Our Lady of Consolation Basilica and National Shrine

History & Significance

Basilica · Est. Parish founded 1868; Marian devotion established 1875; present basilica church completed 1925

The Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio, grew from a parish founded in 1868 under Fr. Edward Vattmann; in 1875 a statue of Our Lady of Consolation arrived from Luxembourg and was carried in procession from nearby Frenchtown, an event tied to the shrine's "miracle of the rain." The first Bishop of Toledo, Joseph Schrembs, invited the Conventual Franciscan Friars to administer the shrine, who serve it to this day. The present red-brick Romanesque basilica was completed in the 1920s, and Pope Paul VI raised it to a minor basilica on October 21, 1971. It is a major Marian pilgrimage site in the Diocese of Toledo.

Red-brick Romanesque Revival

• •Located in Carey, Ohio, within the Diocese of Toledo
• •Marian shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Consolation
• •Administered by the Conventual Franciscan Friars since the early 20th century
• •Raised to a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI via the decree Quam Prope Assit on October 21, 1971
• •A designated U.S. national shrine and major Marian pilgrimage destination