Tens of thousands flock to Detroit for beatification of Father Solanus Casey

A priest who wasn't allowed to preach instead turned his ears and heart to the needy. Now, decades after his death, Solanus Casey is on a path to sainthood, celebrated as an incredibly humble man who brought people to God. Father Solanus, as he was known, was beatified Saturday at a Mass attended by more than 60,000 people at a stadium in Detroit where he spent much of his ministry. Pope Francis said he met the requirements to earn the title of "blessed," especially after a woman from Panama was instantly cured of a chronic skin disease while she prayed at his tomb in 2012. The woman, Paula Medina Zarate, had a formal role at the Mass, placing a cross in front of a portrait of Father Solanus after Italian Cardinal Angelo Amato read a decree by the pope, who described the priest as a "humble and faithful disciple of Christ, tireless in serving the poor."