A Star to Guide Us

By Mara W. – Director of Outreach

Who are we at Con-solatio and what is our mission? Words often seem to fall short of fully encapsulating our ministry of presence and compassion. This year, as we sat down to reimagine our logo, the question became even trickier: how to express something meaningful about our ministry through a simple little image? It turned out not to be so simple!

Through countless hours of brainstorming, designing, redesigning, and starting over again (and again) from scratch, a concept started to emerge.

We are Con-solatio. We take our name from the Pope Benedict XVI’s words in his encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi:

“To accept the “other” who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love. The Latin word con-solatio,“consolation”, expresses this beautifully. It suggests being with the other in his solitude, so that it ceases to be solitude.”

Shared suffering is penetrated by the light of love. Hope prevails even in the darkest nights. However, when we are suffering, we often need something – someone – to remind us of the promise that we have received.

At the cross, Mary stood. Her whole being was pierced by sorrow at the sight of her Son, and yet she remained upright, rooted firmly in a hope that remained inconceivable for all the rest. By her presence, the darkest moment the world has ever known was penetrated by love.

We are very happy to present our new logo! The star represents the light of hope, Our Blessed Mother, who always points us towards the light of the Resurrection – even when we ourselves are not able to see it yet.

We continue to entrust our ministry and all our missionaries to Our Lady!