There have been a number of saints in the history of the Church who have been genuine wonder-workers during their lifetimes on earth. In the twentieth century, North America was graced with two religious, who interestingly both served as porters. St. Andre Bessette was a Canadian brother of the Holy Cross order who had a deep devotion to St. Joseph. Throughout his life, he was part of countless miracles which he always attributed to the intercession of St. Joseph.
In addition, when it comes to saints and miracles of the modern era, there is another name who needs to be mentioned.
In the United States, Bl. Solanus Casey (1870 - 1957) was also connected with many miracles which he helped facilitate as Franciscan priest who greeted visitors to his monastery. This holy priest did not begin his life with a goal of becoming a priest. Instead, it was a very tragic incident that led him to discern a calling to be ordained a priest.
Early Life
The life of Solanus Casey began with his baptismal name of Bernard Francis when he was born the sixth of sixteen children to Irish immigrant farmers who lived in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. His parents led the family by living out and instilling a simple, humble, and deep faith in the Lord and His Church. That early formation of a life of prayer would guide young Bernard from his youth until his passing at the age of 86.
In order to help support the family, Bernard took on work outside the farm beginning at the age of seventeen. He would work in a number of different jobs including lumberjack, hospital orderly, prison guard, brick maker, and streetcar conductor. It was while working in the last job that Bernard, who was still trying to find a sure direction for his life, would witness a tragedy which would change his life.
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A New Direction
One rainy day as his streetcar rounded a bend in the tracks, the streetcar came to a screeching halt because there was a crowd blocking the tracks. Bernard pushed his way through the crowd to see what was the matter. As a prison guard, he had witnessed quite a bit of the rough side of life, but nothing prepared him for what he found. It was a grisly murder of a woman by a drunken man who was still muttering curses at his victim.
What he had seen was seared into Bernard's brain. The impact of his early formation was clear in its guidance for him in dealing with the brutality and senselessness of what he had witnessed. As he questioned what he had seen and how he should respond to such evil, he began to pray daily for both the man and the woman. Over time, he began to pray for more and more people as his net of prayer grew larger. Eventually, through this growth in his relationship with the Lord, Bernard discerned a call to the priesthood. It was the ultimate answer to what he should do in response to what he had experienced.
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The Challenges of Education
In order to make up for education he had not received, Bernard enrolled in the minor seminary of his diocese. It was a humbling experience which Bernard took in stride as he sat with classmates several years younger than him. To make matters worse, the classes were conducted in German and the texts were all in Latin. Although there was a large German-speaking population in his diocese, Bernard was not one of them. And, his Latin was not much better. It would be an understatement to say that he struggled under these challenging circumstances.
The seminary officals offered no solution except that they suggested Bernard join a religious order in order to pursue his calling to the priesthood through one of their seminaries.
A Capuchin and a Priest
The twenty-six-year-old Bernard, who had become discouraged with his efforts to following the call from the Lord, agreed. After applying to the Capuchins, he was accepted as a novice. After completing his novitiate a year later, the now Br. Solanus (his name was taken from the Franciscan St. Francis Solanus) began his seminary studies again at the Capuchin seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Again the classes were taught in German and the books were all in Latin. This time, however, it seemed to go well enough that Br. Solanus could keep up and maintain grades which were good enough to have him pass his classes.
When it came for his ordination, a number of the faculty were opposed to it because of how poorly Br. Solanus had done. By God's grace, the director of the seminary, a Fr. Anthony, was able to see clearly that what Br. Bernard lacked in good grades, he made up for in his life of prayer and holiness. Fr. Anthony even suggested that Br. Solanus might end up like St. John Vianney of France. He, too, had struggled mightily in his priestly formation, but he was given the green light to be ordained because of his piety.
Nonetheless, Fr. Solanus was ordained what was called a simplex priest. He did not have the faculties of a priest. In particular, he could not preach, and he could not hear confessions. In addition, he was not even allowed to wear the distinctive Capuchin hood. What seemed like a failure was accepted by the humble Fr. Solanus and would be used by God to serve His purposes.
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New York and the Seraphic Mass Association
Fr. Solanus was initially sent to serve in the New York City where there were several Capuchin friaries in Yonkers, Manhattan, and Harlem . His duties generally consisted in serving as a sacristan, training the altar boys, and working as a porter. It was during his time as porter in Our Lady of the Angels in Harlem that his ministry of miracles started.
First, as the porter, Fr. Solanus was able to devote more time to those who came to the friary than he might have if had received his full faculties as a priest and would have been hearing confessions, preaching at Mass, and leading retreats. Instead, he listed patiently to the cares and concerns which were brought to him as he opened the door to the friary.
Next, Fr. Solanus took seriously his duty as a Capuchin to enroll men and women, boys and girls in the Seraphic Mass Association. The association was a way for Capuchins to provide intercessory prayer to its members through the friars daily prayers and offering of the Mass.
After patiently hearing of a person's troubles, Fr. Solanus would offer to pray for the person. And, he would also offer to enroll the person in the Seraphic Mass Association in order that the person's prayer requests would be brought to the Lord through all Capuchins throughout the world.
Soon, it became clear that miracles came through Fr. Solanus' intercession. After meeting with the priest, many people received spiritual and physical healings that ranged from cures of diseases including cancer to cures of physical limitations including blindness. There were also many reported conversion and reversions to the faith from those who had met with the compassionate listener and spiritual guide whom they found in Fr. Solanus.
Return to the Midwest
In order to keep an eye on this miraculous priest, after twenty years of service in the New York area, the Capuchin superior had Fr. Solanus transferred to Detroit, Michigan where the superior was based. At St. Bonaventure's, Fr. Solanus would also serve as a porter. He began again to perform the same service by listening to people, giving encouragement, offering to pray for them, and enrolling them in the Seraphic Mass Association. And, once again, miracles started to occur. The word spread and people flowed in to share their burdens with the holy priest.
Fr. Solanus began a healing service on Wednesdays. His giving away food from the friary grew into full blown soup kitchen which was run by the friars and volunteers. And, Fr. Solanus spent many hours in prayer when he was not greeting people at the door. Every day, he celebrated Mass and spent hours praying before Jesus in the Eucharist.
Starting in 1923, under obedience from his superior, Fr. Solanus began recording in notebooks the daily encounters with people and the miracles which happened. His notebooks are filled with brief entries about the circumstances and what followed afterward when the Lord intervened in their lives. Fr. Solanus marveled at the works of the Lord, and he was always quite clear that all praise and thanks were to be given to God for any of the favors bestowed.
Fr. Solanus would serve for about twenty years at St. Bonaventure's in Detroit before being sent to Indiana for a brief time. When he became seriously ill, he was hospitalized in Detroit. He passed away due to a skin disease on July 31, 1957. His last words were, "I give my soul to Jesus Christ." It is estimated that over 20,000 people came to pay their respects to the holy priest before he was interred.
One of the Miracles of the Saint
Here is just one example of the many miracles associated with Fr. Solanus.
The infant Raymond was an eight-month-old child who suffered from mastoiditis which was an infection that afflicted both of the child's ears. Before antibiotics, this was a deadly disease. Understably, the child's parents were beside themselves with concern. When Raymond's temperature skyrocketed, the doctors had him hospitalized and prepared to perform a risk surgery which involve drilling holes into his skull.
Not knowing what to do and worried sick about her son, Raymond's mother grabbed her child when the hospital staff were not looking and fled the scene as her brother drove his car. Suddenly, she recalled having heard about the holy priest, and she insisted that her brother drive to St. Bonaventure's at that moment.
She rushed inside to find Fr. Solanus to whom she poured out her story and begged for his prayers. The priest enrolled the child and his family in the Seraphic Mass Association. Then, he held the child and prayed over Raymond.
He assured the mother that Raymond would be fine and that the fever would cease. Then, almost as an afterthought, Fr. Solanus let her know that the child would not need surgery for his condition.
Back home, the mother stayed up with her child as long as she could until exhaustion took over and she feel asleep. When she awoke, she found that Raymond no longer had a fever. Instead, he was resting peacefully in a deep sleep. When the parents took Raymond to the doctors, they were amazed to declare that he was completely healed of mastoiditis.
Returning to thank Fr. Solanus, the parents were shocked that he casually received the news and urged them to thank God for the favor He had bestowed on their son.
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Feast Day: July 30