DETROIT — In the Capuchin monastery, Brother Solanus Casey learned quickly to adapt to the simple, austere lifestyle of his newfound brethren.

His living quarters were nine by 12 feet with a single window, and the only furnishings were a narrow iron bed, a small table and a straight-back, armless chair. He possessed no wardrobe; two brown robes and a simple white belt were more than enough for the monastery lifestyle.


One of the earliest lessons the young friar learned was to embrace the spirituality of the “friars minor.” Like St. Francis of Assisi, his followers were to regard themselves as the “least among men” and the “littlest brothers,” called to put personal ambition aside and serve in whatever way God desired.

This spiritual docility became even more important when, on July 24, 1904 — 13 years after he had first enrolled in seminary — Bro. Solanus was at last ordained a priest by Milwaukee Archbishop Sebastian Messmer.

Fr. Solanus had continued to struggle academically while attending the Capuchin seminary in Wisconsin, so much so that his superiors had debated whether to ordain him at all.

Somewhat prophetically, it was the seminary director who offered his powerful voice of support for the well-liked friar, declaring that, “We shall ordain Frater (Brother) Solanus, and as a priest, he will be to the people something like the Cure of Ars” — a reference to St. John Vianney, who also struggled in seminary due to low grades.

Indeed, like the great saint, Fr. Solanus was to be a powerful gift to the people he served, but only as a “simplex priest” — meaning he could celebrate Mass but not preach doctrinal sermons or hear confessions.

Such a category of priesthood no longer exists today, but at the time, it was common among religious communities that received a large number of requests for Mass intentions, said Fr. Larry Webber, OFM Cap., co-vice postulator for Fr. Solanus’ sainthood cause.

“If a candidate for priesthood was considered to be prepared enough to validly perform the Eucharist, they could ordain him for that reason, but they were restricted from preaching or hearing confessions,” Fr. Webber said.

While two or three others who were ordained simplex priests along with Fr. Solanus later requested and were granted faculties, Fr. Solanus never asked for them.

“You might remember that one of his famous sayings is ‘Blessed be God in all His designs.’ He wanted to trust always in whatever God wanted. He discerned that whatever happened was according to God’s will,” Fr. Webber said. “Other people might consider it humiliating or demeaning to not have faculties, but he simply embraced it as the will of God, and through that he became holy.”

It was that humble acceptance of God’s will that put Fr. Solanus right where God wanted him: as the monastery doorkeeper.

Serving his first two decades in friaries and churches in New York, it didn’t take long for “the holy friar” to become a familiar face to the city’s Catholics.

“Being a simplex priest, he couldn’t hear confessions, so it left him with things to do around the parish,” said Bro. Richard Merling, OFM Cap., the other vice postulator of Fr. Solanus’ cause. “He would respond to people who were sick and were asking for the sacrament of anointing, and he would pray with them.”

When visitors would ask for prayers for a sick loved one or a family member in a desperate situation, Fr. Solanus would enroll them in the Seraphic Mass Association, through which their intentions would be included in the daily Masses of Capuchins around the world.

He also made a habit to take every intention personally before the Eucharistic Lord in prayer.

“He didn’t just tell people, ‘Pray to God and trust in God.’ He prayed to God for them, and he trusted in God with them and for them,” Fr. Webber said.

Soon, many who visited Fr. Solanus during the day found their prayers mysteriously and powerfully answered — sometimes before nightfall. A deathly ill child would recover. A desperately needed rent check would arrive. A long-estranged relative would return to the faith almost inexplicably.

“Especially during World War II, many people would inscribe their sons who were in the armed forces during the war, and they would claim that his prayerful intercession and the power of the prayers of the Mass association helped them,” Fr. Webber said.

Quickly, the number of those reporting miraculous favors increased, and it didn’t take long for the provincial to take note of Fr. Solanus’ growing reputation.

When Fr. Solanus was finally transferred to Detroit’s St. Bonaventure Monastery — the province’s headquarters — in 1924, his arrival was an event in itself.

“Because so many favors were being attributed to him, his superiors wanted him closer by to keep an eye on what was happening,” Fr. Webber said. “The chronicles of the house attest that from the time he arrived, two weeks later they were getting about 200 people a day visiting the office to sign up for Mass intentions. Word of mouth spread rather quickly.”

Charged with greeting those who came to the monastery’s doors, Fr. Solanus quickly became flooded with visitors who sought his gentle, wise and compassionate counsel at all hours of the day — but the favors didn’t stop.

Bro. Merling would know; not only is he in charge of maintaining the thousands of records of favors which today are packed into eight full drawers at the Solanus Casey Center, but as a young boy, he, too, experienced the graces God poured out on the city through Fr. Solanus’ prayers.

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The Life of Fr. Solanus Casey

This article is the first of six about the life and ministry of Fr. Solanus Casey.

• Irish immigrant family instilled virtue, love of God in young Fr. Solanus


• A struggling student heeds a woman’s advice: ‘Go to Detroit’


• A ‘simple’ friar meets people where they are: at the monastery doors


• God sends a healing prophet: Fr. Solanus and the power of the Mass


• For Fr. Solanus, Jesus and the saints were a powerful combination


• Fr. Solanus’ last days: An ‘aura of holiness’ and suffering lifted to God