“SHE WILL BE FINE”
Her father, my great-grandfather, James
Pulcher McNamara, owned Master’s Pick-
les on Bellevue Street just blocks away from
St. Bonaventure Monastery. He knew of
Fr. Solanus Casey and the good works that
had been attributed to his prayers.
Father Solanus greeted the pair when
they arrived at the monastery, prayed with
them, and told them that my young grand-
mother would be fine. He may have said
one of the phrases he was known to offer
when he knew how God’s healing hand
was working. These phrases are noted in
Fr. Michael Crosby’s book, Thank God
Ahead of Time: “The doctor will be sur-
prised,” or “Have the doctor look again,”
or “I don’t think there is a need for that.”
At her next visit to the doctor, all the
signs of infection were gone from my
grandmother’s hand. Like similar stories
of personal miracles, the doctor was sur-
prised that the infection was gone.
SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS
Throughout my grandmother’s life,
she believed that she was healed by God
through Fr. Solanus Casey on that day.
She lived her life with a firm conviction
that God cared for her in an extraordinary
way through his servant when she and
her family were frightened, yet trusted in
God’s care for them as they recognized
their dependence upon him.
To be clear: that my grandmother did not
have any portion of her hand amputated
and that her hand was healed from an infec-
tion is not a “miracle” vetted by any author-
ity in the Church credited to the sanctity
of Fr. Solanus Casey—although the healing
is an event that is known in my family as a
miracle. Of course, my family does not have
our own formal process to offer evidence to
the matter, nor was the event made known
to the Church for investigation.
The simple fact is that there were many
individuals who sought the Lord on my
grandmother’s behalf when she was in-
jured, which includes Father Solanus.
Something good happened to bring her
good health following those prayers.
8
MIRACLE WITHOUT FANFARE
There are countless miraculous events
attributed to Fr. Solanus Casey. There also
are miracles that have happened after pray-
ing through Fr. Solanus’ intercession, which
have been vetted by experts and support
that his life could be recognized as holy.
Does my grandmother’s healing pale in
comparison? No. A miracle is exceptional
in whatever form. A miracle doesn’t need
pretension or any sort of fanfare to be sig-
nificant.
As a matter of fact, in the Gospel of
Luke (9:17), the disciples collect the small
fragments after the multitude was fed. The
twelve baskets of leftovers are another feast
in waiting as there is no small gift from
God. Indeed, the scraps are still a part of
the miracle.
There are many miracles that dazzle our
minds even when we have been given the
faith to believe them, and then there are
miracles that may only be known to an
individual who cries aloud to the Lord.
For my grandmother and family, the sim-
plicity of Father Solanus’ prayer and his
comforting words offered the reality of
Christ’s care for a frightened young girl.
God heard the cry of a poor man, Father
Solanus, a poor girl, my grandmother, and
the poverty in all who were helpless in as-
sisting her when turning to God.
GOD’S MERCIFUL CARE
Not only do we know from the Psalms
that when we cry out to God in our pover-
ty we are heard by him, we also believe that
“those who seek the Lord lack no good
thing” (Ps 34:11). The truth and hope
significant in the psalm informs faith and
practice.
Verse 10 from Psalm 34 is often omitted
for other salient statements when Psalm
34 is prayed as a responsorial psalm at
Mass or as part of the liturgical music as
stylized by Fr. John Foley, SJ, in a mellow
1978 version: “The Lord hears the Cry of
the Poor.” Both the psalm in the lection-
ary and the popularized form of the song
offer a beautiful encouragement of God’s
care for the poor.
Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Fall 2017
These versions don’t miss the point. It is
the same sentiment that begins Psalm 23,
that is, lacking nothing. Miracles, whether
we think they are small or grand, point back
to God’s abundant merciful care. They aid
recognition of God’s Kingdom and how
God’s people are continually cared for in a
constant torrent of grace and mercy.
As one of God’s holy ones, Fr. Solanus
Casey often made his cry known to the
Lord. Through his writings and witnessed
actions, Father Solanus was in untiring
communication with God. It is clear that
God heard the cry of Father Solanus.
BEATIFICATION-DAY
GRATITUDE
There is a part of me that is spiritually
ecstatic that one of our own, Fr. Solanus
Casey, will be recognized as having a holy
life by the Church. His acts while a priest
on earth bore blessings for many who were
able to come in contact with him.
Even though I never had an opportuni-
ty to meet him personally in my own life,
I have always felt close to him due to my
grandmother’s story and my family’s devo-
tion. So many lives were touched by Father
Solanus and there are so many other heal-
ing stories beyond this short anecdote.
Miracles are still happening through
God’s healing hand and Father Solanus’s
intercession.
The beatification Mass is near. Now is
not the time to grow cold in giving thanks
to God for all the blessings that have been
offered through Father Solanus. We must
also “thank God ahead of time” by crying
out to God for all of the pressing needs
known to us.
When the day of the beatification
comes on November 18—whether you are
at the Mass, watching a broadcast, or not
able to take time away from your sched-
ule—thank God for revealing his care for
his people through a poor servant like Fr.
Solanus Casey.
Fr. Stephen Burr (Class of 1998, 2002) is vice
rector and dean of seminarian formation at
Sacred Heart.