The Archdiocese of Detroit announced Thursday morning that Fr. Solanus Casey has been beatified by Pope Francis.
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.
