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| Fr. Occhio at province jubilees celebration 2010--his 70th of profession, 60th of ordination |
Fr. Joseph Occhio made his way to
the Father on the evening of Dec. 13. Announcing
his passing to the Salesians of the New Rochelle Province, provincial Fr. Tom Dunne
noted that the Church had just begun to celebrate Gaudete Sunday, and “the Lord was calling out for Fr. Joseph to come to him in the joy of heaven.”
Fr. Occhio was 91 years old and was
a member of the Salesian community at St. Benedict’s Parish, Etobicoke, Ont.
Fr. Occhio had suffered both a stroke
and a heart attack in his room in the rectory two days earlier, at an unknown time
during the afternoon, and was taken to Etobicoke General Hospital, where he was
given emergency care for almost a full day, refused any extraordinary treatment,
and was moved to the floor where palliative care is provided. He was accompanied throughout by members of the
Salesian community.
Fr. Joseph Occhio was the son of
Giuseppe and Giovannina Spizzi Occhio. He
was born on Nov. 17, 1923, at Gallignano (Cremona), Italy, and was baptized the
next day in the parish church.
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| With his father just before he sailed for the U.S. |
In 1938 Joseph entered the Salesian
St. Pius V School at Penango (Asti). Although
the records of Don Bosco College in Newton, N.J., indicate his enrollment there
on Aug. 15, 1939, it appears that he actually began his novitiate around that time
at Castelnuovo Don Bosco. A postcard to his
parents dated Aug. 18 informs them of his plans to stop a few days in Turin, then
go to Naples to sail to America. In fact,
he sailed from Genoa aboard the Rex. It appears that he reached Newton and entered
St. Joseph’s Novitiate around Sept. 14, 1939, because he made his first religious
profession on Sept. 14, 1940.
Bro. Occhio graduated from Don Bosco
College in Newton, magna cum laude, in 1943 and did his first year of practical
training there as Latin and Greek teacher of the aspirants. In 1944 he moved to Salesian High School in New
Rochelle, where he taught general science and French.
He professed perpetual vows in Newton
on September 8, 1946.
Bro. Occhio studied theology at the
Ateneo Pontificio Salesiano in Turin (Crocetta) from 1946 to 1950.
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| In "civies" for going out to campaign for the Christian Democrats in 1948. |
Those years in Turin were challenging socially and politically. Italy discarded the monarchy in favor of a republic,
and the 1948 elections threatened to empower the Communists, as had already happened
in much of central Europe, right up to Italy’s northeastern border (Yugoslavia). During the election campaign the theology students,
with their cassocks set aside, were sent out into the streets and the countryside
to lobby in favor of the Christian Democrats, who managed a victory.
Having earned a licentiate in theology
(STL), Fr. Occhio was ordained in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians on July
2, 1950. His was a renowned class that included
Frs. Paul Avallone, Edward Cappelletti, Arthur
Lenti, John Malloy, Armand Oliveri, Gennaro Sesto, Chester Szemborski, Louis Vyoral,
and Leo Winterscheidt.
After ordination he continued studies
in philosophy in Turin at the Istituto Rebaudengo and came away with a doctorate
in 1953. His dissertation was on Irving Babbitt.
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| At Don Bosco College, Newton |
Fr. Occhio then spent 27 years (1953-1980)
back at Don Bosco College Seminary teaching philosophy and at times also serving
as dean of students, registrar, director of religious activities, socius of the
novices, or dean of the Sons of Mary (older candidates for Salesian life). He was also an occasional teacher of economics,
Greek, and Latin. He was an effective professor
and a popular, approachable one, and his religious life was exemplary for aspirants,
novices, and young Salesians alike.
He did post-doctoral studies at St.
John’s University (Jamaica, N.Y.), Seton Hall University (South Orange, N.J.), and
the Catholic University of America (Washington) and was a visiting professor at
Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in New York.
Fr. Occhio published articles in
various learned and popular journals, including the Bulletin of the Albertus Magnus Guild, Catholic Educational Review, Salesianum,
Spiritual Life, Our Sunday Visitor, and L’Osservatore
Romano. It seems that his only published
books were Perspectives in Christian Humanism
(1966) and some autobiographical reflections, Magnificat 2000, described by a friend as “a collection of personal
stories that give testimony to the greatness of God in his life.” Some of his work can now be found in blog form,
e.g., “Light from Aquinas” at http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=6129
For many summers he was the campus
minister of Camp Don Bosco on the grounds of Don Bosco College, and many more summers
the director of the Sons of Mary summer program in Ellenville, N.Y. He also preached retreats, guided prayer groups,
and carried out weekend parish ministry in the Paterson, N.J., Diocese.
In 1980 Fr. Occhio was assigned to
be director of the Salesian Center in Columbus, Ohio, to guide the Salesian students
of theology as well as to watch over the Boys Club based there.
In 1985 he was recalled to Newton
for two more years teaching philosophy and one year (1986-1987) as acting president
of the College.
At that time Fr. Anthony Mastroeni
of the Paterson Diocese was a candidate with the Salesians. He writes that Fr. Occhio “was among the most solid
Thomists I have known. He was a scholar,
gentleman and the quintessential Salesian.
I admired him and respected him dearly.”
With a younger generation of Salesians
taking up responsibility for seminary formation in Newton, Fr. Occhio took up a
new form of ministry in a new country. He
went to Montreal as a parish priest, first as pastor of Mission St. Dominic Savio
(1987-1993) and then as assistant pastor at Maria Ausiliatrice Parish and director
of the Montreal Salesian community (1993-1996).
In Montreal he still made the occasional
foray into academia. For example, in 1988
he guest lectured at McGill University in a course called Philosophy of Catholic
Education taught by former Salesian Spencer Boudreau. Mr. Boudreau reported that Fr. Occhio’s presentation of Don Bosco’s method of education
deeply impressed his students of “various religious or non-religious backgrounds.”
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| Helping with orientation for elementary school teachers in New Brunswick, Canada |
Three years as assistant pastor at
St. Emeric’s Hungarian Parish in Edmonton, Alta., followed (1996-1999) before
Fr. Occhio arrived in Etobicoke as director of the community for one term (1999-2002),
and as priestly assistant at St. Benedict’s Parish until his last days in many ways,
including spiritual direction of the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA)
and of the Don Bosco Volunteers, tireless ministry in the sacrament of Reconciliation,
the example of his Eucharistic and Marian devotion, and his grandfatherly presence
to young and old.
Two of the Don Bosco Volunteers paid
this tribute to their beloved mentor: “Fr.
Occhio not only preached Don Bosco’s refrain to live in joy and optimism, he embodied
joy and optimism in the everyday events of life. There’s no doubt he carried great burdens and
suffered greatly in body and spirit: he did
all this, though, with a palpable joy in Jesus and an optimism that permeated all
his words and actions. It’s no wonder that
the Lord called him to his eternal rest on the 3rd Sunday
of Advent, the week of JOY. Fr. Occhio’s
passing occurs on the sixth anniversary of our profession of final vows. We are forever grateful to Fr. Occhio for his
love of our vocation and our Institute and for nurturing our vocations from the
earliest stages.”
When Fr. Occhio turned 90 last
year, Fr. Pascual Chavez, at the time Rector Major of the Salesians, wrote him
a congratulatory and laudatory letter.
Among other things, he said to Fr. Occhio:
A witness that is deeply
rooted in prayer and constantly nurtured by your friendship with God. Like the
true mystic, Fr. Joseph, your life is
a pointer to God’s loving-kindness.
Your life has been and remains one of service, making yourself
available to be a channel of God’s grace through the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, your readiness to be of service to the Italian community and
ready to be a servant to all.
Prophetic continues to be your ministry whether
through writing or radio programs. Above all, prophetic remains your daily life
within the religious community, giving the witness of one who “stresses
what unites rather than what divides” (Pope John XXIII) and through the gentle
spirit of St. Francis de Sales in the way you ask for nothing and refuse nothing.
Bro. Bernie Dubé lived with Fr.
Occhio in the Etobicoke community for 14 years.
He described Fr. Occhio as “always positive, cheerful, man of prayer.”
One of St. Benedict’s youths, 18-year-old
Joshua Pace, noted Fr. Occhio’s devotion to the Virgin Mary, which “will live on through everyone
that he inspired, from the youngsters to the elders.”
Isabel Correa from Montreal addressed Fr. Occhio thus: “Dear Fr. Occhio friend of the young!!!! Thank you for your constant witness of joy! Thank you for all your personal messages of support!
I was always moved and warmly surprised each
time I received a note from you. It meant
sooo much to me to know you were praying for me.”
Fr. Mario Cimosa, a professor at the Salesian Pontifical University
in Rome, paid this tribute to Fr. Occhio: “He was a great Salesian, and he certainly left his mark on the Salesians
of America. He will be praying for us. I don’t want to exaggerate, but he ranks among
the Salesian saints.”
Fr. Dunne wrote: “Fr. Occhio was a much loved member of [the Salesian]
community [of Etobicoke] and the people of St. Benedict Parish. Undoubtedly, he will be missed by all Salesians
in Canada and by all who have come to know Fr. Occhio from his many years of faithful
service to the St. Philip Province.”
Fr. Occhio is survived by his brothers
Franco, Fede, Tarcisio and Fr. Leone. He
was predeceased by his sisters Angela, Maria, Sr. Celeste, and Natalina and brothers Francesco and
Luigi.
Funeral
Arrangements
Monday,
December 15, wake at St. Benedict’s Church
1:00 –
4:00 p.m. and 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday,
December 16, wake continues, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
Vigil Service (after 7:30 p.m. parish Mass)
Wednesday,
December 17, Mass of Christian Burial
11:00 a.m.,
followed by reception in the church hall
Thursday,
December 18, transfer of body to Montreal for burial
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