“Thank God ahead of time. If the enemy of our soul is pleased at anything in us, it is ingratitude of any kind. Why? Ingratitude leads to so many breaks with God and our neighbor.”
Welcome to "North American Sanctity," a series on holy men and women, boys and girls, saints and those on the road to sainthood, from Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Some will be familiar, others less so; but all are inspiring!
By Kimberly Bruce
He was not your average priest, yet stories of miracles abound from those who sought him out for his spiritual wisdom, counsel, and healing touch. And he could be the first native-born American priest to be named a saint.
He is Bl. Solanus Casey, OFM Cap, and his feast day is July 30.
A Capuchin Franciscan, Bl. Solanus was a “simplex” priest, a category of priests which no longer exists in the Catholic Church. As such, he was not allowed to preach at Mass nor hear confessions because of his poor academic scores while in seminary. Nevertheless, his impact on souls over 53 years of priesthood, serving in Michigan, Indiana, and New York, was profound.
Life goals
Bernard “Barney” Francis Casey was born in Oak Grove, Wisconsin, on Nov. 25, 1870, the sixth of 16 children to Irish immigrant parents, who moved to the United States during the Potato Famine of the 1850s.
To help his family, the young Barney worked a variety of jobs, including logger, hospital orderly, and prison guard. After witnessing a brutal murder while working as a streetcar operator, his life goals changed. He desired to become a priest.
At 21, he entered St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee. Since he was a poor student, he was encouraged to join the Capuchins in service to the poor.
In 1896, he entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin in Detroit, Michigan, and took the name Solanus after the Spanish missionary, St. Francis Solanus (1549-1610). He was ordained to the priesthood in 1904.
Gate of Heaven
Father Solanus’ first priestly assignment was as sacristan at Sacred Heart Church in Yonkers, New York. He was then made porter with the responsibility for answering the door and taking messages for the other friars.
Being a porter enabled him to interact with many souls outside the walls of his monastery (much like a future saint, Br. André Bessette, some 350 miles north in Montreal, Canada). The poor came to Fr. Solanus for food. Catholics and non-Catholics alike sought him out for his wise and holy counsel, including Jewish rabbis and ministers from at least 16 different Protestant churches.
Many noticed his ability to prophesy whether one would recover from an illness, be transferred to another location, or even if a soldier would return safely home after serving in World War I. Others were cured of illnesses or saw their marital problems resolved.
One of his fellow Capuchins observed that the restrictions placed upon Fr. Solanus as a simplex priest “brought forth in him a greatness and a holiness that might never have been realized in any other way.” Even the Capuchin called Fr. Solanus “an extraordinary example of a true Capuchin and a replica of St. Francis.”
Word spread about this “holy priest.” Thousands of favors received were recorded by the Capuchin Seraphic Mass Association. The association supports worldwide Capuchin missions and benefits members through Masses and prayers said on their behalf.
Cardinal Angelo Amato, who celebrated the Mass for Fr. Solanus’ beatification, told the story of how Fr. Solanus founded a Capuchin soup kitchen. One day the kitchen ran out of food, so Fr. Solanus prayed an Our Father. “A little bit later,” said the Cardinal, “knocking was heard at the door, and the baker appeared with a large basket full of bread and a truckload of God’s gifts.” When the people saw this, “they began to cry,” causing Fr. Solanus to respond, “See, God provides. No one will suffer want if we put our trust in Divine Providence.”
Gratitude
Father Solanus next served at two parishes in New York City, Our Lady of Sorrows in Manhattan and Our Lady Queen of Angels in Harlem. Then he returned to Detroit, where he would spend 20 years as the porter and sacristan at St. Bonaventure Monastery. An estimated 150-200 people would come daily to visit him.
These visits often took their toll on Fr. Solanus, as he would meet with people most days from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., “till one is nearly collapsing,” he admitted. But he would remember that Jesus fell three times while carrying His Cross, yet still took the time to comfort the women and children along His way.
Father Solanus always encouraged his visitors to “Thank God ahead of time,” trusting that their prayers would be heard in a spirit of gratitude. “If the enemy of our soul is pleased at anything in us, it is ingratitude of any kind,” he said. “Why? Ingratitude leads to so many breaks with God and our neighbor.”
Both Fr. Solanus and St. Faustina were the doorkeepers in their respective communities. Saint Faustina suffered trying times, too, from many visitors. Even during a trip home to see her dying mother, many friends and family members still sought her out, not allowing her any time for solitude or silence. She recorded:
The days at home passed in much company, as everybody wanted to see me and talk with me. Often I could count as many as twenty-five people there. They listened with great interest to my accounts of the lives of the saints. It seemed to me that our house was truly the house of God, as each evening we talked about nothing but God. . . . I had many opportunities to practice virtue. (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 401).
Miracle post-mortem
Father Solanus’ health began to decline in 1946, but he did not die until July 31, 1957. An estimated 20,000 people paid their respects before his coffin at St. Bonaventure’s, and his funeral is still one of the largest in Detroit’s history.
The miracle attributed to him necessary for his beatification was the 2012 healing of Paula Medina Zarate, a schoolteacher from Panama who was healed of a genetic skin disease after visiting his tomb at the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit. The center, dedicated in 2002 by the Archbishop of Detroit, is a place for prayer and pilgrimage for those who come to visit.
More than 70,000 attended his Mass of Beatification on Nov. 18, 2017, held at Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions national football team.
Like Bl. Solanus, may we strive for a spirit of thankfulness and gratitude for the things in our lives, trusting in the goodness of God to work all things out for our good. May that spirit inspire us with charity towards others and a renewed dedication to our relationship with God.
Blessed Solanus Casey, pray for us!
Next in the series: Blessed Frédéric Janssoone, August 5
Previous article
{shopmercy-ad}