Novena more than faith for one family

CAREY — For many, the annual Novena pilgrimage event is a celebration of faith and the Holy Mother, however, for one family it is a tradition that spans generations and at least a century. Anthony Abraham says his mother "nailed him to the ground" of Carey as a child and he's so happy she did. "I'm carrying the torch of my family history," he said. Abraham and his family live full-time in the Detroit area. He grew up there after his family settled from the Middle East. "They weren't refugees but America offered a better life," he said. After living in a big metropolis area for the better part of the year, he says it's nice to be among the cornfields. "It's just very comfortable… It's not the hustle and bustle of a big city." He also said it reminded his mother of her roots, coming from a small town. Now, eight years after losing his mother, the mantle has been passed to him to continue the traditions. A devoted Catholic, the Novena celebration is still a celebration of faith but to him it is also a celebration of family and of traditions passed down from his parents and their parents and more ancestors before them. When asked about how his family started coming to Carey, Abraham starts with his heritage. "I'm Syrian," he said. In Syria, the Catholic Novena is a festive time, he explained, comparing it to Christmas. "In Syria, when our families were in different villages, that time of year was a time to get away with your family and everyone would go to the churches and pack up in a big caravan and the churches would have these big Novena celebrations for the whole ten days," he said. It was a time for celebration with family and friends in the mountains of Syria. When his family moved to Detroit in the early 1900s, they were disappointed that none of the churches in the area held a similar celebration. But they very quickly realized a little village about two hours south celebrated the Novena in a way that reminded them of their Syrian roots. So they make it an annual tradition to attend. "There's no place I would rather be," Anthony said. For as long as he can remember, when coming to Carey every year, his family has camped in Waterworks Park with during the Novena celebrations. After recent discussion about not allowing camping anymore because of criminal mischief and destruction of both village and church property, Abraham and his cousin made a special visit to appear before the Carey village council to ask to continue to be allowed to camp. "I remember the hall (at Waterworks Park) had busted out windows and toilets cracked and garbage left everywhere," he said. "It's not our people doing it." After a brief discussion with council, who agreed his family was not at fault, council are planning to continue a discussion of how to allow his family to rent the park during the celebration. "I'm 48 years old. I still get just as excited to see the shrine as I did when I was 8 years old," he said. He later said that his coworkers and friends in Michigan may not understand why he chooses to spend all of his yearly allotted vacation time in a small village in the middle of nowhere, but that doesn't matter to him. "I always go back to it," he said. "It's a simple life. I come out there and I camp in that park and I'm very comfortable doing it. I look forward to it." To Abraham, it's about faith, but it's also about family and not just those related by blood. After returning to Carey year after year, he's developed lifelong friends with residents of the village, those he calls his Carey family. "Family is really all you've got," he said. "Traditions help keep memories of family alive." His family has been making the journey to Carey for at least the last 100 years and Anthony Abraham is doing his best to ensure future generations will continue to make the journey for the next 100 years. "It feels like home," he said.