The devotion to Our Lady of Consolata dates back to early years of Christianity. Her titles as Our Lady of Consolata reflects the attitude of early Christians towards Mary as a loving mother to whom, they would turn to in times of difficulties, tribulations and persecutions. The early Christians had many problems and in Mary they had a consoling mother a source of love, encouragement and hope.Just as we receive consolation form Mary, she also expects consolation from us by our becoming Christ-like, so that, we would feel that she sacrifices and Christ's death were not in vain.
The Origin of the Devotion
The devotion to Our Lady Consolata started in a natural way in the city of Turin in the 4th Century A.D. It is reported that 363 AD St.Eusebius brought a prized icon of Our Lady of Consolata from Egypt. The icon was given to Bishop Maximus of Turin who built the first Consolata Shrine there. Over this little Shrine, was later built St.Andrew's Church. The people of Turin were greatly devoted to our Lady of Consolata and wanted to safeguard the holy icon in a small monetary out side the city of Turin where it remained hidden for over a hundred years.
In 1010 AD King Arduin of Ivrea was seriously ill. All Hopes of his recovery were given up. During his sickness he saw a vision of Our Lady who told him that he would recover and that she would like him to build a chapel in her honor under the title of Our Lady of Consolata.
The King did recover soon and in his gratitude for his recovery, he built a new Shrine replacing the old Church of St. Andrew's.
The icon of Our Lady of Consolata remained in this Church for nearly another hundred year. Following a barbarian invasion of the city, the Church of St. Andrew was destroyed and the icon lay buried in ruins.
In 1104 a blind Frenchman named Ravache, had a vision of Our Lady who told him how to retrieve the icon of Our Lady of Consolata. He came to the ruins of the Church with a group of men. Ravache and his men dug for the relic to the amusement and sympathy of the great crowd gathered around. There was a tremendous jubilation and joy when the relic was recovered and a great surprise when the blind Ravache regained his sight.
This was the beginning of the revival of the devotion of Our Lady Consolata in Turin. Since then the city of Turin had many blessing from Our Lady Consolata. The plague of the middle ages did not touch Turing, the city was saved from the ravages of French and Spanish troops in 1706; it was not affected by the Cholera epidemics of 1835 and by the great explosion of 1852. Even the two world wars were relatively kind to the city.
By 1880, the Consolata Shrine in Turin had almost become a shanty when Fr. Joseph Allamano the founder of the Consolata Missionaries renovated it.
Blessed Joseph Allamano was born on January 21, 1851 at Castelnuovo d' Asti (now Castelnuovo Don Bosco). He was educated in sound human and Christian virtues by his mother, the sister of St. Joseph Cafasso, and by Don Bosco himself, at whose school he studied for four years. Determined to respond to his priestly vocation, he entered the diocesan seminary in 1866.
After his ordination to the priesthood on September 20, 1873, he served for seven years as educator and spiritual director in the major seminary of the diocese of Turin. In 1880, he was named Rector of the Consolata Shrine in Turin, a charge he held for 46 years, until his death. There, he developed a multi-faceted priestly ministry. He completely restored and enlarged the shrine, which was in a state of bad repair, and transformed it into a vital centre of Marian devotion and of apostolic initiatives. He reopened and directed the Pastoral Institute for young priests, giving meticulous care to their spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation.
He introduced the cause for the Canonization of Fr Cafasso, and gave new life to the Diocesan Retreat House at the Shrine of St. Ignatius near Lanzo. He was sought after as a spiritual director, confessor and counselor by innumerable persons of every social rank. He furthered Catholic associations for Christian formation, and supported the commitment of lay persons in the field of social action, the Catholic press and education.
To enrich the Church in her essential missionary nature, he founded the Institute of the Consolata Missionaries (IMC) in 1901 and the Consolata Sisters in 1910. While continuing his numerous commitments in the diocese, it was to the missionaries that he dedicated his principal care and attention, forming them in that spirit that he believed he received from the Lord.
On February 16, 1926, Father Allamano died in Turin, in the shadow of the Consolata Shrine. He was beatified in Rome on the 7th of October, 1990, by Pope John Paul II.
