Obituary of Father Joseph Henry Cassano

CASSANO, Fr. Joseph Henry - Fr. Cassano finished his priestly work for the Church that he loved at the age of 90 after serving as a priest for 63 years. He died peacefully at Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care on March 19, 2019, the Feast Day of his namesake, St. Joseph. Father Cassano was ordained on March 17, 1956 at St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valeta, Malta. He is predeceased by his brothers Charles and John, both in Malta, and Robert in Bayport, N.Y. He is survived by a niece, Monica Cassans, of Long Island, N.Y. Father Cassano was born in Malta on January 31, 1929 into a very religious family. He was told by his teachers that he would make a good priest. He initially balked at the idea and entered a technical school. By the following year, he believed that he did have a priestly vocation but thought that he might make a good missionary. He joined the Paulist Fathers and following his ordination was posted at the Don Bosco Youth Centre in Malta. In 1960 he was sent to Australia where he served for nine years, first to Swanbourne (Western Australia) and then to Sydney. In 1969, Fr. Cassano was sent to minister in Southwestern Ontario. The Paulist Fathers had been active there for ten years. Following brief postings in Ashfield (Kingsbridge) with two mission churches in Lucknow and St. Augustine's, he became the pastor and also the superior of the Paulist Fathers in the Diocese of London. In 1972, Bishop G. Emmet Carter asked him to undertake a survey of the many Maltese living in the Diocese. The study indicated a concentration of Maltese living in Windsor, St. Thomas and London. Following the survey, Fr. Cassano spent several months at St. Gabriel's Parish in Windsor followed by three years at St. William's Parish in Emeryville. From 1976 to 1979, Fr. Cassano was assistant pastor at Holy Cross Parish in London. His dedication and commitment prompted Bishop Carter to ask him consider becoming a diocesan priest. Fr. Cassano agreed and shortly thereafter, he was incardinated in the Diocese of London. In 1979 Fr. Cassano was asked by Bishop J.M. Sherlock to serve at St. Peter's in the Diocese of Labrador-Scheferville. The parish had been without a priest for five years, Fr. Cassano responded generously and served there from February 1979 until June 1980. For the next 15 years, Fr. Cassano had postings at a number of churches in the London diocese including pastor of St. Mary's Parish (Hesson), St. Columban's Parish (St. Columban), Blessed Sacrament Parish (London), St. Michael's Parish (Dresden) and as Pastor at St. James' Parish (Seaforth) and St. Martin's Parish (London). In 1995, he became the assistant to the Rector at St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, (London) where he served until his "retirement" in 2002. Fr. Cassano was never ready for full retirement and continued the priestly work that he loved, albeit on a part-time basis. He did this while residing at St. Patrick's Parish for two years, followed by 11 years, from 2004 until 2015 at St. Mary's Parish (London). He then moved to a retirement home and more recently, to the Mount Hope Centre, where he passed to his eternal reward. Fr. Cassano will be lying in state at St. Mary's Church, 345 Lyle Street, on Sunday March 24, 2019 from 3:00 - 5:00 pm and from 6:00 - 8:00 pm and on Monday, March 25, 2019 from 10:00 am until the beginning of the Funeral Mass at 11:00 am. Interment will take place at St. Peter's Cemetery. Throughout his priestly life, Fr. Cassano was known for his sense of humour, his humility and his commitment to the many parishioners he served. He was a man who loved the work of the priest and loved being a priest. To the day that he died, his voice mail on his telephone read the following: "To the shrine of love divine, My lowly feet have trod, I crave no fame, no other name But this: a priest of God. Please leave a message."