WWTS: 3rd Annual Blessed Solanus Casey Pilgrimage

A partnership with St. Michael’s Catholic Church and the Franciscan Brothers of Peace

“Thank God ahead of time.”

—Bl. Solanus Casey, OFM Cap.

Modern Catholic Pilgrim is excited to partner with St. Michael’s Catholic Church and with th Franciscan Brothers of Peace for this year’s Bl. Solanus Casey Pilgrimage. We will begin at the brothers' friary and walk 18 miles to St. Michael's where the holy man was Confirmed, praying for his canonization and for his intercession for personal intentions.​ Shorter joining points are also available for those who want or need to make a shorter pilgrimage.

Please register so you can receive pre-pilgrimage communications and so that we have accurate numbers for food and transportation.

Schedule:

• 6:30 AM - Optional Daily Mass with the Brothers of Peace

• 7:00 AM - Meet at the Bl. Solanus Casey Friary in Saint Paul for Morning Prayer with the friars, personal prayer time in preparation for the pilgrimage, and a simple breakfast spread

• 8:00 AM - Cross the threshold and depart on pilgrimage

• 10:30 AM - Prayer Stop / Access point at the Church of St. Peter (join here for a 12-mile walk)

• 12:30 PM - Access point at St. Jude of the Lake for an 8-mile pilgrimage; this group will join with the rest of the pilgrims after about 2 miles

• 2:50 PM - Access point at Northland Park (2 mile pilgrimage option; recommended for families with young children)

• ~3:50 PM - Arrive at St. Michael's Catholic Church for closing prayer, opportunity for Confessions, and personal prayer and recovery time

• 4:30 PM - Sunday Vigil Mass celebrating the feast of Bl. Solanus Casey!

• 5:30 PM - Closing supper in St. Michael's Parish Hall

  • Shuttle buses back to the starting points available after Mass

Additional Details:

• A simple breakfast at the start and supper at the finish will be provided, but packed lunch, snacks, and water are the responsibility of each pilgrim. (There will be opportunities to refill water along the route.)

• Transportation will be available back to the starting points for a $10 fee, payable at registration

• The pilgrimage is free for all to participate to make it accessible to all, with a suggested donation of $20/person to help cover costs

• Materials for spiritual and practical preparation will be provided prior to the start of the pilgrimage. 

• If you have further questions, please reach out to our Director of Pilgrimage Programming at sam@moderncatholicpilgrim.com

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who was Blessed Solanus Casey, anyway?

  The patron of our pilgrimage was born in Oak Grove, Wisconsin in 1875, the child of Irish Catholic immigrants. He lived and worked along the Minnesota/Wisconsin border throughout his adolescent years. He lived a simple life and worked many jobs before answering a call to the priesthood. Traditional seminary proved a challenge to him and he was advised to enter a religious order. In prayer, he heard the invitation to “go to Detroit” and entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin there. He became Brother Solanus in 1897, and was finally ordained as a simplex priest in 1904, meaning he did not have permission to preach homilies or hear Confessions because of his academic difficulties.

  Throughout his 4+ decades living in friaries in New York and Detroit, Fr. Solanus served primarily as a porter, welcoming people off the street into the monastery. He became known as a healer and gift spiritual counselor, helped found a soup kitchen for Detroit’s poor during the Great Depression, and conducted weekly services for the sick. Though his life was simple and humble, he became widely known and recognized for his compassion and the power of his intercession, much like the founder of his order, St. Francis.

  Bl. Solanus died on July 31, 1957 and was beatified in 2017 in front of an estimated crowd of 70,000. He is a reminder for us today that saints can be born in our own backyards, and indeed that anyone can be a saint if we listen and respond to the will of God in our lives. He is a patron for apparent failures and setbacks.

  Learn more about him at https://www.solanuscasey.org/about-blessed-solanus-casey/

• Who are the Brothers of Peace?

  Founded in 1982, the Brothers of Peace are rebuilders: they rebuild the dignity of life where it is threatened, physically and spiritually. One of many branches of the enormous Franciscan tree, they are faithful to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church as they follow their own statues and the Third Order Rule of St. Francis of Assisi. They sidewalk counsel and advocate for preborn babies and their parents; they befriend the homeless and outcast on the streets and run an emergency food shelf; they provide sanctuary in their friary for international survivors of torture; they are devoted chaplains at the VA hospital; and they provide Sacraments and Catechesis to the Karen Refugee community.

  The Brothers of Peace operate two friaries, the Queen of Peace Friary in Saint Paul's Midway neighborhood (home to their food shelf) and the Blessed Solanus Casey Friary (formation house) on the east side of Saint Paul.

  Learn more about the order at https://brothersofpeace.org/

• What's the connection between the Brothers of Peace and Bl. Solanus?

  Right around the time of Solanus Casey's beatification, the Brothers of Peace acquired an old abandoned convent. Several brothers were able to attend the beatification ceremony in Detroit, and were gifted with two First Class Relics of his. Since Blessed Solanus was a Capuchin Franciscan, the Brothers of Peace asked the Capuchins of Detroit if they could have permission to name their new friary in his honor, and they were delighted. Fr. Solanus was a holy Franciscan who spent some of his life right here in Minnesota and was Confirmed in our Archdiocese (at the end point of our pilgrimage!). As a men's community of ordained and lay brothers, they are inspired by this humble priest who accepted the lowly task of doorman.

• Why are we walking to St. Michael's?

  Bl. Solanus Casey received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Michael’s and lived in Stillwater for several years as a young adult. Its sacramental relationship to the holy man makes it a meaningful place to make pilgrimage and ask for his intercession, while also reminding us that saints are still being made today, right in our own backyards.

• How do I know if I can walk 18 miles?

  This is definitely more miles than most people are used to walking in a day! We will aim to keep up a good pace (about 3 miles/hour), but there is flexibility in the schedule to take breaks and adjust pace throughout the day. If you exercise regularly, are in reasonably good physical shape, and have a pair of good walking shoes, you should be able to make this pilgrimage. It may be challenging, which is okay – that is an opportunity to lean on God, offer up your sufferings for a particular intention, and ask the people around you for help. There will also be support vehicles able to assist if something goes wrong. If a shorter distance is more prudent for you at this time, we’d love to have you join us at the afternoon meet-up point for the final three miles.

  If you have questions about the distance and your preparedness, feel free to reach out.

• What happens in the event of bad weather?

  In the event of hazardous weather, registered pilgrims will be notified of schedule adjustments via email. If weather is somewhat inclement but otherwise safe, we will likely continue as planned. Please check the forecast and come prepared for whatever the day has in store.

• What about restrooms?

  Limited restroom breaks have been identified and designated as stops along the route. You may wish to bring hand sanitizer.