Paul Francis Leibold

Paul Francis Leibold (December 22, 1914 – June 1, 1972) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Evansville (1966–1969) and Archbishop of Cincinnati (1969–1972).

Paul Leibold was born in Dayton, Ohio, to Frank and Philomena (née Kirchner) Leibold. After graduating from Chaminade High School, and attending the University of Dayton for two years, he continued his studies at St. Gregory Seminary and at Mount St. Mary's Seminary.

He was ordained a priest in Cincinnati, May 18, 1940, by Archbishop McNicholas. Early assignments within the diocese were pastor of St. Louis Church in Cincinnati, and assistant chancellor and chancellor for the archdiocese of Cincinnati. On April 10, 1958 he was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati. He was consecrated bishop June 17, 1958 and at the same time he was made titular bishop of Trebenna. Principal Consecrator was Archbishop Karl Joseph Alter.

Possibly the most historical event of his career happened as a result of his acting as spiritual director for a young nun living in Ohio and Indiana. In 1963, as Monsignor Leibold, he issued an imprimatur to a diary of private revelations written by Sr. Mildred Ephrem Neuzil while she was serving at a convent (Kneipp Springs) in Rome City, IN. It was here that she claimed she was visited multiple times by the Virgin Mary who declared herself to be "Our Lady of America" and gave her important messages to be given to America's Bishops..

After issuing his imprimatur to the messages written down by Sr. Neuzil, later on, as Archbishop of Cincinnati, he went on to commission a statue, plaques, and even a medal to take these apparitions to the second level of Church confirmation.

If the third, and final, approval is made by the Conference of American Bishops, it would be the only confirmation of an apparition in all of the United States by the Catholic Church. This would put this event on an equal basis with the events at Fatima, Portugal and Lourdes, France.

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