Pilgrimage to Detroit has roots in local prayer garden

APPLETON – The cause for sainthood of Fr. Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap., is just one miracle away from becoming a reality. While many are praying for his canonization, one parish, in particular, is rooting for him more than most.

On July 31, 1904, Fr. Solanus celebrated his first Mass at St. Joseph Parish in Appleton. Over 100 years later, in 2007, parishioners dedicated a prayer garden in his name as a place for people to find peace and connect with their faith in an atmosphere designed to reflect the fauna found in the Bible.

For many parishioners, it also sparked curiosity about the namesake of the garden. 

This Capuchin, who was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1995 and beatified by Pope Francis in 2017, spent the majority of his life in Detroit, Mich. His first Mass, however, was celebrated at St. Joseph, a church which has been served by Capuchin brothers since the mid-1800s.

“He’s considered a simplex priest,” said Br. Ray Stadmeyer, O.F.M. Cap., the current chaplain of St. Joseph. “He was ordained, but he couldn’t do a lot of things a priest can do. The order and the church kind of just dismissed him. And he didn’t get upset about it. He just took it in and then God worked with him and all these miracles start happening. It’s pretty powerful stuff.”

One of the parishioners intrigued by the priest was Penny Paris.

“I truthfully did not know anything about Fr. Solanus,” Paris said. “Pretty soon, I got very interested.”


That interest led her to organize a three-day pilgrimage May 7-9 to the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit. Although both she and Br. Stadmeyer were uncertain about how the trip would be received, they quickly filled the bus and had to start a waiting list in case anyone changed their mind. 

Their itinerary included Mass, time to roam the grounds of the center and testimonies by Br. Ray about the 23 years he spent in Detroit.

“Before we left on the pilgrimage, we put prayer slips out on the pews, and people could write down what they wanted us to pray for at the tomb,” Paris said. “(We collected) a couple hundred and then we presented them at the tomb.”

Paris said all 35 pilgrims on the trip had different experiences, but the common denominator was an overwhelming feeling of peace and healing.

“The blessing of the sick in the chapel was very impactful,” Paris said. “First the service and then the procession to receive your own personal blessing with the priest holding the relic from the cross of Jesus. That was very moving for me.”

“I was seeking the peacefulness that comes when one is away from the busyness of the world where there is more time to hear God’s voice and sense God’s love,” Carol Burns, one of the pilgrims, said. “The most powerful (experience) was the prayer service at the Solanus Casey Center where we each had the opportunity to be blessed with the relic of the cross. Tears were shed by many, a sign often attributed to God’s presence.”

“When I first heard about the trip, I just felt something inside of me compelling me to go,” Lisa Knoff, another pilgrim, said. “It definitely strengthened my faith and made me realize even more that though I like to think I’m in charge of my life, the truth is that I really am not. Learning to trust where the Lord is guiding you is an ongoing challenge for me.”

Knoff found inspiration in the simpleness of the life lived by Fr. Solanus.

“The thing that appeals most to me is that he was an ordinary person who really listened to people,” she said. “He had his own struggles with his schooling and later his health but he just kept persevering despite his difficulties. He strived to be the best at whatever was asked of him.”

“The most powerful part of the trip was taking the prayerful moment at Solanus Casey’s entombment and being able to pray the prayers that were weighing on my heart,” Wendy Huntley, a member at St. Joseph for six years, said. “Another meaningful part was going to the soup kitchen and meeting a few of the gentlemen who were serving there and hearing their stories.”

Since returning home, Fr. Solanus has continued to impact Huntley. 

“I find myself going to our own Solanus Casey prayer garden and taking my prayers to him, asking him to pray for my family and I,” she said. “Something I hadn’t done before.”

Br. Stadmeyer said he hopes the impact of this pilgrimage spreads to the pilgrims’ family, friends and beyond.

“It’s not just about Solanus, but Solanus draws people in, and then we say, ‘What are you going to do with your life? How are you going to be different? How are you going to serve people?’” Br. Stadmeyer said. “It’s not just a pilgrimage or a shrine, but it’s really a place of hopefully conversion. People would all be on their own journey and Solanus would be an inspiration but it wasn’t supposed to stop at the shrine. It continues on.”

Br. Stadmeyer and Paris are planning to host another pilgrimage to the Solanus Casey Center in 2025.