Free Republic

Saint_Mary_Magdalen_Church_(Brighton,_Michigan)_-_Solanus_Casey_Shrine" Sixteen-month-old Elizabeth Fanning lies listlessly in her mother’s arms. Anxiously, drawn-faced Mrs. Fanning coaxes her child to take even a spoonful of the liver soup recommended by doctors. But al­though Elizabeth’s swollen belly and twiglike limbs make her look like a starvation victim, the lethargic baby has no interest in food of any kind. Little Betsy, as her parents call her, has a fatal disease in 1940: the blood cancer known as leukemia. What makes her case especially tragic is that the illness may be the result of new medical technology. Born in August 1938, Elizabeth appeared normal....

Amongst the many venerables, blesseds and saints, some were assigned as gatekeepers in their respective communities. One such gatekeeper was Father Solanus Casey was a man who found God through the Catholic faith as a Capuchin Friar who ministered to the needs of all God's children, of all denominations and faiths.  God bestowed upon Father Solanus the ability to administer the divine gifts of healing. After his ordination in 1904, Fr. Solanus spent 20 years in New York, Harlem, and Yonkers. In 1924 he was assigned to St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit where he worked for 20 years. Fr. Solanus spent his...

RIVER EDGE — A borough resident is on a mission to get saint status for a beloved Detroit priest, who he believes answered prayers to heal his son's cancer.           Ryan Blute holding photo of the Rev. Solanus Casey, whom he prayed to for a cancer cure. Kevin Blute hopes the Vatican will make the Rev. Solanus Casey the first male saint born in the U.S., and     suggested a friend's prayer group name itself after the friar. Blute's teenage son, Ryan, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2007 and has since recovered.  "I feel like I'm in gratitude to him big...

'Some day your cousin is going to be a saint' Pequannock family hopes for canonization of cousin, The Venerable Father Solanus CaseyPEQUANNOCK - Imagine the thrill of discovering a famous artist or politician, who has taken up a branch on your family tree. Take that a step further - imagine the double blessing of having in your family background a possible saint, especially a humble Capuchin priest, known for facilitating God-given "favors" on behalf his many dedicated believers. Fifty years after the death of Venerable Father Solanus Casey, many Catholics continue to believe in his powers of intercession, responsible they...

When Father Solanus Casey died in Detroit in 1957, all he left after 86 years on this earth were a small crucifix, an old pair of sandals, several religious pictures, a wooden statue of St. Anthony, some dog-eared religious books, a knot of heavily darned socks and a framed, 40-year-old picture of his family. Bl. Solanus Casey (1870-1957) But he left another rich legacy — a long list of curious "favors" to an equally long list of devoted believers. Father Solanus Casey had come to Detroit to be a Capuchin friar. During his years as a priest he spent...