‘Thanks be to God – Deo Gratias,’” said Br. Gregory. “I’m nearing the completion of my studies… and it’s just a joy really to be able to write about Blessed Solanus so that people can come to know my brother better.”

Br. Gregory Armstrong, OFM Cap., a Capuchin friar from the Denver-based Province of St. Conrad currently studying at the Oblate School of Theology, has been awarded the inaugural Blessed Solanus Casey Essay Prize in the Graduate Student category. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarship that deepens understanding of Blessed Solanus Casey’s life, spirituality, and legacy. The winner in the Graduate Student category receives an award of $1,500, along with encouragement and assistance with publishing the winning essay in a scholarly journal or other form.

The essay was selected for its originality and scholarly contribution to the study of Blessed Solanus. The Blessed Solanus Casey Essay Prizes encourage new and meaningful engagement with his example of faith, humility, and service. Br. Gregory’s essay, Blessed Solanus Casey’s Pastoral Care: A model of Marian referral, deals with the day-to-day pastoral care of Blessed Solanus Casey during his life and ministry, and his intentional referral of certain spiritual matters to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom Solanus held an intense devotion.