Who We Are

We are an international group of missionary Sisters. Our charism calls us to bring the true Consolation, Jesus Christ, to the people we serve and to enhance the integrity of creation. Our approach to ministry is centered in the Gospel, it is holistic in nature and it aims at human growth and transformation. Mary under the title of Consolata is our model.

History of the Shrine

22901254251001HistoryOfTheShrineIn 1014, Arduino, Marquis of Ivrea, who was then seriously ill, had a vision of the Blessed Virgin. Our Lady appeared to him requesting that he build a chapel under the title of Our Lady Consolata in the Church of St. Andrew. She promised his health would be restored. The Marquis was in fact miraculously cured. Deeply touched by the favors of the Blessed Virgin, Arduino earnestly undertook the construction of the chapel. During the works of excavation, the icon of the Consolata was recovered in the midst of great joy and awe. It was then enshrined above the altar of the new chapel, and the shrine soon became for the people a “place of grace”.

In the course of the following century, the continuous civil war almost completely destroyed the city of Turin. The chapel which the Marquis had built for the Consolata icon lay, long-forgotten, in ruins.

In 1104, John Ravais, a blind man from Briancon, France, in a dream had a vision: buried under the ruins of an old church, he saw a painting of Our Lady. It was revealed to him that the site was in Turin, Italy, and that through him Our Lady would again be honored in that place. She also promised him that his sight would be restored.

He journeyed to Turin as the vision directed. Upon the blind man’s urgings, the crowds brought picks and shovels and uncovered first the remains of an old chapel and then the undamaged painting of Our Lady, the Consolata icon! It was June 20, 1104. And John Ravais’ regained his sight.

Deeply moved by the miracle which had occurred, the citizens of Turin, Italy replaced the little chapel into a large Shrine, where they have continued, through the centuries, to venerate Our Lady Consolata

Our Model

Mary Consolata

Our lady Consolata is the title under which she has been honored for at least 1600 years. The tradition is that this icon, attributed to St. Luke, was brought from Egypt by St.. Eusebius in the 4th century. St. Maximus, bishop of Turin, Italy, 380 – 420, installed the icon in St. Andrew’s Chapel, where it remained hidden because of the Iconoclast heresy until the eleven century.

 


Consolata Spirituality

Consolation: Our Special Call

By Sr. Riccardina Silvestri, MC In my memory, there is an image that developed during the years of formation as a Consolata Missionary Sister. That image portrays Joseph Allamano in the cozy and frequently visited spot that was familiarly referred to as il coretto, (small loft) at the shrine of la Consolata, in Turin, Italy. The elderly priest gazing at his “Madonna” for long periods of time caught my attention. I, often, dwelt on that scene with a sense of expectation, as if a sudden light would reveal some secrets. Only recently, the reflection on that deep “communion” yielded a valuable insight. In my opinion, the intimacy between la Consolataand Joseph Allamano provide an important clue to understanding his extraordinary creativity as a priest, as the promoter of social initiatives, and as the Founder of two missionary congregations.It is said that people become whom they love. Joseph Allamano, in my understanding, confirms the truth of this view. The Founder of the Consolata Missionaries, while contemplating the icon of Mary, assimilated her concerns, her passion for humanity, and her vision of wholeness and dignity for every human being. In a way, to paraphrase Paul, (Gal. 2:20) we could hear Allamano claim, ”It is no longer I who live, but it is the Consolata who lives in me.” Because of this assimilation, I do not consider it bold to maintain that his spirituality is strikingly feminine. In fact, it bears this feature, A listening heart, which implies mindful attentiveness to experience, because it enfolds the mystery of divine love, and God’s unfolding plan. “Relationality”, according to Elizabeth Johnson, “is the power... read more

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