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Month: April 2025

TIMBER! Storms Leave Behind Damage at Center

April 22, 2025
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When it comes to operating a large campus in Indiana, you never know what you’re going to get! The large storms that swept across the Midwest at the beginning of April had quite the effect on our campus. Nearby communities like Albion, Kendalville, and Angola saw even more damage to buildings and land. We were thankful that none of the twenty-one tornadoes that swept through Indiana that day hit Rome City. 

We are looking at over $10,000 dollars worth of damage to our campus from the two storms. The first storm left most of the damage, downing seven large trees on campus. There was also some roof damage. Later in the week, the spring water font was briefly inaccessible as there was a plugged drain. 

While we were left with a chaotic week of assessment and clean-up, we’re grateful it wasn’t worse and that everyone was safe. And we have no doubt that the chaos and storms are a sign of all the goods things to come. 

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Creating a Blueprint: Building a Campus for Pilgrims and Community

April 15, 2025
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Campus planning is beginning!

Along with her crown and beautiful white garment, Our Lady will soon be donning her hard hat and construction vest. 

Your input is critical to  Our Lady’s work!

There was a day when we began the work of reopening this campus, and we were excited that a toilet flushed. We’ve certainly come a long way since then! Thanks to many wonderful volunteers, a small but dedicated staff, supported by generous benefactors, our campus continues to be updated and become more beautiful every year. But we still have a long way to go!  

We have signed the contract and received a generous grant to help initiate the process of creating a campus facilities plan. This plan will include closely examining our campus layout, architecture, and landscape, and then making a phased approach for updates, demolition, construction, and remodeling. We aim to create a space that can host events for 2,000 attendees and welcome more than 100,000 pilgrims annually. With the significant growth we’ve been seeing each year, the need for better use of our historic campus is becoming increasingly apparent and necessary.  We need to start now with a vision on how we can help bring Our Lady’s hope for America to fruition.

As they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and neither will a Rome City center be! This will be a phased approach, where we map out our needs and determine the order in which they need to be addressed. 

Right now, what we need is your input!! 

SEE FORM BELOW

If we build it, will you come? We are asking pilgrims to help us get a better grasp and broader vision of what is needed to make this campus not just a bigger place, but a better place. We’d love to hear your ideas and input on our campus planning form here. 

This initial planning process will likely run through September. We expect to qualify for the grant again next year, which will be used to complete the vision for renovating the Oratory of the Holy Family. 

As each phase rolls out, we will undoubtedly continue to need your support through input, generosity, volunteering, and, of course, your participation in events. We want this to be a place of great hospitality, community, and joy, a place of worship, a sanctuary for families and meaningful community, a light to the local community, and a place where heaven’s plans for peace begin. Only you, the pilgrims, can do that great work of giving life to this place by the grace of God. Let us begin! 

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Success! Annual Fundraising Appeal 2-for-1 Match

April 12, 2025
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We reached 126% of our goal during the 2-for-1 Annual Appeal!

Our Board of Directors once again generously offered to match all donations 2-for-1 through March 2025 (up to a $300,000 match). This year’s campaign was our best ever. We reached 126% of our goal! The board matched 2-for-1 up to $300,000 as promised, and once that goal was reached they committed to a 1-for-1 match. We are so thankful for your generous giving and support of our mission! 

This is a game changer for the trajectory of the center.  We can do more in outreach, advancing the mission of Our Lady, and planning the path!

You Crushed It!

Hands,Holding,Appreciation.,Thankful,Female,Multicultural,Hands,Of,Customers,Colleagues

Everything Changed in 2024, And We Should Be Hopeful

2024 will be marked as the start of a historical change in America.  This will be known as the year America started to wake up from its slumber (or perhaps stupor).

Why do I say this?  For decades, many Americans have sensed that something in our culture is not right, as if the fabric of our culture was weakening.  But in the last decade, the tears in the fabric have started to show.  We see signs in the news and in our community daily.  The situation’s urgency is apparent, and we all have a crucial role in restoring the fabric.  Your involvement is not just significant; it’s urgent.

In 2024, it seems the reality of this breakdown became manifest to most, and people are awakening to ask, “What is it?  How can it be overcome?  What must I do?” Against the backdrop of these questions, Our Lord Jesus Christ comes among our nation and is processed as King and Savior in the Eucharist.  From Sea to Sea and from North and South, he comes, covering us with the grace of His Divine Presence.  And in Indianapolis, pilgrims worldwide joined in prayer, interceding for our nation.  It recalls the scripture verse ‘God said: “I will live with them and move among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people.”‘ ( 2 Corinthians 6:16)

Isn’t that precisely what happened with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage/Conference, a significant event that brought together tens of thousands of faithful from across the nation to celebrate the Eucharist and pray for the healing of our land?

There and then, everything changed, and America had a glimpse of God’s hope for Our Nation and how it could be fulfilled.  The transformative power of the Eucharistic gives us hope that the antidote to the pagan culture is within our grasp.

The Eucharistic Congress was the first step, and its work must continue.  But there is a second step.  Returning to the above scripture quote, the phrase immediately proceeding is the hope of Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin Patroness of America (Our Lady of America), wherein Saint Paul writes, “For we are the temple of the living God.“

Did you catch that?  WE ARE (sacramentally) THE TEMPLES OF THE LIVING GOD.

Just as the Eucharistic Lord was processed across our Nation, He wants us to take him into our homes, workplaces, and communities.  The institutional Church cannot effectively do this.  Only the lay faithful can reach all of society’s cracks, corners, and crevices.  In this devotion, Our Lady teaches us how and asks us to bring Our Lord to all.

This is precisely the message of Our Lady of America, and it is precisely how we can best say yes to Our Lady’s request when she asks, “I need your help to bring peace into the world.  Do not disappoint me.”

A soul in a state of sanctifying grace is the tabernacle of the Indwelling Most Holy Trinity, “The Temple of the Living God” (2 Cor 6:16).   With sanctifying grace and “YES” to God’s will, such souls help Our Lady bring fulfillment to these writing of St. Paul and fulfill her request by helping her bring the peace of Christ into the world.

Any soul can participate through the grace of God and the Sacraments.  This mission is open to all.

Now is our time to say yes.   And Our Lady does not leave us to wonder how.  She gives us a precise way to answer her plea.  The answer lies exclusively in the Sacraments which her Son has prepared for us.   There is no mystery to her request or ambiguity in her method.

The community surrounding the Our Lady, Patroness of America Center is called to lead in helping her children say “YES.” This role is not exclusive to us.  It is a role in collaboration with the many prayer groups and organizations nationwide that are springing up in response to her requests.  This is a team effort.  2024 has seen a multitude of groups organizing to spread this devotion.  This collective action, this united front, will bring about the change Our Lady seeks.  It warms my heart to no end to see us all working together!

The fact that you are reading this note means you are part of the Our Lady, Patroness of America Center community.  You are asked to help Our Lady’s children say “YES” and help her lead the world to peace.  Your role is crucial, and your contribution is invaluable.

We can respond by praying for Our Lady’s intentions and spreading this devotion among our families, friends, and communities.  Pray that Our Lady’s hope for America comes to fruition.

2024 saw a significant increase in pilgrims.  Most had one thing in common: they came because someone they know personally recommended a visit to Rome City.  Spread the word—it works!  We had over 20 organized groups of 15 or more pilgrims this year—former visitors led them all!  And now these
groups are out in their circles spreading the word.  The wave is building.

Bishop Kevin Rhoades, when he decreed the Our Lady, Patroness of America Center as an official place of pilgrimage, gave Our Lady a place where her children can visit her, learn of her hope, and provide us with grace and blessing.  In short, he gave us a place to say “Yes” to Our Lady!

As the foundation that owns and operates the birthplace of the devotion, we have a duty and the standing to spread the devotion in ways beyond individual outreach.

In addition to maintaining and enhancing our campus, we have added a focus on outreach over the last year.  We have been exhibiting at conferences, speaking to groups outside our Diocese, and developing our social media campaign.  In 2025, we are preparing to do more outreach to bring Our Lady’s hope for America to thousands of her children.  (For a sneak peek at our social media advertisement, click here.)

Regarding collaboration, we are working to develop working relationships with many well known and respected Catholic leaders.  This work is starting to bear fruit!  This devotion is so deeply rooted in the Sacraments and the Scriptures and relevant today that these leaders are naturally attracted to Our Lady’s message.

Please donate now

Let’s keep working together and make a difference by bringing the Peace of Christ into our world.

Rosary Chapel – March 1, 2025

        • 9:00 AM Praying of the Rosary
        • 9:30 AM 1st Saturday of the Month Mass for Our Lady of Fatima
        • 10:15 AM Presentation, approximately 1 hour long

You can visit their website olhsc.org

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Welcome Back to First Friday

April 8, 2025
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First Friday Mass and devotions are back!

April kicked off the return of First Friday Mass and devotions. Through October, every first Friday of the month will begin with the Patriotic Rosary at 5:30 p.m., followed by Mass at 6 p.m., and a light meal afterwards during the summer months (April to October). 

As always, we continue to have First Saturday Mass and devotions every month. The day begins with the Patriotic Rosary at 10:30 a.m., followed by Mass at 11 a.m. and a presentation and tours. During the summer months (April to October), we also serve a light meal after Mass before the presentation begins. 

Our First Saturday Mass had a fantastic turnout with over 140 pilgrims in attendance. This is a hope-filled sign of all the good things to come this year and of the immense growth we continue to see at the center. Our Lady’s message is getting out there! 

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