Archdiocese Mourns Sad Loss of Deacon Elliott Casalegno
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
21 Feb 2012
Deacon Elliott Casalegno was
a vital and important member
of the Archdiocese
Deacon Elliott Casalegno, one of the five permanent deacons with the Archdiocese of Sydney's Diaconate suffered a severe infection and on Sunday, 19 February died at Liverpool Hospital where he had been undergoing treatment over the past 12 weeks.
Aged 72, the Queensland-born Deacon Casalegno is survived by his wife Regina and their daughter, Nova who lives in Medina, Ohio in the USA with her husband, Ryan and their five year old son, Joshua.
"He was a joyous personality and full of warmth and enthusiasm for his ministry and will be sadly missed," says his long time friend, Deacon Paul Naggar. "I was ordained a little earlier than Elliott but we knew each other during our formation and became firm friends. His passing is a loss for all who knew him, and particularly for the Holy Family Church at Menai where was appointed less than six months ago."
Ordained by the (then) Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal Edward Clancy on 15 July, 2000, Deacon Casalegno was appointed to his home parish of St Felix de Valois, Bankstown where he and his family had lived since 1961. He was then appointed chaplain to Rookwood Cemetery where he spent six months before joining St Brendan's Parish, Central Bankstown as Deacon. Next came several years at Sts John Vianney and Thomas More Parish at Greenacre before being appointed to his home parish of St Brendan's Parish of Central Bankstown before Our Lady of the Southern Cross Parish, Enmore-Tempe.
His most recent appointment in September 2011 was to Holy Family Parish at Menai.
"He loved all aspects of the ministry but especially loved presiding over baptisms and marriages," Deacon Naggar recalls.
During the last few years, Deacon Casalegno often said he enjoyed the opportunity his marriage ministry gave him "to bring, in a friendly way and non-threatening way, an understanding of what it is to be Christian and Catholic to couples who are almost always non-practicing and unchurched."
Like priests, the tradition of Deacons goes back to earliest Christian times. However, unlike priests deacons are allowed to marry and in most cases, those ordained into the Church have close-knit families and children of their own.
With a profound faith and a desire to serve the Lord, deacons undergo a four year period of formation, training, and studies, which for Deacon Casalegno included a Bachelor of Theology degree from the Catholic Institute of Sydney.
Although deacons are in no way considered "replacement priests," many of their duties are similar to that of a parish priest and once ordained, they become official ministers of the liturgy, entitled to carry out baptisms, marriages and to preside over funerals.
Deacons, however, are not permitted to celebrate Mass and the Holy Eucharist, nor are they permitted to hear Confessions.
Deacon Paul Naggar a close
friend in faith and friendship
As with many men who decide to serve Christ as members of Catholic diaconates, Deacon Casalegno had begun his retirement when started his studies and training for the Archdiocese's Permanent Diaconate. Prior to this, he had been a federal public servant, with the majority of his career spent as Manager for the Commonwealth Employment Service.
But with retirement and with time on his hands, he decided to devote several days each week to helping out at his home parish of St Felix de Valois in Bankstown. This quickly expanded to a virtually full-time ministry. Not only did he become Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council but he was also member of the Finance Committee, leader of the Liturgy Committee, participant in the Art & Environment group, chair of the church renovation committee and defacto project manager of the renovations during the time the parish priest at St Felix de Valois Parish was on long service leave.
In addition he was an active and enthusiastic member of the parish choir.
With his profound faith and his tireless work for his home parish, it came as no surprise when he was selected to begin faith formation and undergo training as a Deacon with the Permanent Diaconate of the Archdiocese of Sydney.
Three of the remaining four Deacons with the Archdiocese were ordained with Deacon Casalegno by Cardinal Clancy in 2000. They were Deacons Louis Azzopardi, Angel Portas and Frank Zacka.
"Although I undertook part of my training with Elliott and the others I was ordained in 1997, I was midway through when they began their formation and ordained ahead of them in 1997," Deacon Naggar explains.
The five men became good friends during this time and the four remaining permanent deacons will be part of the funeral Mass for Deacon Casalegno which will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church at Menai at 10.30 am on Friday, 24 February.
The Mass will be celebrated by Father Phillip Zadro, parish priest of the Holy Family parish.
Deacons from the Dioceses of Wollongong, Broken Bay and Parramatta are expected to attend as well as many priests and religious. Several hundred members of parishes from across Sydney at parishes where Deacon Casalegno served, as well as his home parish of St Felix de Valois, Bankstown, will also attend.
"He was much loved by many many people and will be remembered for his strength of faith, loving kindness, joy and enthusiasm," says Deacon Naggar.
