Pilgrims on an 18-mile walk July 30 from North St. Paul to the penitentiary in Stillwater, where Blessed Solanus Casey served as a prison guard, and to the church of St. Michael where he was confirmed, will seek the intercession of the Wisconsin-born Capuchin Franciscan friar.
People who can’t make the entire walk are encouraged to meet at the lift bridge in Stillwater and make the five-mile trek to the penitentiary and back to Stillwater, said Will Peterson of San Diego-based Modern Catholic Pilgrim, which is organizing the walk.
Katie Anderson
In addition, people can attend the 8 a.m. Mass and pilgrimage blessing at St. Peter in North St. Paul, where the trek will start on the nearby Gateway Trail, and the 4:30 p.m. vigil Mass at St. Michael, which will end the pilgrimage, Peterson said. Or they can join their prayers from home with those making the journey, he said. After the vigil Mass at St. Michael, a shuttle will bring people back to St. Peter in North St. Paul, he said.
Peterson and Katie Anderson, communications coordinator at St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater, spoke with “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley about the prayerful walk. The conversation will debut at 9 p.m. July 1 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and be repeated 1 p.m. July 2 and 2 p.m. July 3.
A pilgrimage is one of the oldest prayer traditions in the Church, said Peterson, noting early reports of people visiting the sites associated with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
“And we know the pilgrimages to the catacombs in Rome, where Sts. Peter and Paul are buried,” he said. “This is something that’s been occurring now for basically 2,000 years. … We have an opportunity to dive into that tradition and to take part and to walk with Christ.”
Will Peterson
Anderson said she and her sister went on a pilgrimage in France a few summers ago, and she walked away determined to learn more about local saints and holy places. “I’m very excited about this in Stillwater,” she said.
She has learned a great deal about Blessed Casey in her work at St. Michael and St. Mary, Anderson said. The friar on the road to sainthood, born in 1870, worked in Stillwater as a young man. Ordained to the priesthood and serving in New York City and Detroit, he was revered for his great faith, humility, compassion and spiritual counsel. Two of his brothers were priests who ministered in the archdiocese.
Casey, whose feast day is July 30, also was one of three “blesseds” whose intercession was sought during the Archdiocesan Synod Assembly June 3-5 in St. Paul. The others were Blessed Stanley Rother from Oklahoma, who has relatives living in the archdiocese, and Blessed James Miller, a Lasallian Christian Brother who taught at Cretin-Derham Hall high school in St. Paul. Blesseds Rother and Miller were martyred in Guatemala.
Anderson encouraged people who plan to participate in the Blessed Casey pilgrimage to ask family and friends for any intentions they can carry with them in prayer. “I think just having those solid things in your heart that you wish to bring forth on the pilgrimage and ask the saints’ intercessions for is a great way to prepare,” she said.
Other important items include water, a snack and lunch, sunscreen and comfortable clothes and shoes for walking, Peterson said.
People are encouraged to sign up for the pilgrimage at moderncatholicpilgrim.com, or show up at whatever point works best for them, Peterson said.
To hear the full interview, tune in 9 p.m. July 1 to Relevant Radio 1330 AM for the “Practicing Catholic” show, which repeats at 1 p.m. July 2 and 2 p.m. July 3. For information on related issues discussed on this episode, Conley suggests listeners access the website for the Minnesota Catholic Conference at mncatholic.org and consider joining its Catholic Advocacy Network.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Alan and Joanne Foley of Early Catholic Family Life, who share ideas on introducing and keeping faith at the center of a home, especially for families with young children; and Father John Echert, who discusses religious freedom.
Listen to their interviews after they have aired:
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