Pilgrimage to the Beatification of Capuchin Father Solanus Casey

Dear Friends in Christ,

I’m sure you have heard the joyful news.

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, announced in May that Capuchin Father Solanus Casey will be beatified in Detroit in November. Being named “Blessed” is the step before being declared a Saint, if that be God’s Will.

Father Solanus is certainly the most renowned member of our Capuchin Province of Saint Joseph (which owns and operates Saint Lawrence Seminary). Father Solanus died in 1957 after 60 years as a Capuchin and 53 years as a priest.

While the young Solanus did not attend Saint Lawrence Seminary – he was 26 years old when he joined the Capuchin Order in 1897 – he is a presence here on the Hill and a role model for our seminarians and for me.

November 18, 2017 is the date set for the beatification celebration in Detroit. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event and a historic moment for the Catholic Church in the United States.

How could our seminarians participate in this blessed event? What might they learn from witnessing the Beatification of Father Solanus, a Capuchin from our Province?

Could this unique experience of our Catholic Faith and Tradition nurture their own faith, inspire them to holiness and perhaps foster a vision for themselves as Capuchin priests and friars?

With your help, I am renting five buses and taking all of our seminarians on a Pilgrimage to the Beatification Liturgy in Detroit. It means leaving early morning on November 18th to arrive on time for the 4:00 pm Liturgy, then visit the Solanus Casey Center at the Capuchin Monastery and the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, which Venerable Solanus helped establish in 1929. Then we will return to Saint Lawrence that night.

We promise to pray for your intentions during the Beatification Liturgy and to place them on the Tomb in the Monastery Chapel in Detroit.

Venerable Solanus taught us to “thank God ahead of time for all of His blessings.” I thank you in advance for making this pilgrimage possible.  In the words of Father Solanus, “May God bless you and multiply His graces and joys in your soul!”

Amen!

Your brother in Christ Jesus,

Father Zoy Garibay, OFM Cap.
Rector

P.S.  The expense of renting the five buses was not in the budget as we did not know this would happen.  Please assist us with this extraordinary pilgrimage and help with the expense. And please journey with us by sending your personal intentions.