Venerable SOLANUS CASEY (See Blog May 21, 2017) an American-born Capuchin priest who died in 1957, will be beatified at a Nov. 18 Mass in Detroit
Known for his great faith, attention to the sick, and ability as a spiritual counselor, he will be the second American-born male to be beatified.
Born Bernard Casey on Nov. 25, 1870, he was the sixth child of 16 born to Irish immigrants in Wisconsin
Re-evaluating his life after witnessing a drunken sailor brutally stab a woman to death, he decided to act on a call he felt to enter the priesthood. Because of his lack of formal education, however, he struggled in the minor seminary, and was eventually encouraged to become a priest through a religious order rather than through the diocese.
In 1898, he joined the Capuchin Franciscans in Detroit
He was very close to the sick and was highly sought-after throughout his life, in part because of the many physical healings attributed to his blessings and intercession. He was also a co-founder of Detroit Detroit
He is also known for his fondness for playing the violin and singing, although he had a bad singing voice because of a childhood illness which damaged his vocal chords.
Even in his 70s, Fr. Solanus Casey remained very active, and would even join the younger religious men in a game of tennis or volleyball. He died from erysipelas, a skin disease, on July 31, 1957, at the age of 87.
The beatification of Father Solanus is a great blessing for all Catholics in his example of the love of Jesus Christ. We have a friend in Seattle who believes he was cured by Bl. Solanus after an accident, when another friend placed a second class relic on his head.