PRESS RELEASE
6 FEBRUARY 2003
SENIOR VATICAN PRELATE TO VISIT IRELAND THIS WEEKEND
Archbishop John Patrick Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications
in the Vatican, is visiting Ireland this weekend to attend a Memorial Mass for Father Patrick
Casserly SM who died in Rome on 2 January 2003.
A native of Carnaross, Kells, Co Meath, Fr Casserly (59) was a Marist Father who worked for
many years with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in Rome. He co-ordinated
satellite links for international telecasts of ceremonies of the Holy Father at Christmas
and during Holy Week. He represented the Holy See with the International Catholic Union of
the Press and at meetings of the Council of Europe on communications.
Fr Casserly previously served as a Marist missionary in Papua, New Guinea, and Fiji and as
a Consultor of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications before becoming a staff member
in 1992. He had received the cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (for the Church and the Pope)
in recognition of his work.
Fr Casserly was a member of the Marist Community in Rome, and is survived by two sisters and
one brother.
At the time of his death, Archbishop Foley said: “Fr Casserly was an outstanding priest, prayerful
and dedicated, who brought extensive technical knowledge to his work in communications, joined
with a desire to make available to the widest possible audience the message of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. He will be greatly missed”.
The Memorial Mass will be held in St Ciaran’s Church, Carnaross, Kells, Co Meath at 12.00 noon
on Saturday 8 February. The Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, will
also attend.
In the course of his visit to Ireland, Archbishop Foley will also pay a courtesy visit to
Cardinal Desmond Connell, Archbishop of Dublin.
Ends
6 February 2003
Further information:
Fr Martin Clarke: 087 220 8044
Ms Brenda Drumm: 087 233 7797
