A custom for us at the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio, has been to pray a novena in preparation for the Feast of the Assumption on August 15. During these nine days we ask our Blessed Mother for her intercession to Jesus, her Son. We also invite a religious or member of the clergy to preach during each of the nine days. Bishop Earl Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, preached the novena this year. He has been coming to the Shrine since he was a little boy.

Every night, he read the passage in the second chapter of St. John’s gospel in which our Blessed Mother instructs the servants at the wedding at Cana to, “do whatever He tells you.” Bishop Fernandes carried this theme throughout his preaching.

For centuries pilgrims have traveled to Marian Shrines worldwide so that they may hear and respond to Mary’s invitation, “Do whatever he tells you.” Since 1912, the friars of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation have served at Our Lady’s Shrine in Carey and invited the numerous pilgrims to “Do whatever He tells you.”

Next year, our Mother Shrine of Our Lady of Luxembourg and its Daughter Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation will celebrate 400 and 150 years, respectively. Fr. Joseph Gloden, the second parish priest to serve in Carey, promised that if he were cured from cholera and then ordained a priest he would name the first parish where he served as pastor in Mary’s honor. Coming to Carey, he changed the parish’s name to Our Lady of Consolation and arranged for an image of her to be brought to the parish. The statue was carried 7 miles from St. Nicholas Church to its new home in Carey on May 24, 1875. Miracles attributed to Mary’s intercession began almost immediately. In June 1912, Bishop Schrembs, the first bishop of Toledo, invited the friars to come and staff the parish and shrine, which continues to be an important ministry for our province.

In 1926, the chapter of friars assembled at Carey agreed to found a new province under the protection of Our Lady of Consolation. It’s amazing to think that every friar who was a member of our province from 1926–1965, 39 years in all, would have spent part of his life in Carey, either in the parish, shrine, seminary or Franciscan Mission Association for many years.

Because of Mary’s gentle words, “do whatever He tells you,” the friars in Carey have done everything Jesus asks of us: ministering to both diverse groups of pilgrims and parishioners for 112 years. We have served as confessors, cooks, maintenance personnel, hospitality ministers, youth and adult retreat leaders, as well as teaching and missionary work, with Our Lady and St. Francis to guide us.

Even though we are a smaller group of friars working here today, during the novena the number of friars grows to about 40. We still attentively listen to the words of Our Lady of Consolation as she guides us – and our entire province – to be faithful to do whatever Jesus wishes us to do.