The St. Bonaventure Monastery is a complex of religious buildings, built for the
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...
,
located at 1740 Mt. Elliott Avenue in
Detroit,
Michigan. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
History
St. Bonaventure Monastery was established in 1882, one of a number of late 19th century
Roman Catholic institutions established in Detroit.
["Saint Bonaventure Monastery"](_blank)
State of Michigan. At the time, the Capuchin friars wrote to then-
Bishop of Detroit
The Archdiocese of Detroit ( la, Archidiœcesis Detroitensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne. It ...
Caspar Borgess
Caspar Henry Borgess (August 1, 1826 – May 3, 1890) was a German-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the second Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, Bishop of Detroit, serving from 1871 to 1887.
Biography Early life
Borgess wa ...
, seeking permission to establish a community of the Order in his
diocese. The bishop responded by suggesting that they could serve as
chaplain
A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...
s for the
Eastside Historic Cemetery District and build a monastery in the city. The friars accepted the suggestion and were granted permission to start working in the diocese. In 1882 they moved into a small house on the cemetery grounds until the following year, when the monastery, sited across the street, was habitable.
The monastery was originally intended to serve the area's Catholic clergy and churches, but also provided emergency aid to the poor. During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, the monastery was a major source of relief for poor East-Side workers.
By 1931 the monastery was providing as many as 3,500 free meals per day through its
soup kitchen
A soup kitchen, food kitchen, or meal center, is a place where food is offered to the Hunger, hungry usually for free or sometimes at a below-market price (such as via coin donations upon visiting). Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoo ...
.
Father Solanus Casey
The monastery is also significant because of its association with Blessed
Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap. Father Solanus was a Capuchin friar who served as the monastery
porter 1924-1946, meeting visitors at the friary door. He also helped out at the Soup Kitchen, comforting the hungry, and was instrumental in obtaining food and supplies for the kitchen during the Great Depression. In 1966 Casey was proposed as a candidate for
sainthood.
On July 8, 1987, Father Solanus Casey's body was exhumed and found to be
incorrupt.
His body was clothed in a new
religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of religious clothing worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognizable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anchoritic life, ...
, placed in a steel casket, and re-interred beneath the north
transept at St. Bonaventure's, where prayers are offered for the intercession of Fr. Solanus.
[ Fr. Solanus was beatified in Detroit on November 18, 2017.]
Description
St. Bonaventure Monastery consists of three buildings: the 1883 Gothic-influenced monastery (completed in 1913), the 1908 Soup Kitchen, and the 1939 Third Order Hall.
Further reading
*
References
External links
Capuchin Soup KitchenSolanus Casey Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Bonaventure Monastery
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1883
National Register of Historic Places in Detroit
Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
Capuchin friaries