Blessed Solanus Casey

Because he had not performed well enough in his studies, he was not granted the full faculties of ordination. He would be a "simplex priest," one who could preside at Mass, but not preach publicly or hear confessions. He accepted his superiors' decision as God's will and never questioned it. 

They hardly knew what to do with a priest whose ministry was so limited. He was assigned to care for the sacristy, train the altar boys and answer the front door. It was that position as porter that defined Fr. Solanus' ministry. His simple trust in God, his certainty that every prayer is answered in God's own way, his gentle listening to each person who came, Catholic, Non-Catholic, Non-Christians, even Atheists, led to his quickly becoming known wherever he was assigned. His heart went out to all. He would listen, pray with them, suggest some "work" they could do for another to "thank God ahead of time." Like Jesus, he saw each person as loved by God and called to share in God’s life. 

Hundred's of people attributed his intercession to seemingly inexplicable spiritual reformations and physical cures, but it was his boundless charity and luminous goodness that won him countless hearts  to Christ.  In May 2017, Pope Francis recognized a miracle performed through Venerable Solanus Casey and he is now known as Blessed Solanus Casey.  He is one step away from becoming a saint.

In honor to Blessed Solanus Casey, the Porters for Prayer look to follow his example.  While the porter at the church was opening the door to introduce each person to prayer, we look to remove whatever barrier is separating each individual from engaging in prayer to bring them closer to God. Since we have no door to knock on, we will go out to meet them.  We will display our "Free Prayer" sign and welcome people to stop by for some conversation and prayer. 

Some of us may not have performed well in our catholic studies or may not feel comfortable speaking to others about prayer and faith.  Even Moses did not have confidence as a speaker, so God told him to take his brother Aaron with him. If you need some help, find a partner to take with you.

We will move forward with the same approach as Blessed Solanus Casey – we will listen, we will pray, and we will let each person know that they are loved by God and called to share in God’s life.  Each person shall be notified of this website which provides additional information, inspiration, encouragement and hopefully a path forward in prayer with the Lord.  We will provide them with a list of local catholic churches, mass times and prayer groups to help them get started on their journey.

If you can say a prayer, you can be a Porter.  

Praying with another person is generally considered better than submitting an online prayer request because it allows for more dialogue, deeper connection, shared vulnerability and immediate support.  The Bible even encourages praying for one another.  Many find that, for their most important concerns and requests for our Lord, sharing their prayers with others can bring comfort and hope.  Here are some options for obtaining a Free Prayer person-to-person:

1. Pray with a family member
2. Pray with a friend
3. Contact a local church to see if they have a prayer team or prayer chain.  One of the members of the team will pray with you, and then share your prayer request with the rest of the members so they can also pray for you.
4. Contact a local church and request time to pray with the priest.
5. Join a prayer group though a local church.  These groups meet on a regular basis to pray, worship, and share their concerns and joys.
6. Always stop for a prayer when you see a Porter For Prayer with a "Free Prayer" sign.

For an online prayer request, the button below will direct you to the online request form at SolanusCasey.org.   Your prayer intention will be printed and placed at the tomb of Blessed Solanus Casey in Detroit. The friars at St. Bonaventure Monastery will pray for your intention in their daily prayer in the Friars’ Chapel.   

Since the 1880s, the Capuchin friars at St. Bonaventure have invited those suffering from illness or infirmity to pray for healing. That tradition continues today as the friars continue to hold a Blessing of the Sick Service every Wednesday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. that includes intercessions and a blessing with a relic of the True Cross.   For more information on the Solanus Casey Center, a link is provided below.

Blessing of the Sick Mass

Every Wednesday & Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Saint Bonaventure Monastery Chapel

1740 Mt. Elliott Street

Detroit, MI 48207  

(313) 579-2100 

Father Mike Schmitz is the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth as well as the Chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He is the host of the widely popular podcasts, “Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year” produced by Ascension. Father Mike also offers weekly homilies on iTunes, Hallow, and bulldogCatholic.org and has appeared in programs for youth and young adults through Ascension Press, as well as through regular short video messages on Ascension Presents. 

The name Bulldog Catholic is based on the bulldog mascot for the university's sports teams.  The mascot's name is Champ.   A Bulldog is described as friendly, courageous and calm. The term bulldog is also a complimentary English idiom for somebody who's tough, tenacious and gets things done, especially in the face of adversity.  Sounds a lot like Father Mike, a Champ at leading all of us to our faith in the face of any adversity.

Fr. Mike is well known for his podcasts and videos on faith, pop culture and headline reflections.  His popular YouTube videos are released weekly on the Ascension Presents YouTube channel , and they are also available on the Ascension website .  Below is a link to  the podcasts and vidos on the Ascention website. 

Everything at Ascension is aimed to help Catholics have an encounter with the living God. With their bible studies, sacramental prep programs, Q&A styled books and free online videos, everything has been focused on that encounter.  As Jesus stated in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them".  All of their programs are based on that promise … that God will be present whenever a group is meeting in the name of Jesus.

Per Ascension, access to the Bible and Catechism text, daily readings and reflections, as well as audio for Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year will all remain free and available without signing up for a subscription.  They do encourage donations to Ascension Free Media, which supports their mission of bringing the good news to all those searching for God.

Loyola Press Mission Statement:  In the spirit of Saint Ignatius of Loyola who points us always to personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and in response to those we serve, we create books and multi-media products that facilitate transformative experiences of God so that people of all ages can lead holy and purposeful lives with and for others. 

Their website is a great source of information to enhance your prayer life.  They offer information on traditional catholic prayers, contemporary prayers, children's prayers, family prayers and personal prayers.  They also invite you to take a short break each day right at your computer for their 3-minute retreats.  You can use the link below to explore all they have to offer.

 St. Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE) is a grassroots, non-profit organization, dedicated to responding to the mandate of Jesus to preach the Gospel to all nations by taking the Catholic Faith to the streets. Christ’s call to evangelize was made to every Catholic Christian. As an on-the-street Catholic evangelization organization, St. Paul Street Evangelization provides an avenue for people to share the Person of Jesus Christ and the truth and beauty of the Catholic Faith with a hungry culture.   

Our mission: To train, equip, and mobilize Catholics for the urgent work of evangelization. Especially for the proclamation of the gospel in the public square. 

Founded in May 2012, St. Paul Street Evangelization provides the tools and resources for Catholics to engage the culture in a simple, non-confrontational method of evangelization which involves making themselves available to the public to answer questions about the faith and to pray with those who request it. SPSE has had tremendous growth and now has teams throughout the United States and the world.   You can use the link below to find out more information about this organization.

The information on this website is presented primarily though YouTube videos.  This website serves as a hub for a collection of links to the most inspirational videos on Youtube for helping people connect with their faith by connecting to the Lord in prayer.  The topics include Prayer, Questions & Answers, Faith Testimonials, Poems, Psalms, Hymns, Songs, Scenes from memorable movies, Porter of Prayer information and the Contact Us page.