After years of investigations, a Yonkers priest is closer to becoming a saint.

Brother Roger Deguire, of the Sacred Heart Church in Yonkers, says Pope Francis approved a miracle -- remaining secret -- placing venerable Father Solanus Casey one step higher to sainthood.

The Capuchin friar’s assignment as a young priest in 1904 was at the Sacred Heart Church.

Brother Deguire is the church's historian. He says there is a shrine to the prophetic priest who spent 14 years there using a baptismal to purify more than 300 children in the early 20th century. The room also showcases original artifacts, including his rosary.

Father Casey also served in churches in Harlem and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He later settled in Detroit, where he is buried.