Seek first the kingdom of God

Blessed Solanus Casey (1870-1957) had a number of local connections in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

This holy Capuchin priest is best known as the “porter of St. Bonaventure’s monastery,” providing holy counsel and even miracles while living in Detroit.

Before he was a priest, Blessed Solanus lived in Stillwater, trying his hand at logging. Later, his uncle Pat Murphy helped him to get a job at the Stillwater State Prison. His other uncle (Father Maurice Murphy) was pastor of St. Michael. In that parish, as a young man, he received the sacrament of confirmation. Later as a priest, Blessed Solanus visited the then-College of St. Thomas in St. Paul to see his brother, Msgr. Edward Casey, and stayed in the red brick infirmary building that had a few rooms for visiting guests. The building still stands next to the St. John Vianney College Seminary.

Blessed Solanus’ feast day is July 30, and his life provides a great example for the day’s Gospel. The parables of the pearl, the treasure and the net remind us of the sense of urgency in seeking the

FATHER MIKE | FATHER MICHAEL SCHMITZ