless the U.S.A. and preserve this holy ground in Rome City, Indiana.
“By Thy Holy and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, deliver us from evil”.
— pam j · Oct 30, 11:58 PM · #
That place is probably haunted by evil spirits. Its name Sylvan Springs refers to a Roman pagan idol called Sylvanus which was also known as Pan to the Greeks and to witches.
The story of apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a hoax, and is peddled to try to create interest in this place in order to draw crowds to it, and to try to sell it for a hefty profit, but the scheme has failed and no one is buying the place…nor the phoney tale about Marian apparitions.
Sylvan Springs has been ignored by the Vatican inspite of many efforts (by the characters trying to sell it) to gain Vatican approval. This is why Matthew felt creeped out by this place in Rome City. It is a place where an evil plot has been hatched to exploit the faith that many Catholics have in the Blessed Virgin Mary. Such a nefarious scheme has cast an evil aura over this place. It is an unholy and evil location to be avoided.
— Truth · Nov 9, 10:01 AM · #
Dear Truth:
You are completely accurate in your observations!
The Blessed Mother appeared to Sister Ephrem in many locations and has not blessed this place the owners are promoting as “holy ground.”
Sister Mary Ephrem, the visionary, was always uncomfortable there because of the pervasive presence of evil, which has clearly remained to the present day.
This entire scheme is all about the money.
The Blessed Mother gave her messages to Sister Ephrem to impart to her children and did not do so for the profit of a few con men who have stolen so much from the devotion and from the Blessed Mother, Herself!
However, the Blessed Mother advised Sister Ephrem that She will prevail. And so She shall.
— RIGHT ON! · Nov 12, 11:26 AM · #
The Previous two comments were made by evil people associated with the fake nun in Fostoria Ohio trying to profit from Our Lady of America. They are frauds who continue to perpetuate lies and personal attacks against the good people working with the bishops (the Fostoria group can’t even get meetings with the bishops because of their poor behavior…they have even been publicly chastised for their evil actions).
The Sylvan Springs people have never charged a dime for ANYTHING they have offered the public. They are truly good people who are not trying to profit, but they are trying to get people to know the truth. Anyone reading these comments would be well-advised to just make the journey for themself and make their own determination after taking a free tour and spending time in the chapel where the actual apparitions the Church has approved took place. The apparitions that have been alleged to have occurred elsewhere (Fostoria, OH) HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED.
— Olivia · Nov 17, 12:01 PM · #
Anyone who knows anything about spiritual warfare knows that wherever the Blessed Mother has appeared, there have been attacks by the devil to try to sway people away from Her goodness in an effort to defeat Her work. The person who made the earlier comments about this palce being evil is just ignorant and trying to make money for his own discredited group who the bishops won’t even talk to. EWTN actually told them to never contact them again because they are such whack jobs!
These people claiming that Sylvan Springs is evil, the place Our Lady chose Herself, are just whacked-out goofballs. One is named Paul Hartman. He lives in Burbank, OH. He is a publicly disgraced ex-postal inspector who gave false testimony to help put an innocent man on death row 24 years ago and he is a laughingstock among his peers now. He is a liar and has no credibility in this discussion whatsoever. He has made repeated threats against those who are working with the Church to foster this devotion in an attempt to help a fraudulent movement to make money off the faithful.
Stay away from Fostoria, The Torchbearers of the Queen, and any blogs connected to St. Michaels sword.
— Kendra · Nov 17, 12:12 PM · #
It sure seem like Kendra (LARRY) is a little unsettled and perhaps just a bit uneasy about his activites over recent years.
Perhaps he ought to check into Sylvan Sorings for a nice long rest!
— Ciao! · Nov 19, 06:09 PM · #
I found it!
The link below will take you to the famous Larry Young letter, which is certainly nothing if not mythical:
http://users.skynet.be/courlisius/forewarned.html
It’s truly amazing what these goofs won’t do to promote a soccer camp (Bluechip Soccer Camp) as “holy ground.”
I suppose the thinking of it is that if you can’t make a go of it promoting the soccer camp, maybe you can foist this property. purchased from a cult, as “holy ground.”
Perhaps Larry should stick to auctioning used farm equipment, since that doesn’t seem to blend well with hawking this piece of ground!
— Ciao! · Nov 19, 06:39 PM · #
Mr. Young’s letter seemed to be quite accurate in light of the fact that 9/11 happened a short time after he wrote his warning. Maybe the previous writer prefers to ignore sirens and fire alarms when they go off too?
I’m sure he didn’t write the letter to try to sell his property. It’s like you want to shoot the messenger.
These attacks are off-base and not well-thought-out like an Oliver Stone movie based “loosely on facts”.
You seem to be calling Matthew Streib a liar too for reporting what he has learned. Are you going to include him in your conspiracy theory too?
Please take your grudge elsewhere and leave this excellent blog alone. Better yet, try reading the other posts Matthew has written and maybe you will change your anger into something productive.
— Jacob · Nov 20, 09:22 AM · #
Larry (Alex),
It’s quite a different thing to prophecy an event beforehand, rather than after the fact!
— Paul M. Hartman · Nov 20, 01:36 PM · #
Alex (Good Buddy Larry):
I know that this may be a stretch for your limited imagination, but did it not occur to you that the “letter” may have been post-dated, like you do when you issue checks without sufficient funds to cover them?
You see, people will do all manner of things, including post-dating letters, if they beleive it will give them an advantage in promoting something like Sylvan Springs, which is certainly not “holy ground.”
What you fail to recognize, Larry, is that the Blesed Mother chose a person (Sister Mildred) and not a place.
If ever there were truly a holy place associated with the true and genuine devotion to the Blessed Mother, it is the Our Lady of the Nativity Convent in Fostoria, OH where the Blessed Mother appeared to Sister Mildred many times over many years.
However, unlike you, Sister Joseph Therese does not hype the property and try to sell it to the public as “holy ground.”
Quite simply, it is what it is!
I wonder if you’ve tried to contact members of The Way International, a presumptive cult, to determine whether there was condensation dripping down the wall when they occupied the same premises. I would guess not.
Interesetingly, after looking at your “miraculous” photos of drips on a gray-painted wall, I have noted similar dripping on a painted wall in my basement, photos which I would be happy to send to you.
Same kind of marks on a painted wall. I, however, have reasonably concluded that they have come from condensation. I don’t believe that the Blessed Mother chose to spoil my paint job. More likely it was the fallen angel, who tried to cause me some distress.
Same with your drippings. Nothing at all miraculaous or divine there. Just condensation.
— Paul M. Hartman · Nov 21, 03:59 PM · #
The devotion to Our Lady of America continues and miraculous events continue to occur at this special site. Our Lady must truly love this place because so many people continue to experience healing and witness the Miracle of the Sun and miraculous photos. They also feel the peace that is evident throughout the property. See oltiv.org. for more accounts of miracles.
May the bishops heed the requests of Our Lady of America soon (enthroning Her statue in the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C.).
To Jesus through Mary
— pam j · May 29, 04:23 PM · #