Our Lady of Consolation Basilica

Q: Can you provide information about the National Shrine of Our Lady which is located in Carey, Ohio?

A: This is the national shrine of Our Lady of Consolation (315 W. Clay Street, Carey, Ohio 43316). in honor of the patroness of Luxembourg from which country many of the settlers of this area came. A copy of the original image was obtained in 1875 and carried in procession from Berwick to Carey, seven miles away. The Luxembourg Madonna holds a scepter in her right hand; her left holds the Child Jesus his right hand in a gesture of blessing. Both mother and child are crowned and wear beautiful robes which change with the liturgical season. The shrine altar of Our Lady of Consolation is to left of the main altar in the 1925 dedicated red brick church. It is of Romanesque style, has a cruciform design, a tall slender bell tower and a huge rose window. It seats twenty-six hundred people. Near the church there is the Pilgrim's House operated by the Sisters of St. Francis. On the property there is a large outdoor shrine to the Luxembourg Madonna, a way of the Cross and various small shrines and grottos. The church has been designated both a National Shrine and a Basilica.