Rest in Peace, Bro. Richard Pasaik, SDB

By Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB

Bro. Richard Pasaik lived very quietly as a Salesian brother for almost 67 years, and he passed away very quietly on the morning of June 14, 2026, in his room at the Marian Shrine in Haverstraw, N.Y. He was 88 years old.

Bro. Rich had concluded his annual retreat just the day before, renewing his religious profession along with his confreres. At least one of the retreatants had noticed that he wasn’t looking well, though Brother said he was fine.

Richard Pasaik was born on February 12, 1938, in Oswego, N.Y., a small city on the shore of Lake Ontario founded as a British trading post in 1722. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Polish immigrants came to the city to work in its factories or its shipping businesses. Richard’s parents, Joseph and Mary Bogdziewicz Pasaik, worshiped at the city’s Polish parish, St. Stephen the King Church, and Richard was baptized there about two months after his birth. He was confirmed at another Oswego parish, St. John the Evangelist, in 1951.

Richard enrolled as a Son of Mary at Don Bosco Seminary in Newton, N.J., in September 1957. A year later he began his novitiate in Newton under the guidance of Fr. Aloysius Bianchi. When the elenco was published early in 1959, the class numbered 44, including the future Fr. Joseph Davie, Bro. Joseph Ferrari, Fr. Jack Gibson, Fr. Frank Kelly, Fr. Gerry Pellegrino, Fr. Dave Purdy, Fr. Jeremiah Reen, Fr. Floyd Rotunno, Fr. Frank Twardzik, and Bro. Gerald Warner. They made their first religious profession on September 8, 1959, at Newton.

Six years later, Bro. Richard made his perpetual profession, also at Newton. In the meantime, he continued his formation at Don Bosco Tech in Paterson, N.J., learning electromechanics for two years. In 1961 he was assigned to Don Bosco Technical Institute in Haverstraw, the aspirantate for boys aspiring to become coadjutor brothers. For the next 15 years, he undertook the general maintenance of the school building (which was eventually transformed into part of the Don Bosco Retreat House), the Marian Shrine, the residence, and the extensive property—at that time still over 200 acres. He did his work and participated in the community’s life with competence and unfailing good cheer, always present and punctual.

In 1976 Bro. Rich was assigned to Don Bosco College in Newton to take care of the extensive maintenance there—grounds, plumbing, electricity, machinery, etc. Fr. Richard Alejunas remembers Bro. Rich’s trying to teach some of the young brothers how to mow the lawns with the tractor, and being told he’d been selected because “I know you won’t run it into the lake,” as some other trainees had done. Bro. Rich carried on at the College for 15 years.

Then in 1991 he returned to the Marian Shrine, carrying on steadily but eventually slowing down with age. When his 60th anniversary rolled around in 2019, he still described his role as “maintenance team,” and stated that the most significant aspect of his Salesian vocation was “availability in serving the needs of my brothers in community.”

Bro. Bernie Dubé surely isn’t alone in remembering Bro. Rich “for his kindness and gentleness and [as a] hard-working Salesian brother.” Fr. John Nazzaro confirms that: “[He] was always a very kind gentleman who was a great example of service and commitment as a good Salesian.”

Fr. Ken Shaw, who lived with Bro. Rich at the Marian Shrine for many years, goes into more detail: “What comes to mind when thinking of Bro. Richard is his availability and willingness to help others confreres, doing whatever task that was asked of him.” For example, if you needed something, you did well to ask him first—“he was a renowned collector”—and often already had the item on hand or could offer a good substitute.

Fr. Ken also testifies that Bro. Richard showed concern regularly for confreres in a nursing home, visiting and bringing snacks. He was jovial and loved to repeat jokes as well as to visit the Dollar Store, Wendy’s, Carvel, and Shop Rite.

As a Salesian brother, his dress was simple and presentable, in keeping with Reg. 55 of our Rule. One of his favorite hymns was “Morning has broken,” and often someone in the community would quip, “Bro. Richard will fix it!”

Bro. Richard’s funeral arrangements are as follows:

Wednesday, June 17: Wake from 4:00 - 6:45 p.m., Funeral Mass at 7:00 p.m., at the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians' Shrine Church in Stony Point, NY

Thursday, June 18: Burial at 9:30 a.m., at the Salesian Cemetery in Goshen, NY