Those who have been on a New York City subway at least once know that it can be a place where human brokenness becomes manifested in all its depth: homelessness, addictions, poverty, ideologies - all of these and more are ubiquitous and ever visible. As I entered the subway earlier today, I noticed a woman who...
By Marian W., Alum Warm faces. Overflowing hearts. Beautiful liturgies. Delicious meals. Meaningful moments. This is why I come back year after year for Con-solatio's annual family reunion in Brooklyn. For me, it is the most nourishing, sacred, joyful way to ring in the new year. Every detail is planned out with care as we enter into our...
This year’s Con-Solatio Christmas party wasn’t the first I’d attended, and I certainly hope it won’t be the last. The afternoon began in an ample basement filled with festive adornments. Sofas, lounge chairs, and other seats surrounded a cute makeshift stage; there would be a talent show....
Arriving for Thanksgiving dinner at Con-solatio in Brooklyn one felt welcomed even before reaching the front door. Father Paul was there, reaching out and greeting us as we arrived. Once inside, the young mission volunteers extended another warm welcome. We smelled food cooking in the kitchen, saw the warm glow of the rooms, and heard...
On October 21, we had the great joy of celebrating our 20th anniversary of Con-solatio. These twenty years have been a grace—an amazing grace! Countless encounters, generous support, and deep friendships have blossomed—all these have been given to us beyond our efforts or our desire to serve. Many friends and some Alumni missionaries joined us that...
If you have ever visited us in Brooklyn, you may have met our friend Willy. And if you have met him, you certainly would remember him: a big man with a big heart, and quite a big share in the cross. Abandoned at birth, he was adopted by a Cherokee woman who had seven children...
Since returning from Orientation in Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago, my time spent there almost seems like a dream. Not because it seems distant, but because of my experience of the Con-solatio way of life. The orientation was full of talks, meeting new people, and living a life that seemed really different. While I...
During my spring break this past March, I had the opportunity to visit Con-solatio in New York City with 9 other student missionaries from my university. When we arrived at their house in Brooklyn, the Con-solatio missionaries there welcomed our group with incredible joy and hospitality. After sharing lunch with them, two of the missionaries...
When I first arrived on Sunday for a day with Con-solatio, I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t know what we were going to be doing, and I didn’t know how much fun I was going to have. We had snacks, and then we played a game where someone had to mouth a...
Over three full weekends, the hands of many volunteers made our house feel more like home. This noble effort required relatively unglamorous tasks: scraping off decades-worth of old paint, laying down what seemed like miles of tape, sanding until our arms hurt, and finally applying a fresh coat of color....