Friday, January 24, 2014

St. Bonaventure Monastery

St. Bonaventure Monastery was designed by Peter Dederichs and built in 1883.  Dederichs would later become a parishioner at nearby St. Charles Borromeo and was the architect for their current church.

The local Capuchin friars initially served nearby clergy and gave emergency assistance to the needy. As the Great Depression began, their focused shifted mostly towards the latter.

The Capuchin Soup Kitchen was formally established in 1929 and has grown to include a second kitchen, an urban garden, a bakery, and more. 


   The monastery saw major renovations in 1982 affecting the altar in the main chapel.


















The monastery has two chapels. The main chapel is used for Sunday Mass and private prayer. A friar's chapel behind the main altar is used for daily Mass and originally built for Liturgy of the Hours. The altar in the friar's chapel was carved by one of the now-deceased friars and displays dozens of relics.




  

Stained-glass windows and stations the main chapel.

       


San Damiano Crucifix located next the altar and St. Francis of Assisi displays his stigmata at the high altar.
  

The Blessed Mother and Sacred Heart of Jesus populate the side altars.  


Details from the altar







































Best known as the home of Venerable Solanus Casey, the monastery houses his incorrupt body as well as the Solanus Casey Center, a biographical museum, which opened in 2002. Solanus Casey is the first U.S. born male to be declared venerable and is currently a candidate for beatification.




The Solanus Casey Center contains artifacts from the namesake's life, including a family portrait, his habit and violin, a log of his prayer intentions, and the original stained-glass windows from the monastery.
   




The Fr. Solanus Guild, founded in 1960, leads his cause for beatification. Their YouTube page contains many healing testmonies and anecdotes.





Saint Bonavanture Chapel:
Open Daily: 7:30am to 5:00pm
Major Holidays: 7:30am to Noon

Mass Schedule:
Weekday Mass: 7:45am
Holy Day Mass: 7:45am and 12:15pm
Sunday Mass: 9:00am

Reconciliation Schedule:
Monday through Saturday on the hour at: 10am, 11am, Noon, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm

Solanus Casey Center:
Open Daily: 9:00am to 5:00pm
CLOSED on Major Holidays



For more info:

more photos: Flickr

2 comments:

Allie said...

Was Father Solanus declared incorrupt? I don't remember reading that. If so, that's pretty amazing!

detroitchurchblog said...

I was unsure about that as well. To my knowledge, the Vatican has yet to formally declare him incorrupt or not. As you know, the Congregation for Causes of Saints tends to be thorough with their investigation. If nothing else, his body is very well-preserved.

Multiple, credible sources (CNS, EWTN, etc.) have said he was incorrupt when exhumed in 1987.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/column.php?n=507
http://www.ewtn.com/wings/2011/03242011Feature.htm
http://www.dcdiocese.org/news/commentary/2459-solanus-casey-1870-1957