A Deo et Rege

Today I was off from work so Carmel and I decided to spend the day together. We decided to go east a few miles and visit an Amish area. We had lunch at an amazing Amish restaurant. We ate "family style" and had some great roast beef, stuffing, mashed potatoes and some heavenly pumpkin pie! Afterward, we went to Wal-Mart and bought The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which we plan to watch tonight.

Next, we drove a few miles and visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch in Burton, Ohio. This shrine is in the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma. We first walked around the grounds themselves and they were beautiful. This shrine is totally

rural (and is situated among the Amish; we saw buggies pass on the road by the shrine) and extremely peaceful. There were numerous statues, icons, and the occasional mosaics, all in a gorgeous Northeastern Ohio country setting. There is an outdoor chapel where they have Divine Liturgy services on Sundays starting in May.

Next, we went to the shrine chapel. Fortunately, the priest had a day off from his part-time job and let us in. We had a wonderful conversation with him in the chapel and also prayed. The chapel itself was small, but extremely beautiful and inspiring. It could be a lesson in simple, dignified beauty to counteract some of the ugliness in modern Roman Catholic architecture.

Finally, we went across the street to the convent (?) where we visited the gift shop. The sister living there was very friendly and we came away with some great books. We were amazed at the hospitality of those at the shrine as well as the refreshing informal friendliness. Although Burton, Ohio is out of the way, if you happen to make it in the general area, it’s well worth visiting the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch.

Photos by Jonathan Bennett

On Sunday Carmel, David, Jennifer,and I went to the National Shrine
and Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio. Since this is my

sixth visit, there isn’t much more I can write that is original! For those who want the whole story (and see other shrines I’ve visited), check out my Catholic, Shrines category.

As always we started off with some Speedway coffee and a few snacks. It seems this has become a personal custom! We also came to Our Lady with intentions for our pilgrimage. Part of my intention related to healing for my surgery. I’m happy to report that I have been healing naturally and if things go well I won’t need a second surgery. I attribute this to God and the prayers of Our Lady. And part of my pilgrimage intention was to receive full healing and not have to return to the hospital.

As we always do on a Sunday at the Shrine, we attended the devotions. More about this can be found in my previous posts, but let me say I highly recommend it. I was prayed over by Fr. John Raphael with a relic of the True Cross. It was an amazing experience and I have no doubt that God will use it for both spiritual and physical healing.

I always visit the gift shop and this time found a wonderful item that is new to the Shrine. It’s a shrine rosary with images of Our Lady of Consolation and roses on the beads, an image of OLC and Lourdes water on the medal area, and as an added bonus it glows in the dark! Items like this are a fringe benefit of being Catholic!

Carmel has also posted on our visit to the Shrine

Photos by Jonathan Bennett

Today was a beautiful day for a pilgrimage! It was a little
cold, but the sun was shining and not a cloud or snowflake in sight! David, Jennifer, and I left in the morning and headed towards Maria Stein, Ohio. I only wish Carmel could’ve been there. The town’s name means "Mary’s Rock." As always we stopped at Speedway for coffee (sorry to disappoint Fr. David!). The trip took around 2.5 hours, but seemed to go quickly. The terrain in Northwestern Ohio is very flat, but quite scenic.

At around 1:00pm we arrived at The Shrine of the Holy Relics, a convent, shrine, and museum run by the Sisters of the Precious Blood. The first thing we did was to go to the bookstore. I didn’t buy a whole lot, except the obligatory holy water container, a few holy cards, a small book, and a couple of gifts I won’t reveal here because they will be going to a reader! After that, we looked around the beautiful grounds. The setting was rural and idyllic, especially the courtyard. As someone who prefers country life to city life, I would enjoy praying here on a regular basis!

We then went inside since it was too cold to linger outdoors and visited the museum. I really enjoyed learning about the history of the Order in Maria Stein. It was fascinating to see the expressions of the Catholic Faith in the past too (like holy cards before the invention of plastic). They also had a really cool statue of Mary unlike any other I’ve seen before (see photo).

Next we moved to the chapel, which seems to be the main attraction. The first chapel is a beautifully designed space with the Blessed Sacrament. It leads into the chapel that holds the relics. Entering there was quite a shock. I have never seen so many relics in one place. I would estimate there were nearly 1,000 individual relics that included hundreds of different Saints and Jesus (Go here to see all the Saints included in their collection). Fortunately they had
them laid out in an easy to use system. I looked for St. Justin, my patron, as well as other Saints important to me and my loved ones: Catherine of Siena, Peregrine, Jerome, Maria Goretti, and Thomas Aquinas. They had complete bones on display from (I believe, but could be wrong; corrections welcome) St. Concordia. They also had a beautiful wax figure that contained the remains of St. Victoria (see photo).

Naturally we were very happy to be in this place. My feeling was a mix of awe and excitement. I was looking around everywhere trying to find those Saints who had a special impact in my life. We prayed a litany of the Saints and asked our patrons to intercede for us. It was such a wonderful experience to be in the presence of the relics of so many heroes for Christ.

If you’re ever in the vicinity of Maria Stein, Ohio (it’s near Dayton and Lima), this is a great place to visit.

Images: L- outdoor view of the shrine; St. Victoria R- Unique statue of Mary; relic of St. Thomas Aquinas (all photos taken by Jonathan Bennett; beauty provided by the Sisters of the Precious Blood and the Saints themselves)

Update: David has posted his thoughts and photos

Today I am traveling to yet another shrine (it was a part of my New Year’s resolution!), The Shrine of the Holy Relics in Maria Stein, Ohio. It’s one of those places that is hard to get there from here, but I’m excited. As always, I’ll take a bunch of photos and tell all about it. Please pray as I go on this pilgrimage. I will remember the intentions of my readers while I’m there.

Today I ventured to Carey, Ohio once again to visit the
National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation. This is a very special place for me, as a quick glance under the category "Catholic, Shrines" will show (on sidebar or bottom of this post). Last time, I went to join their confraternity; today I went to ask Our Lady’s intercessions for physical healing.

David, Jennifer, and I left somewhat early and naturally stopped at Speedway beforehand. The trip up was nice and on the way we stopped and looked at the Pontifical College Josephinum, the only seminary in the US under direct Vatican control. Surprisingly it’s located in Columbus, Ohio. Go figure.

When we arrived in Carey, we were disappointed to find that the bookstore was closed. However, they were doing devotions at least, which was the main reason we visited. We went into the main church building and I was shocked and I mean shocked: the shrine was completely decked out for Christmas. Granted my experience with Catholic parishes is somewhat limited, but this was the most beautiful example of Christmas decorating I’d ever seen! They had greenery everywhere, much of it lighted. They had (at my count) 10 lighted Christmas trees in the main shrine area alone. As someone who loves God, Mary, Christmas and shrines, I was in heaven.

I took some pictures, but mainly focused on prayer and devotion since I was here for spiritual reasons. Devotions started at 2:30pm and were awesome. They began with a rosary; then Fr. John-Raphael (Conventual Franciscan) gave an excellent homily on the
Blessed Mother. Next, they had Eucharistic adoration with the Divine Praises. Finally, they ended with a healing service that included being touched with a relic of the true cross.

After this, I took out the handy pilgrimage booklet and visited each altar, petitioning God and asking various Saints and the Blessed Mother to entreat our Lord on my behalf. I finally said my farewells to the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, knowing that I have a loving Mother to intercede on my behalf to her all-powerful Son.

Before I left I filled up 6 bottles of holy water. No, they’re not all for me! However, I like to have physical reminders of my visits. No Gnosticism for me, thanks. On the way home we looked at many Christmas lights and God’s natural lights in some amazing sunsets. I just wish Carmel would’ve been here. Next year for sure!

If you’re ever in the Carey, Ohio area (somewhat close to Toledo and Columbus) and are a devoted Catholic, I highly recommend you visit.

Photos of the shrine by Jonathan Bennett. The real beauty comes from others; I just try to capture a glimpse of it.

Yes, once again I made the trek to Carey, Ohio to visit what has become one of my all time favorite places. I would go weekly, probably even daily, if I lived closer. If gas prices weren’t so high, I’d probably go at least monthly. Sometimes we find places where we just feel we connect with God in incredible ways. For me, that place is the National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio.

As is typical, I started my 2.5 hour drive with a cup of Speedway coffee. The drive was long, but quite nice. The day was absolutely perfect: crisp with autumn colors and a blue sky. I couldn’t have asked for anything better! I arrived at the shrine around 11:15am and waited for the noon mass by doing a few prayers. I was excited about having mass in a place that actually looked like a church (for all aspiring church architects: give up the pomo nonsense and visit the basilica in Carey). Naturally the mass didn’t disappoint. The music was beautiful and the priest was full of energy and enthusiasm.

After mass, I got my camera and walked around the basilica, snapping photos and praying. The statues are beautiful and the pilgrim’s guide takes a person spiritually through the entire building. The shrine also has a great smell to it. Imagine hundreds of candles in one place and you can get the drift. I love it. After going around the church, I walked outside to the local shrine park on the edge of town. It’s filled with statues and also the stations of the Cross. However, the main attraction is a 75 foot tall altar with a golden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the top. I spent a lot of time in the park enjoying the lovely day.

Then, I returned to the basilica for devotions. This was the best part of my day. We started with a hymn to Mary and then we were enrolled in the Confraternity of Our Lady of Consolation (David answers the question "what is a confraternity?"). Then, they removed the statue from the glass and took it outside for a rosary procession. That was a wonderful experience that I honestly felt lucky to be involved in. When we returned to the shrine, one of the priests preached a sermon and we had Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. What a wonderful devotion! Finally, they brought out their relics of the True Cross and blessed each of us with a piece of it while praying for our needs. Wow! I am still amazed by the whole experience.

Since I had work the next day, I had to leave Carey after devotions. I once again stopped at Speedway and got some pumpkin spice cappuccino! Mmmmm! More importantly, I felt spiritually recharged and refreshed and more aware of God’s presence and Our Lady’s prayers. I will definitely be returning to Carey, hopefully sooner than later.

Photos on left of an angel and Our Lady of Consolation
Photos on right of Christ in the tomb and outdoor Mary altar (called Queen of Heaven by me for obvious reasons)
All photos by Jonathan Bennett

David and I set out early afternoon yesterday to visit the National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio. It was my third visit and David’s fourth (see Catholic, Shrines on the sidebar for more). It was a cold and rainy day at the beginning, but in Carey it was mainly just cold. But, as two people who love the fall, we were enjoying the crisp air and changing leaves. On the way over, we naturally stopped at Speedway and enjoyed a cup of coffee. It was honestly a great time, especially since David and I don’t see each other often anymore.

When we arrived at Carey, the first thing we did was visit the bookstore. I bought a few things, including a candle and a couple of holy water containers. I also bought an excellent book, The Heart of Catholicism: Essential Writings of the Church from St. Paul to John Paul II by Theodore James. It includes excerpts from important writings. I will use it for one of my classes.

After the bookstore we both went to confession and toured the church area. It was a very healthy crowd at confession, encompassing all ages, which is always nice to see. The bishops speak of a need for a revival of reverence and awe for the Eucharist, but I don’t see how this could ever happen without a revival of reverence and awe for the Sacrament of reconciliation. Ok, that’s my little rant!

We then went to the beautiful park located about a 5 minute walk from the actual basilica. The park is spacious and includes a huge dome like structure with a statue of Mary at the top. We could see the beginnings of fall in the many trees. I’ll bet the park is bustling with pilgrims during the feast of the Assumption. Since it was getting cold, we decided to make our way back.

We went into the basilica and did a rosary in the lower church. Then we moved upstairs and caught the tail end of some wedding photography. It would be so wonderful to marry in the shadow of Our Lady of Consolation’s gaze. We prayed in front of the miraculous image and began a novena. It felt so great to be back. This was the first shrine I ever visited as a Catholic and as a "first" it has a special place in my heart. We continued around the shrine taking photos and praying.

We were fortunate to visit on a Saturday because of the vigil mass. It was great to worship in a beautiful place that actually looked like a Catholic Church and sing songs played on an organ, all in the gaze of a miraculous image. It made me wish I lived closer to Carey (our drive was nearly 2.5 hours). The mass itself was straightforward, but very spiritually edifying.

After mass, we said a few closing prayers and left Carey for the day. The return trip was nice and we enjoyed pumpkin spice cappuccinos from Speedway! The rain started when we reached I-271, which wasn’t fun, but we had been blessed to be rain-free in Carey (not surprising considering Our Lady’s main miracle there was weather related). We stopped near my local town and got some Pizza Hut pizza since we were very hungry by that point.

Visiting this shrine was such a blessing and quite frankly recharged my spiritual batteries. As many regular readers know, I highly recommend visiting shrines throughout the year. The practice is a blessing for the soul, something to which I can strongly attest. For more information on shrines in your area please visit:

Marian Shrines in the USA
Catholic Shrines USA

First photo on the left is Our Lady of Consolation
Photo on the right is a photo of Jesus in the tomb
Second photo on left is Mary in the garden

All photos taken by Jonathan Bennett

David is in town with me this weekend. It’s always fun for twins to be re-united! We’re going to hang out and enjoy our 3 day weekends. One thing we decided to do was to visit  the Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio, our favorite shrine (and believe me we’ve been to many). We’re going on a pilgrimage there today, so please keep us in your prayers. Of course, we’ll both have photos and comments.

See Previous Shrine Visits

The grounds of the Shrine were absolutely gorgeous. I took a small, winding path, which contained the Stations of the Cross along with other religious images. There was a life size crucifixion scene made with statues as well as the empty tomb. The angels at the tomb were absolutely beautiful and the white created a sense of the celestial glory of Jesus’s resurrection.

After this, I went back to the main grotto area and noticed a small area that featured crutches and other items that people no longer needed after visiting the shrine or using its water. The sister I talked to told me that they receive letters from people all the time telling of the miraculous events happening in their lives thanks to the shrine. God works in diverse ways and I have no doubt that he has used the ministry of this Shrine

As I walked back towards the bookstore, I noticed another path that went up a hill. A cross followed by stone circles wound up one side of the hill and around to the other. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the slabs were different sizes and corresponded to the beads of the rosary. What an incredible idea! It gave new meaning to outdoor rosary walks for sure. As with everything at Our Lady of Lourdes, the whole area was amazingly beautiful and very conducive to prayer and meditation.

I ended my pilgrimage at the Shrine chapel. It was small, but very lovely. It reminded me of the ideal small town church building if the parish wanted beauty, dignity, and coziness. I would’ve taken photos here, but a sister was in the building and I didn’t want to get in trouble (just in case)!

Sadly, my time at Lourdes was limited because I had to get to the hotel so I could prepare my presentation for the next day’s job interview. I definitely want to return to this Shrine and hope to do so in the next few weeks. Also, as a side note, I got the teaching job and will be living in Cleveland in August. Thanks be to God for his grace and the intercession of the Mother of his Son!

Photos on the left of angels; photo on the right of the rosary walk. All photos by Jonathan Bennett. I tried to go a little for the dreamy feel with them. To see them up close, simply click on the thumbnail.

I had another job interview near Cleveland and some time to spare, so I figured I’d visit a Marian shrine (it was May after all). One looked especially interesting: Our Lady of Lourdes (note: site has been down the last couple of days) in Euclid, a suburb (of sorts) of Cleveland.

As usual this trip started with some Speedway coffee (a prerequisite for any road trip). The drive was quite scenic, until that is, I got near Cleveland and smelled the odor of a Ford plant. I held my nose, thankful that they hadn’t moved the plant to Mexico. Then I entered into Cleveland and crossed what I think was the Cuyahoga River with the downtown all around me. I  also drove by Lake Erie, which was prettier. The route to the Shrine off of I-90 was a bit convoluted and I drove in an area that I don’t want to return to. However, I got my bearings and made it to the Shrine.

The grounds looked so beautiful, like a little slice of the country in the midst of the city. I first made my way to the gift shop to buy the holy water containers, etc. The clerk explained to me the origin of the Shrine. Three sisters went to Europe and met a monk who had a rock that Mary had stood upon at Lourdes. He divided it into three pieces and gave it to the sisters who promised they would go back to Ohio (where their religious community was located) and create a shrine replica of Lourdes. The bishop of Cleveland blessed the endeavor and the shrine was created. The bishop of Cleveland also received from the Pope many spiritual privileges for those who visit the Shrine. Needless to say, it was all fascinating.

After that, I immediately went to the grotto replica, which contained two of the three pieces of rock that Mary stood upon. One was in the waterfall (pilgrims can take home holy water that runs over the rock) and one was available to touch in an area off to the side (this was the mystery photo in my previous blog entry). Although the Lourdes story isn’t dogma, nonetheless it was fascinating to think of touching a rock where Mary once stood. I prayed for my intentions and those of family and friends and made my way around the rest of the grounds.

More to come…
Photos on left of the Grotto and the rock. Photo on right is a closeup of Mary’s statue.
All photos by Jonathan Bennett

I’ve included this picture as a preview to an essay I’m going to write about a recent visit to a shrine. Can anyone guess what this is a picture of? Look inside the cross. Of course, it’s a rock. However, what is the significance of the rock and where is it from? And this blog entry is not open to siblings, their girlfriends, or my fiancee! They already know. Anyone else have a guess?

Photo by Jonathan Bennett, taken at the ????? Shrine
Click photo to enlarge

Since I’ve visited so many Catholic shrines lately and plan to visit more in the future (an entry on my most recent visit is forthcoming), I thought it would be helpful to group everything shrine related under one heading. So, if you look to the right, you’ll see the new category "Catholic, Shrines."

We then moved along to more of the beautiful side chapels including the Blessed Sacrament chapel. There is nothing more intimate and beautiful for me than praying before the Blessed Sacrament. Sadly at this point, we were in a bit of a hurry, so we couldn’t stay here long.

At this point we came across the altars devoted to the mysteries of the rosary (without the luminous). As one who prays and loves the rosary, this was a fascinating part of the pilgrimage. Every Catholic shrine I’ve ever visited gives its assent to (licit) devotional practice through the different altars and grottoes. Private devotion is very important in the Catholic Church, more so than any other group except perhaps the Orthodox. It’s great to see our parishes and shrines give voice to that.

As we approached the sanctuary and the chancel, my eyes started to move upwards and notice the massive size of the basilica. The image of Christ Pantocrator is nothing short of haunting, perhaps due to his piercing blue eyes. This image and the dome are reminiscent of Eastern architecture, but the marble and the others designs are uniquely Western. It’s very appropriate for a Church that is both Eastern and Western and allows the two to co-exist.

We worked our way around to the rosary altars and chapels on the other side. Two of the first things we saw were mosaics to the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. It was cool because the first was donated by Benedict XV and Pius XI. The second was donated by Venerable Pius XII and Blessed John XXIII. It’s fascinating to see these, especially since the Assumption mosaic was donated by the Pope who infallibly declared it dogma!

Next, we visited more of the side shrines, including Our Lady of Siluva, one of my favorites because I have Lithuanian heritage. Lithuania is 85% Catholic and becoming Catholic, I felt, brought me back somewhat to my roots. It was great to know that there is a devotional practice dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary that is unique to my homeland. It’s based on an appearance of Mary that helped turn the tide against Protestantism in Lithuania.

Finally, we did the creed and other things to join our intentions with the holy father’s and of course I prayed for the intentions of those in the blog as promised. Then it was time to leave the basilica. I took one more photo of the building and the grounds and then we drove to the hotel where I would stay before my job interview. I didn’t get the job, but I had a great trip to the National Shrine and a renewed appreciation of God’s grace and the intercession of our blessed Mother.

Photo on left of Christ Pantocrator; photo on right of Immaculate Conception mosaic

All photos by Jonathan Bennett

We continued looking around the crypt area, but since there was a mass, we were somewhat limited in where we could visit. After the mass we went into the main crypt area where they have all the services. It was a beautiful place, especially all the various altars done in mosaic style. This made me feel like I was taken back to the early Church, especially in the Saints they chose, like St. Lucy, St. Cecilia, St. Agatha, St. Anastasia, etc.

The main crypt area also included Our Lady of Good Health (Vailankanni), an Indian shrine and Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Antipolo), a Philippine shrine. Both were beautiful and moving. We said prayers for all our sick friends and loved ones (there are a lot right now) at the Our Lady of Good Health altar and an Indian woman handed us a holy card with a novena from her purse. Such a small act ministered to us in such a grand way!

Next, we moved upstairs, where another mass was finishing up. We first encountered Mary, Queen of Ireland, a beautiful shrine with a working fountain. We also encountered an African pilgrim who seemed to be caught up in the Spirit and was oblivious to us, other than giving us a smile. It was beautiful in so many ways.

We moved along to more of the side altars, including St. Vincent DePaul among others. We prayed all the prayers and were followed by the African woman. Her faith was inspiring.

One of the most poignant of the Upper Church side altars for me was the one dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians. This meant so much to me because I’ve really been struggling lately about several things, mainly about where God wants me to best serve him. I know that he has a plan and this altar really brought the reality of his grace and the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

One more segment to come…

Image on left of Mary, Queen of Ireland; image on right, Mary, Help of Christians.

All photos by Jonathan Bennett

We started the drive into Washington DC about 8:30am and our route took us through the mountains of Maryland and West Virginia on I-68. A friend said that this is the most beautiful part of the country and I’m inclined to agree with him. The mountains and the scenic views are lovely. In fact, in parts of Maryland and West Virginia spring hasn’t even arrived yet the elevation is so high. It’s interesting to be warm and see the flowering of spring one minute and 30 minutes later to look upon bare trees, brown grass, and to see your breath when you talk.

Yahoo! Maps took us to the basilica via downtown Washington DC. Note to readers: never, ever, ever, never take this route. We missed a turn and found our way back on the route, but not after a great headache and horrible traffic. But, at about 4:15 we finally arrived at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The sheer size was absolutely amazing and it confronted us immediately. We first went to the gift shop and it was huge as well. I bought some souvenirs and the customary candle and holy water container. Then, I began my pilgrimage at the Shrine.

First, we visited the downstairs crypt including the many different altars and statues. Most of the altars had prayers and a kneeler for those interested. Of course, we were interested. The Eastern Rite chapel was beautiful and was special to me because of my interest in Eastern Christianity. The chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes was moving, especially since it was carved into rock (or fake rock). This was also near the Mother of Africa altar which included a statue of the Blessed Mother and our infant Lord with African features.

I was especially impressed by the many different ethnic altars and chapels. This is a theme I often encounter since I’ve been Catholic. When we call ourselves Catholic, it is more than just being theologically universal. We are also universal in that we are around the world and include people of diverse backgrounds, races, etc. It is a good reminder when we in the West get triumphalistic that the Catholic Church is not just white and that’s a good thing.

More to come…

Photo on left of the outside of the Shrine; photo on left of Mother of Africa. All photos taken by Jonathan Bennett.