All Good Friday

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Yesterday my two little homeschoolers and I took a little road trip. We live about 90 minutes from the National Shrine to Our Lady of Consolation, and since we had been there only once I thought another trip was in order. Our Lady was calling us, you could say. Today's Good/Bad Friday is report on our trip and since it was a field trip to see Our Lady it's really "All Good Friday." There is just nothing bad about visiting Our Lady -- even the drive was pleasant -- surprise, surprise. The graces that come through Our Heavenly Mother have no end.

I had been thinking that we need to get out of the house more. What is the benefit of homeschooling if you are constantly stuck at home schooling? It sort of makes me sad that I have not really done this earlier in our homeschooling days. I kept thinking that when the boys got in high school that Faith and I would do more of it. I let the divide (years, personalities, interests) between Noah and Faith keep us from doing fun things, always assuming that what would be fun for one would not be fun for the other. Well, who doesn't like getting away from school for the day even if it's not your very favorite activity? As a result of this great revelation (duh!), I hope to do many more of these trips this school year, since it's Noah's last year at home.

The Shrine to Our Lady of Consolation is located in Carey, Ohio, which is located fairly centrally in Ohio, about halfway between Columbus and Toledo. It wasn't a bad drive, the weather was gorgeous, and like I said, we had graces through Our Lady to lead us on.

The shrine was, sadly for Our Lord and His mother, almost completed deserted. The stained glass windows are being restored, and I suppose it's possible that they are not scheduling any pilgrimages right now. Or maybe because it was Veteran's Day people had activities else where. We were pleased, however, to have the place to ourselves.

We arrived -- taken from the front steps.

Don't you love a dark, quiet church as much as I do?

The main altar

On the left side of the main altar, Our Sorrowful Mother and Jesus in the tomb.

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My picture of the statue of Our Lady of Consolation (found on the right side of the main altar) is disappointing, but I wanted you to be able to see it anyway. The statue, because it is clothed, is enclosed in glass and the sun was just at the right place in the sky to shine through the stained glass and onto the case. The garments that clothe Our Lady and the Infant Jesus statue are kept in the undercroft in cases -- there are dozens and dozens of matching outfits.

One of the windows that was still in place, and based on the dark colors, I am assuming has not yet been restored.

A nice gentleman asked if he could take our picture. Don't you just love the kind of people who work at and hang out at shrines?

My little peach headed down to the undercroft.




In the undercroft, is another statue of Jesus in the tomb. On this statue, pilgrims have placed their intentions. Receptacles, like the basket shown here, have been placed all over the shrine to hold the special intentions of those who visit.



Because St. Therese is Faith's favorite saint, we stopped for a picture of her statue in the undercroft.




Below the statue of St. Therese is a first class relic. The aspect of the shrine that most interested Noah, to my surprise, was the display in the undercroft of dozens of first class relics. We saw many relics of saints we have studied over the years. What a beautiful thing Our Holy Mother Church does for us in providing these little pieces of sainthood on earth.





Saying goodbye. We purchased a bottle for Holy Water, filled it up and then said goodbye, until another day.


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