Solanus Casey
Encyclopedia
Venerable Bernard Francis Casey (November 25, 1870 – July 31, 1957) was born in Oak Grove, Wisconsin
. A Capuchin priest, Casey was known for his great faith, humility, and role as spiritual counselor and intercessor. The first United States-born man formally to be declared "Venerable" by the Roman Catholic church, Casey is a candidate now for beatification
.
parents, he contracted diphtheria
in his youth which permanently damaged his voice, leaving it wispy. "Barney" left the farm to work in a series of jobs in his home state and Minnesota, as a lumberjack
, hospital orderly, a prison guard in the Minnesota
state penitentiary, and a street car operator.
He attended St. Francis High School Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
at the age of 21, initially hoping to become a diocesan priest. Five years later, though, he joined the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
, a Roman Catholic religious order for men. He took the name "Solanus" after St. Francis Solanus
, a 17th century Spanish nobleman, intellectual, missionary and preacher.
After his ordination, Casey served for 20 years in a succession of assignments in Capuchin friaries in New York, Harlem, and Yonkers. He was recognised as an inspiring speaker. In 1924, he was transferred to St. Bonaventure Monastery
in Detroit, where he worked for a further 21 years. During this time, Casey served primarily as "porter", or receptionist and doorkeeper. Every Wednesday afternoon he conducted well-attended services for the sick. He became known for his great compassion and the amazing results of his consultations with visitors. Many people considered him instrumental in cures and other blessings they received.
, where he lived until 1956 when he was hospitalized in Detroit.
Father Casey died on July 31, 1957, in Room 301 of St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan
, at the age of 86. His last words reportedly were: "I give my soul to Jesus Christ." An estimated 20,000 people passed by his coffin prior to his burial in the cemetery at St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit, Michigan.
On July 8, 1987, Father Solanus Casey's incorrupt body was exhumed and subsequently reinterred inside the Father Solanus Casey Center at the St. Bonaventure Monastery.
Solanus Casey's cause for sainthood was opened in 1982. In 1995, Pope John Paul II
declared Father Casey to be venerable
, the second step in the path to sainthood. Many miraculous cures have been associated with Father Solanus's intercession, both when he was alive and after his death. Pilgrims from around the world continue to make pilgrimages to the tomb of Father Solanus Casey.
Oak Grove, Pierce County, Wisconsin
Oak Grove is a town in Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,150 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles , of which, 39.3 square miles of it is land and 0.5 square miles of it...
. A Capuchin priest, Casey was known for his great faith, humility, and role as spiritual counselor and intercessor. The first United States-born man formally to be declared "Venerable" by the Roman Catholic church, Casey is a candidate now for beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
.
Early life
The sixth of sixteen children of Irish immigrantIrish diaspora
thumb|Night Train with Reaper by London Irish artist [[Brian Whelan]] from the book Myth of Return, 2007The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa,...
parents, he contracted diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
in his youth which permanently damaged his voice, leaving it wispy. "Barney" left the farm to work in a series of jobs in his home state and Minnesota, as a lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
, hospital orderly, a prison guard in the Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
state penitentiary, and a street car operator.
He attended St. Francis High School Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
at the age of 21, initially hoping to become a diocesan priest. Five years later, though, he joined the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
, a Roman Catholic religious order for men. He took the name "Solanus" after St. Francis Solanus
Francis Solanus
Saint Francis Solanus, O.F.M., was a Spanish friar and missionary in South America, belonging to the Order of Friars Minor , who is honored as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.-Early life:...
, a 17th century Spanish nobleman, intellectual, missionary and preacher.
Priesthood
Casey struggled through seminary largely because most of his classes were conducted in the German language, which he had not previously studied. On July 24, 1904, at the age of 33, Solanus Casey was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood by Archbishop Sebastian Messmer at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Milwaukee. Because he was judged to have performed insufficiently well in his seminary studies, Casey was ordained a "sacerdos simplex," a priesthood rank that prevented him from hearing confessions or preaching doctrinal sermons.After his ordination, Casey served for 20 years in a succession of assignments in Capuchin friaries in New York, Harlem, and Yonkers. He was recognised as an inspiring speaker. In 1924, he was transferred to St. Bonaventure Monastery
St. Bonaventure Monastery
The St. Bonaventure Monastery is a complex of religious buildings, built for the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, located at 1740 Mt. Elliot Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.- History :...
in Detroit, where he worked for a further 21 years. During this time, Casey served primarily as "porter", or receptionist and doorkeeper. Every Wednesday afternoon he conducted well-attended services for the sick. He became known for his great compassion and the amazing results of his consultations with visitors. Many people considered him instrumental in cures and other blessings they received.
Death and legacy
In 1946 in failing health, he was transferred to the Capuchin novitiate in Huntington, IndianaHuntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
, where he lived until 1956 when he was hospitalized in Detroit.
Father Casey died on July 31, 1957, in Room 301 of St. John Hospital in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, at the age of 86. His last words reportedly were: "I give my soul to Jesus Christ." An estimated 20,000 people passed by his coffin prior to his burial in the cemetery at St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit, Michigan.
On July 8, 1987, Father Solanus Casey's incorrupt body was exhumed and subsequently reinterred inside the Father Solanus Casey Center at the St. Bonaventure Monastery.
Solanus Casey's cause for sainthood was opened in 1982. In 1995, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
declared Father Casey to be venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
, the second step in the path to sainthood. Many miraculous cures have been associated with Father Solanus's intercession, both when he was alive and after his death. Pilgrims from around the world continue to make pilgrimages to the tomb of Father Solanus Casey.
See also
- Roman Catholicism in the United States#American Catholic Servants of God, Venerables, Beatified, and Saints
External links
- Father Solanus Casey Guild
- Vivian M. Baulch, "Father Solanus Casey and his 'favors,'" Detroit News: The Rearview Mirror, 1996
- Diane Morey Hanson, "The 'Holy Doorman' of St. Bonaventure's," The Word Among Us, 2006
- "Saint of the Day," AmericanCatholic.org
- Brian Kelly, "Venerable Solanus Casey, O.F.M., Cap.," Catholicism.org