Our Lady of Toledo Shrine:
Our Lady of Toledo Shrine is a place of prayer,
healing, and forgiveness located on 26 acres of gardens and grottoes with
prayer spaces, a Rosary Walk, Stations of the Cross, and a healing water well.
It is open to the public daily and located in the city of Toledo in the state
of Ohio. It’s a fantastic place to visit even if you are not Catholic.
This shrine is special to me for a few
reasons: One, I love Mother Mary and Two, information about the shrine was
pushed to me via text message on my cell phone from an unknown sender. The
message had no contact number or information.
The
first time I received a text regarding the shrine I saw it pop up on my cell
phone late at night, while sitting in bed. I first thought that someone must
have sent it to me who knew that I loved visiting shrines, perhaps a friend,
family member, or client. But when I
looked at the message, I saw the contact information space was blank or
sometimes, even missing. This happened each time I received a text regarding
the shrine in Toledo throughout the year of 2022.
I know what you are thinking! You must
have signed up for text messages for the shrine, or someone else signed you up,
or put you on a marketing list. But believe me, I checked with everyone and I
also found out that the shrine does not have a marketing list, or text
notifications.
I took this as a strong sign telling me,
“You must go to this shrine!” However, I never seemed to have the time to go. I
had kids and two businesses, but it mostly was due to a very bad person who was
currently in my life. A person with many
mental illnesses who had inched her way into my life, acting as a friend but
truly a sick, energy sucking vampire. I’m sure you know the kind! This awful
person took up all my time, and on purpose.
However, what I find so interesting is
that during the times when this person was the most evil, was when I began
receiving the text messages about the Toledo Shrine.
It all began back in February of 2022. I
had kicked this awful person out of my life several months prior and as soon as
she was gone, I had instant successes within my family, finances, relationships,
and my friends again. I feel she was draining so much that the angels had
stopped sending clients and new job prospects because I was simply not able to
handle it at the time. However, as soon as she was gone my whole life changed
for the better. I was so busy again with my family, traveling, and doing a lot
of events for my business; I was happy. This was when I received the 3rd
text message about the shrine in Toledo.
Then in December of 2022, my son had given
me a cold that quickly turned into a terrible cough and pneumonia which lasted
over Christmas and my children’s winter break. This was when I got the final, 4th
text message from the unknown number sending me a Google Map of the Our Lady of
Toledo Shrine. This truly blew my mind! I remember thinking, Now I have to go. That it was a HUGE sign!
Even though I was sick.
I really do think that Mother Mary and
my angels pushed the Google Map of the shrine to me. I was really sick, but I
got in my car anyway and drove 2 and half hours with my daughter to the Our
Lady of Toledo Shrine.
It was cold, and in the dead of
winter, and I didn’t look at much information regarding the shrine, but planned
on spending the day there even though I was sick
I pulled up and couldn’t believe how
pretty it was! We got out of the car and walked up towards a huge statue of
Mother Mary who was guarded by two Archangels’ I knew very well: Archangel
Michael and Raphael. Coincidence, I think not!
I began speaking to Mother Mary and soon
was surprised to find a puppy at my feet barking and trying to play. I petted
the dog and was shocked to see it there since we seemed to be the only ones
around. My daughter and I laughed as the dog ran and played with us in such a
sweet demeanor. Soon we saw a man come out of the shrine building and walk up
to us.
He told us that he was the caretaker
for the shrine and told us some information about the shrine, but most importantly
he directed us to a well. He said that it was a healing water well and many
visitors’ came from all over the world and traveled really far, just to fill up
their bottles of its healing waters. I looked at my daughter and thought, This must be the reason Mother Mary and my
angels sent me to this wonderful place.
He then took us inside to show us the
chapel and gave us both Rosary’s and we began to pray together, however our
prayer was soon interrupted by my sudden cough that was made worse by being
outdoors in the cold. The cool air triggered it and I couldn’t stop coughing.
My daughter got really worried and upset
that I couldn’t stop coughing, so I turned away from them both in embarrassment
and this is when I saw a bottle of water standing upright on a chair. I had not
seen it before coughing, but quickly picked it up. I began to raise it in the
air toward the caretaker, asking in a motion if I could have it.
“Yes, Yes!” he replied to me and told
me drink it.
Opening it fast, I began to drink it down and
soon my cough stopped. My daughter and the man moved closer, asking me if I was
okay and checking on me, which was so kind. But I couldn’t help wondering, “Where in the heck did that water bottle come
from? I didn’t see it a minute ago in the chapel when we all were looking
around before our prayer.
My daughter must have thought the same
thing because just then she looked at me oddly and then at the bottle. So I
asked the caretaker, “Do you know if this was left here? I didn’t see it until
I began coughing.”
“He told me he hadn’t seen it before either,
but he was glad it was there when I needed it.”
My daughter began to tell the nice
caretaker how sick I was and how I found out about the shrine to which the man
said, “You sure were meant to come today and be healed. He knew She sent me.
She sends so many to be healed.”
Then
he walked us both over to a stand with a book on it, and began showing us
hundreds of letters from people who had been healed by the shrines water well
or soon after praying to the Mother Mary’s statue outside.
After that he walked us through the
rest of the building and showed us an overflowing bookshelf overloaded with
book donations. He said that I could have anything I wanted. I was shocked
because I was thinking of several books I had wanted to get regarding certain
saints, which I wanted to learn about. However,
I couldn’t afford them at the moment.
The caretaker left to put his new
puppy away as my daughter and I looked through the books. To my shock and
surprise, I found every book I had wanted on my wish list! As we left with lots
of books in hand, I gave the kind caretaker a big donation for all he done as
he filled 4 large milk jugs up with the Mother Mary Healing Water from the well
telling us the story of the healing waters as he placed them one by one, into
my car.
“The founder and nun who began this
Shrine was Sally Steadman who was standing right here, he gestured near the
well, when Mother Mary appeared to her and told her to dig right here for a well.
Mary even told the nun how far down to dig, until she would hit water. Mary
told Sally that people needed this water, that it was healing water, and how
they would come from all over the world to drink this water and be healed.”
The caretaker told me to drink the
water he had given me for 5 days and I will be healed. He told us many stories
of people who came from hours away due to health issues and how it had healed
them. “I know you were sent here today to be healed.” He smiled, closed my
trunk, and bid us both goodbye.
I drove home and drank the water,
telling my friends and family the story of Mother Mary appearing to Sally and
what Mary had told her. I also told them what the kind caretaker had said to me
and as predicted from the caretaker, I was better with no extra medical care at
all, in 5 days!
Is it a coincidence that the Our Lady
of Toledo Shrine was pushed to my cell phone? I think not, and I will tell you
why. I believe I was pushed the information regarding the shrine via text
message from Mother Mary because God wanted me to heal and learn. I believe I
needed to get rid of the bad person in my life to be able to be fully present
and healed. I also don’t think it was a coincidence that the full water bottle
appeared behind me when I was coughing and interrupting our prayer with the
caretaker. In addition, I found all the books I presently wanted, but could not
afford, and the man told me to take them home. I think Mother Mary sent the
books to me via the shrine because she knew I had good intentions for the
books, knowing I would also share them with others.
AND YES, I was healed in 5 days! So No!
I don’t think it was a coincidence, I think it was true miracle!
©Rosella C. Rowe
For
more information or to Visit, Our Lady of Toledo Shrine:
https://www.ourladyoftoledoshrine.love/
