672  Necedah Believe It or Not           

Father Scheetz’s first visit to the Shrine was July 4th 1950. He met Mary Ann and her husband, Fred, and a lifelong friendship was established. Father‘s kind and sympathetic manner gave Mary Ann complete confidence in both his work for the Shrine and his excellent spiritual guidance for herself. This was invaluable to her.

Father Scheetz authored an interesting book entitled “Necedah Believe It . . .or Not!” The book is a compilation of a revealing taped interview with Mary Ann, plus his notations taken while witnessing Mary Ann suffer the Passion of Our Lord, and his experiences with others in their belief or unbelief with the unfolding Necedah apparitions. As dire and revealing messages were given to Mary Ann, Father was amazed a t her ability to identify the devils by name who were doing all in their power to halt the revelations! For a woman diagnosed with having a weak heart, he observed she put up a mighty struggle.

Father was crushed by the cruel treatment given to Mary Ann.  He was witness to the numerous snide efforts to sabotage Our Lady's Cause - efforts which continue to the present day. Father greatly admired Mary Ann's patience, humility, sincerity, endurance and her great love for the Mother of God.

Father Scheetz lays out the facts in his book; and, lets the reader decide whether the apparitions of Necedah are genuine or not. But he does point out, that "time has proven the truth of much of the Necedah messages that were prophetic."