Father Solanus Casey Beatification Mass in Detroit: View details here

Beatification Mass is Saturday at Ford Field

DETROIT – The Archdiocese of Detroit has released these details ahead of Saturday's Beatification Mass for Fr. Solanus Casey at Ford Field: 

The Beatification of Father Solanus Casey will be decreed in an Apostolic letter during a Mass that will be held at Ford Field on Saturday, November 18, 2017, 4 p.m., EST. Father Solanus Casey is only the second American-born male to be beatified by the Catholic Church, the final step before canonization, or sainthood.

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FULL COVERAGE: Father Solanus Casey Beatification Mass
 
The presider for the Mass will be his Eminence Angelo Cardinal Amato from Rome, Italy, Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints and representative of the Holy Father, Pope Francis.

The Rite of Beatification will take place at the beginning of the Mass. Among the congregation will be 240 Capuchin Friars and approximately 350 members of the Casey family from across America and their ancestral country of Ireland. 

Altar will be at mid-field

The altar that will be used for the beatification, designed by Latvian-born architect Gunnar Birkerts, was created originally for Pope Saint John Paul II’s visit to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, and will be located at mid-field. The altar and ambo (pulpit) were built of cherry wood; the design reflects the tranquil beauty of Michigan’s natural resources. An image of the altar can be found here. Following the Beatification Rite, Mass will proceed, attended by thousands of faithful with devotions to Fr. Solanus, and clergy from around the world. The liturgy will be accompanied by a choir of 300, directed by Fr. Ed Foley, OFM Cap., with members from parish choirs across Metropolitan Detroit. 
 
"The Beatification is a wonderful moment and a testament to the work that Father Solanus Casey did for our city and those throughout the world,” stated Father Michael Sullivan, OFM Cap. and Provincial Minister of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph.  
   
"On behalf of the Archdiocese of Detroit, I am grateful to the tens of thousands of people who will be traveling from near and far to celebrate Father Solanus Casey and this wonderful event in the life of the Church and Detroit," said Archbishop of Detroit Allen Vigneron. "Father Solanus Casey is an inspiration to all of us. He was a humble, compassionate and generous man who dedicated so much of himself to our community."

MORE: Solanus Casey Beatification: What you need to know

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