Father Patrick Casserly, SM, died in Rome on January 2nd, 2003, at the relatively young age of 59 and was buried in the Marist vault at Rome's Campo Verano cemetery. He was a senior official of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and was a native of Carnaross, Kells, Co Meath.
He had served as a Marist missionary in Papua-New Guinea and Fiji and as a consultant of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications before becoming a staff member in 1992. Since then he had been based with the Marist community at Via Carnaia in Rome.
He was responsible for co-ordinating satellite links for international telecasts of ceremonies of the Holy Father at Christmas and during Holy Week, and represented the Holy See with the International Catholic Union of the Press and at meetings of the Council of Europe on communications. He had received the Papal award, the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice cross, in recognition of his work.
Speaking at a conference in Guttersloh, Germany, recently he said Internet service providers had a moral obligation to censor websites containing pornography or hate sentiments.
When President Mary Robinson and President Mary McAleese visited the Holy Father, Pat was in charge of accredited journalists and eased the way for interviews.
He was modest and had no airs or graces about him, always ready to do a good turn, and very many people will miss him. Dealing with journalists and making documentaries was his speciality. When some of the annoying Vatican protocol prevented a journalist access to somewhere, Pat was there to smooth potentially troubled waters, always courteous and helpful.
Archbishop John P. Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications flew from Rome to be chief concelebrant with the Apostolic Nuncio, Dr Lazzarrotto and the Bishop of Meath, Dr Smyth at the commemorative Mass in Carnaross a month after the death of Father Casserly. Archbishop Foley told those present that the Holy Father particularly appreciated the work which Father Casserly did to bring his Masses and messages to the most distant parts of the globe, including Father Pat's beloved Fiji.
He recalled the vigils and the nights and days of international transmissions. There were texts to be sent by e-mail or fax in a multiplicity of languages - almost all Vatican offices except the Councils were closed - some ceremonies were often at weekends, so it was not always easy to get in touch with the right person with the right text, even in the Secretariat of State. The networks for remote countries would ring up at the last moment, asking to be connected to one of the papal ceremonies, and Pat had to find out how to do it, and whom to contact - and then he had to follow-up to make sure the connection had been made.
While other people in the office would be wild with frenzy, Pat, with his tightly controlled emotions, would quietly get the job done. He followed the admonition "Anyone who wants to be first among you must be a servant to all".
Trial after trial was visited upon Pat regarding his physical health, and just when he thought he might be getting better, something else would happen.
When Archibishop Foley gave him the Sacrament of the Annointing of the Sick on that morning of January 2nd, the Archbishop had no idea that he was close to death. During the ceremony he seemed to be conscious throughout, praying quietly. Archbishop Foley told him he was praying for a miracle through the intercession of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the great television preacher, who like Pat, dearly loved the Lord and his Mother, but also Ireland.
The Lord, however, had other plans for Father Pat Casserly in keeping with the Biblical verse "You who fear the Lord hope for those good gifts of his, everlasting joy and mercy".
J.McE.