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Three holy men of our times
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| By INGE JONKERS
2 November, 2008 |
God’s Doorkeepers focuses on the lives of three holy men of our times: Blessed Brother Andre (1845–1937; Venerable Solanus Casey (1870–1957) and Padre Pio (1887–1968).
The author presents each of the three and explores the similarities between them.
Who were they?
Padre Pio is a well-loved saint with whom we are all familiar, but Fr Solanus and Br Andre are less well-known.
Yet, they had so much in common.
First of all their deep faith and love of God, their prayerfulness and compassion.
All three came from an extremely poor, rural background and from large families.
Their parents were deeply committed to their Catholic faith, pious and devout and brought up their children with those same values.
Each aspired to be a priest: Padre Pio and Fr Solanus reached their goal, although the latter was not permitted to preach or hear confessions.
Br Andre joined the Congregation of Holy Cross, while Padre Pio and Fr Solanus became Franciscan Capuchins.
Br Andre and Fr Solanus were given the task of being their community’s doorkeeper, or porter, which meant looking after the visitors to the monastery and performing numerous other tasks.
Padre Pio became a spiritual doorkeeper, who led many people through “the doorways of holiness”.
All three had serious health problems but still worked from 15–20 hours each day and lived long, fruitful lives.
They were so close to God that his healing power flowed through them, enabling them to cure the many sick and needy who sought physical and spiritual healing.
Br Andre was a Canadian who lost his parents at an early age.
Despite severe digestive problems he had to work hard as a farmhand.
He wanted to enter religious life, but was not able to become a priest because of his lack of education.
After entering religious life he became doorkeeper at a boys’ college and performed many other, varied tasks.
He had a great devotion to St Joseph and saw him as his personal patron.
Br Andre was blessed with the gift of healing and so many ill and disabled persons came to see him that a special tramline had to be built to accommodate all his visitors.
A humble, gentle man, he had an instinctive understanding of the needs of others.
Fr Solanus was born in a log cabin on the banks of the Mississippi.
After becoming a priest he combined his duties with many others, but most of his time was spent listening with patience and love to all who came to see him.
Like Br Andre, he cured a large number of those who asked him for physical and spiritual healing and had the gift of predicting the future.
He was, like Br Andre, a sensitive, caring man, totally absorbed by his love for God and mankind.
Padre Pio was born in Pietrelcina in Italy’s Gargano Mountains.
Even as a child he had visions and other mystical experiences.
Like Br Andre he suffered from serious digestive problems and migraines.
When he was 16 years old he joined the Capuchins, was ordained a priest in 1910 and soon after received the stigmata, like his spiritual father St Francis of Assisi.
He spent most of his day in the confessional, and inspired courage and strength to face the challenges of life into the many who came to see him for spiritual healing.
Through his great holiness and wisdom he changed many lives.
These three holy men had no material possessions to give, yet they inspired many with faith, hope and healing.
They expressed their own faith by giving themselves completely to God and others.
Fr Solanus said: “he wanted to give and give until there is nothing left of me to give.”
St Clement, a first century Bishop of Rome, told us how to do that: “follow the saints, because those who follow them will become saints”.
Simple, straightforward and factual, Joel Schorn’s work is also inspirational.
It reminds us of the main purpose of our existence: to love God, and to love others.
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