Beloved Ven. Solanus Casey is subject of documentary
Marylynn G. Hewitt, SFO of The Michigan Catholic
Published December 8, 2006
GL Productions
Ven. Solanus Casey was the much-loved humble porter at the Capuchin Monastery on Mount Elliott in Detroit for years. | Detroit One of the most beloved figures of the modern Church, the humble porter of the Capuchin Monastery on Mount Elliott, is the subject of an hour-long documentary "The Healing Prophet: Solanus Casey."
The production, the craftwork of Audrey Geyer and her husband, Kevin Lindenmuth, and their GL Productions, based in Brighton, will be given two special screenings at the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit and air on Dec. 20 on Detroit Public Television (Channel 56).
Geyer says, "We chose to produce this project because we were so inspired and touched spiritually by the (Solanus Casey) center's mission and Solanus' life, that we wanted to share it with others through a documentary profile on his living legacy."
Ven. Solanus Casey died in Detroit on July 31, 1957, and many still recall his simple life, breadth of wisdom and the gift of his holiness. If and when he is canonized, he will be the first American-born male saint. Among those who share their recollections of him are Capuchins: Bro. Leo Wollenweber, vice-postulator of the Cause of Solanus Casey; Fr. Dan Fox, the director of the Solanus Casey Center; Bro. Richard Merling, director of the Solanus Casey Guild; and Fr. Michael Crosby, collaborator to the Relator of the Cause of Solanus Casey.
Between them, they share Ven. Solanus Casey's history as a member of a family of 10 boys and six girls, a hard working young man and one who struggled with language but stayed steadfast in his knowledge that God called him to the priesthood. "A door closed to him doesn't become a door closed, but the will of God as expressed, and (he was) trusting that other doors will open," Fr. Fox recalls. Ven. Casey was finally ordained "a simplex priest, unable to preach a doctrinal sermon. He was unable to hear confessions because they deemed him while a good man not able to master the necessary scholastic endeavors to be able to make him a suitable minister in those contexts."
Bro. Wollenweber says that as a result, he was given the job of porter, a post he held for 40 years that was "really a providential arrangement.
He probably saw more people and helped more people than the average priest."
One of those people was Mary Ann Montpetit, now a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, who tells of a history of heartbreak over miscarriages. During her third pregnancy, a Capuchin friend got word to then -Fr. Casey who said he'd pray for the couple and the baby she was carrying. Today, she's the mother of "four beautiful healthy children."
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10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20 on Detroit Public Television ( Channel 56). | Another who tells a personal story is Tim Mulligan, who tells of his father's paralysis from polio and subsequent healing after his father's parents sought prayers from then -Fr. Casey.
The beautiful Solanus Casey Center is the backdrop for much of the documentary though there are treasures of old photos and film clips as well.
And while "The Healing Prophet: Solanus Casey" touches on just a few stories, there are myriad others as any visit to the center can attest. It is clear, that 49 years after his death, Ven. Solanus Casey remains one of the Church's most beloved modern-day holy men.
"The Healing Prophet: Solanus Casey" is also available for purchase. Visit www.geyerlindenmuth.com.
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