The Gospel Unleashed
In his first assignment at Sacred Heart Friary in Yonkers, New York, Fr. Solanus was given the duties of sacristan, director of altar servers, and porter. All of these duties were tasks typically given to newer friars, not ordained priests, but Fr. Solanus approached his ministries with a deep love for Jesus, fostered by his devotion to Eucharistic adoration. He began to be a conduit for God to profoundly touch souls through his person-to-person engagement with those coming to the door of the monastery. One of the highest compliments paid to him was that he always took the time to listen to people, regardless of their situation. Even when lines began to form and he had but a short time with each person, he sought to be truly present to God and the person he was with. “We must be faithful to the present moment, or we will frustrate the plan of God for our lives” he once wrote. Often stationed at the door, Fr. Solanus made the friary a place of welcome for all. Just like the Good Shepherd, he valued going after the one lost sheep.
“Confidence is the soul of prayer!” he wrote. Equipped with an incredible confidence in God and the good habit of being docile to the Holy Spirit in the present moment, Fr. Solanus was ready to joyfully deliver the good news of Jesus to all he encountered. His confidence in God translated to an apostolic boldness, telling people in the darkest of situations with prophetic accuracy of God’s saving and healing power. He saw radical conversions, miraculous healings, and countless favors from God granted through his charism of intercessory prayer exercised with expectant faith. At the request of his superior, he began to journal the many favors granted through his intercession by God. After his time in Yonkers, Fr. Solanus was assigned to St. John’s Church in New York City and then later to Our Lady of Sorrows in Manhattan. All the while, people would come continuously seeking his words of counsel, comfort, and his miraculous intercessory prayers.
God Bless– Fr. Patrick