Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted

About the Shrine

The Franciscan Shrine of Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted sits on a wooded 32-acre property in Youngstown, Ohio, and is operated by Franciscan friars of Transylvanian (Hungarian) origin. It was built in the 1960s as a replica of the Marian sanctuary of Csíksomlyó in Transylvania, to keep alive the veneration of the Madonna of Csíksomlyó after the original Franciscan guardians were expelled by the Soviets in 1948. Today the Shrine is a year-round place of prayer, pilgrimage, and retreat, with daily and Sunday Mass, weekday Confession, novena devotions, two weekly Holy Hours, and outdoor Stations of the Cross in a setting known as the 'Cathedral in the Pines.' Because no membership rolls are kept, baptisms, Confirmations, weddings, and funerals are not celebrated here; the Shrine is open to all people of good will.

History

The history of the Shrine is inseparable from the story of the Marian sanctuary of Csíksomlyó in the Székely Hungarian region of Transylvania. The Franciscans there tended a miraculous statue of the Madonna from the early 16th century onward; pilgrims came for over 400 years, and the shrine was documented as early as a 15th-century papal bull of Pope Eugene IV. Twice the statue had to be removed during Romanian invasions (1916 and 1944), and in 1948 the Communist authorities finally expelled the Franciscan friars, leaving the original statue behind in Romania. The exiled friars came to North America and, in 1957, were welcomed to the Diocese of Youngstown by Bishop Emmet M. Walsh. The new shrine was formally approved on September 6, 1963; its cornerstone was blessed on October 8, 1963 by Msgr. Owen L. Gallagher, Vicar General; and the chapel was opened and friary occupied by year's end under the leadership of Fr. Hippolyt Deesy, O.F.M., Delegate Provincial. On October 4, 1964 — the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi — Bishop Walsh solemnly dedicated the Shrine and enshrined a new copy of the Madonna of Csíksomlyó, opening it to the public.

• Mid-15th century: Pope Eugene IV issues a papal bull granting indulgences to the Csíksomlyó church
• Early 16th century: Franciscan fathers commission the famous miraculous Madonna of Csíksomlyó
• 1916: Madonna statue temporarily removed during Romanian invasion of Transylvania
• 1944: Statue again removed during Soviet-aligned invasion
• 1948: Franciscans expelled from Csíksomlyó by Communist authorities
• 1957: Bishop Emmet M. Walsh welcomes the Transylvanian friars to the Diocese of Youngstown
• September 6, 1963: Bishop Walsh approves the new Shrine under the title Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted
• October 8, 1963: Solemn blessing of the cornerstone by Msgr. Owen L. Gallagher, V.G.
• Late 1963: Shrine chapel opened to the public; friary occupied by Franciscans
• October 4, 1964: Solemn dedication by Bishop Walsh on the Feast of St. Francis; replica of the Madonna of Csíksomlyó enshrined

Clergy and Staff

The Shrine is staffed by Franciscan friars from the Transylvanian (Hungarian) tradition. The current director and administrator is Fr. Vit Fiala, O.F.M., a native of Czechoslovakia who escaped communism, joined the Franciscans in Toronto, and was sent to Youngstown; he also serves as director of the Third Order Franciscans and as Spiritual Director of the Shrine, and is a bi-ritual (Roman Catholic and Byzantine) priest who celebrates a Traditional Latin Mass on weekdays. Fr. Jules Wong, O.F.M., born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Alphonsianum in Rome and serves both in residence at the Shrine and as chaplain at Mercy Health Youngstown. Fr. Chris Gaffrey, O.F.M., originally from Virginia, studied philosophy and theology at the Antonianum in Rome and serves on the Shrine staff while pursuing a Licentiate in Sacred Theology of the New Evangelization.

• Fr. Vit Fiala, O.F.M. — Director / Administrator; Spiritual Director; Director of the Third Order Franciscans
• Fr. Jules Wong, O.F.M. — In Residence; Hospital Ministry (Mercy Health Youngstown)
• Fr. Chris Gaffrey, O.F.M. — Shrine Staff
• Office Manager — Michelle (Shrine office)
• Music Director (per staff page)

Mass and Liturgical Schedule

The Shrine offers Mass every day of the week, with multiple Sunday Masses and a Saturday Vigil Mass that shifts with the seasons. Weekday Masses are offered Monday through Saturday at 7:00 AM and 12:00 PM (Noon). The Saturday Vigil is at 5:30 PM from April through October and at 4:00 PM from November through March. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 7:00 AM, 9:30 AM, and 12:00 PM (Noon). For special Holy Days of Christmas and Easter the schedule is announced according to the dates of that particular year. A Traditional Latin Mass (low TLM) is also celebrated on weekdays by Fr. Vit Fiala, who is bi-ritual.

• Monday–Saturday: 7:00 AM & 12:00 PM
• Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM (Apr–Oct) / 4:00 PM (Nov–Mar)
• Sunday: 7:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 12:00 PM
• Traditional Latin Mass (low TLM) on weekdays — by Fr. Vit Fiala, O.F.M.
• Holy Days of Christmas and Easter: schedule announced annually

Spiritual Direction and Blessings

Spiritual Direction is offered at the Shrine for individuals, couples, and families who wish to deepen their relationship with God. Topics can include faith, the interior life, and spiritual challenges; sessions may be one-time or ongoing as part of a longer spiritual journey. The friars also offer house blessings during the Easter and Christmas seasons, blessings of farmland, orchards and livestock, and liberation / intercessory prayers for those dealing with spiritual attacks and paranormal issues with homes or properties. All spiritual direction and blessing appointments are made through the Shrine office.

• Spiritual Direction — by appointment (individual, couple, or family)
• Blessing of houses during Easter and Christmas seasons
• Blessing of farmland, orchards, and livestock
• Liberation and intercessory prayers for spiritual attacks and challenges
• Liberation prayers and blessings for homes/properties with paranormal issues

The Grounds: Outdoor Shrines and the 'Cathedral in the Pines'

The Shrine's 32 wooded acres are themselves a devotional landscape. A paved trail of the unique open-air 'Iron Curtain Stations of the Cross' winds through the grounds, linking the large outdoor statue of St. Stephen of Hungary (first canonized monarch in Christendom, originally featured at the 1939 New York World's Fair) and the monument to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The trail opens onto a meadow called the 'Cathedral in the Pines,' fitted with a granite altar and an image of the Blessed Virgin of Fatima, that can accommodate over one thousand people for outdoor Mass. Across from the Fatima statue is the Knights of Columbus' Monument to the Unborn, erected June 30, 1996.

• Iron Curtain Stations of the Cross (open-air trail)
• Large statue of St. Stephen of Hungary (from the 1939 New York World's Fair)
• Monument to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
• 'Cathedral in the Pines' meadow with granite altar (seats 1,000+) and image of Our Lady of Fatima
• Monument to the Unborn (Knights of Columbus, erected June 30, 1996)

Inside the Shrine Chapel

Inside the Shrine chapel, the focal point is the replica of the centuries-old miraculous statue of the Madonna of Csíksomlyó — Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted — enshrined in 1964. The chapel also houses an image of the Divine Mercy, a Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima donated by the Servite Friars (one of four replicas commissioned by the Bishop of Fatima for the four winds), and statues of Our Lady of Fatima, St. Padre Pio, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

• Replica of the Madonna of Csíksomlyó (Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted)
• Image of the Divine Mercy
• Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima (Servite donation)
• Statue of St. Padre Pio
• Statue of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Retreat House and Shrine Hall

The original building on the property, the Retreat House, sits next to the friary and serves as a seven-bedroom, four-bath villa with a chapel, library, several meeting rooms, and multiple living spaces. It is available for weekend retreats and group meetings by arrangement with the Shrine office. In the basement of the Shrine itself is a hall that accommodates up to 250 people for parties and gatherings, also available through the Shrine office.

• Retreat House — 7 bedrooms, 4 baths; chapel, library, meeting rooms, living spaces
• Shrine Hall (basement) — capacity up to 250 for parties and gatherings
• Bookings and information via the Shrine office at (330) 799-1888

Third Order Franciscans (Secular Franciscans)

Fr. Vit Fiala, O.F.M., serves as Director of the Third Order Franciscans in addition to his role as Director of the Shrine. The Third Order (also known as the Secular Franciscan Order) is open to lay men and women and to diocesan clergy who wish to live out the Franciscan charism in their daily lives.

• Directed by Fr. Vit Fiala, O.F.M.
• Lay and clerical Franciscan vocation in the world

Visiting and Contact

The Shrine is open year-round. For general information, group visits, retreats, Spirituality Days, or to book the Retreat House or Shrine Hall, contact the Shrine office by phone, fax, or email.

• Address: 517 S. Belle Vista Ave., Youngstown, OH 44509
• Phone: (330) 799-1888
• Fax: (330) 799-0723
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: shrineofthefriars.org
• Diocese: Diocese of Youngstown (doy.org)