Monsignor Robert McClory, rector of the shrine, told CNA that the chair Blessed Solanus used on his visits to the shrine was displayed for his feast day.
The shrine was also chosen as the first stop for a "relic tour" of a first-class relic of Blessed Solanus - a bone from his right thumb, which will travel throughout the archdiocese's schools and parishes in the coming days for veneration.
"In the Detroit area it's hard to meet a Catholic who was not in some way touched by Blessed Solanus Casey," McClory told CNA.
"Every time I make a reference to Blessed Solanus in a homily, I will typically get anywhere from 6-12 comments afterwards of people telling me stories of how Blessed Solanus helped their father, their grandparents, and had a special role in their life," he said.
His humility and simplicity gave Solanus "an approachable holiness" that drew so many people to him, McClory added.
"He had humility, and everybody could approach him, and he had a big heart for those who were suffering and those who were sick, and that included those who suffered materially, but also those who had deep spiritual needs," he said.
The miracles worked through his intercession gave Solanus a kind of "credibility" with God to the people who came to him, McClory added, so they trusted the friar even when they were told their prayers would not be answered in the way they had hoped.
"It's not just that he was a vehicle through which miracles occurred, but also because of that, in a beautiful way he had more credibility when he told people their prayer isn't going to be answered the way that you want it to be, but God has a plan and it's going to be ok," McClory said.
A modern, local saint shows the people of Detroit that "Jesus is near, that he's in our midst, that God loves Detroit," McClory added, "and that God has a desire to build up holy men and women whose virtues we can imitate and whose intercession we can seek, and it makes holiness that much closer for us."
Blessed Solanus Casey was beatified on Nov. 18, 2017 in Detroit. The next step in his canonization process is for an additional miracle to occur through his intercession and be approved by the Vatican.
Mary Farrow worked as a staff writer for Catholic News Agency until 2020. She has a degree in journalism and English education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.