John Joseph Cassata (November 8, 1908 – September 8, 1989) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth in Texas from 1969 to 1980. He previously served as an

auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...

of the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth from 1968 to 1969.

Biography

Early life

Cassata was born in

Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

, on November 8, 1908. He attended St. Mary’s Cathedral School in Galveston and then St. Mary’s Boarding School in La Porte, Texas. While in high school, Cassata worked as a life guard,

soda jerk Soda jerk (or soda jerker) is an American term used to refer to a person—typically a young man—who would operate the soda fountain in a restaurant, preparing and serving carbonated drink, soda drinks and ice cream sodas. The drinks were made ...

and vendor at an amusement park. Cassata then travelled to Rome to reside at the

Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Prie ...

. He received a

Licentiate in Theology Licentiate may refer to: * Licentiate (degree), a degree below a PhD granted by universities in some countries; may indicate a medical doctor qualification in the UK and other countries. * Licentiate (Pontifical Degree), second cycle of ecclesiast ...

at the Pontifical Urbana University and also studied at

Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...

Priesthood

Cassata was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston by Cardinal

Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani (1 October 1871 – 13 January 1951) was an Italian Catholic prelate who served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Vicar General of His Holiness, Secretary of the Holy Office, ...

on December 8, 1932. After his ordination, Cassata was assigned in 1934 as assistant pastor to Holy Name Parish in Houston. He was named pastor there in 1945. In 1956, the Vatican honored Cassata with the title of

domestic prelate Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...

Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas-Fort Worth

On March 12, 1968, Pope Paul VI named Cassata as titular bishop of Bida and auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth. He was consecrated bishop by Bishop

Thomas Kiely Gorman Thomas Kiely Gorman (August 30, 1892 – August 16, 1980) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Reno in Nevada from 1931 to 1952 and as the fourth bishop of the Latin Catholic Di ...

on June 5, 1968.

Bishop of Fort Worth

On August 22, 1969, Cassata was appointed by Paul VI as the first bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth. On September 16, 1980, Pope John Paul II accepted Cassata's resignation as bishop of Fort Worth. John Cassata died in Houston of complications from cardiac surgery on September 8, 1989, at age 80.

References

1908 births 1989 deaths People from Galveston, Texas 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Catholics from Texas {{US-RC-bishop-stub