The beatification ceremony for Father Solanus Casey has been set for Saturday, November 18 at Ford Field.
PREVIOUS STORY: Detroit's Fr. Solanus Casey beatified by Pope Francis
The Capuchin Franciscan Order of St. Joseph in Detroit says ceremony details, including the time, will be released in the coming weeks and will be available at solanuscasey.org/beatification. Ticket information will be available by August 15. Ford Field can accommodate approximately 60,000 guests.
Back in May, the Archdiocese of Detroit announced that Fr. Solanus Casey had been beatified by Pope Francis.
“We are filled with joy at receiving the final date of the beatification of Father Solanus,” stated Father Michael Sullivan, OFM Cap. and Provincial Minister of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph. “It is a beautiful way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his passing.”
“I’m grateful to hear from the Capuchin friars that the date of the beatification has been finalized,” stated Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, Archdiocese of Detroit. “The beatification of Father Solanus will be a tremendous blessing for the whole community of southeast Michigan, an opportunity for all of us to experience the love of Jesus Christ.”
Fr. Casey worked in the city and was a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Order of St. Joseph. He died on July 31, 1957.
Beatification is an administrative act by the Catholic Church where a person who has died is declared blessed by the clergy.
"The beatification of Father Solanus Casey is an incomparable grace for the Church in the Archdiocese of Detroit and for the whole community of Southeast Michigan,” said Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, Archdiocese of Detroit, in a statement. “He is an inspiration to all us Catholics – and to all – of the power of grace to transform one’s life.”
Beatification is a step toward canonization.
"Solanus Casey so believed in God that he could not believe that some people questioned God. Such a conviction about the existence of God and God’s love is critical for our age. Solanus Casey’s understanding of faith speaks to the hearts of people," reads a post on the Solanus Casey Center's website.
