Obituary of Fr. Roy M Gasnick, OFM

Fr. Roy M. Gasnick, OFM, a native of Garfield, NJ, came into this world in 1933, entered the Franciscan Order in 1953 and was ordained a priest in 1960. After teaching English literature at St. Bonaventure University for six years as well as being Director of Student Activities for two years, he spent the next 18 years as the founding Director of Communications for the Franciscan Province of the east coast Holy Name Province (headquartered in New york City) during the turbulent years following the Second Vatican Council. His ministry drew him to collaboration with all sorts of media: the Catholic Press, major New York City newspapers, national TV networks, local NY TV stations, and even Paramount Pictures and Off-Broadway productions-all relating to Franciscan and Catholic projects. In 1985, he was named Vice President for Development and Public Relations at Franciscan Communications, a film and audio/visual production center in Los Angeles. Two years later, he became the Spiritual Assistant for the Secular Franciscans in the mid-south area of the Province for six years, residing in Silver Springs, MD, just outside Washington, D.C. Beginning in 1993, he served 12 years as Vicar at the Friary in St. Petersburg. He was an early activist in the civil rights movement in the 1950's founded "Action for Interracial Understanding" within the Secular Franciscan Order in 1961, marched in Washington with Martin Luther King, Jr. ("I have a dream") in 1963. He led the successful drive together with Congressman Peter Rodino (D. NJ) to have the U.S. Postal Service issue a St. Francis of Assisi Commemorative stamp in 1982, a groundbreaking achievement in that a Catholic saint was honored by the Postal Service despite opposition and protest. At the same time, he headed the national coordinating committee uniting for the first time all the various U.S. Franciscan entities for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the birth of St. Francis in 1982. A popular lecturer, preacher and retreat master, Fr. Roy's published works include: The bestselling, The Francis Book, published by Macmillan; Francis, Brother of the Universe and Mother Theresa of Calcutta, bestselling comic books published by Marvel Comics. Another comic book,Serra, Founding Father, and the booklet, Francis of Assisi: The Song Goes On, were published by Franciscan Communications. In 1984 he won the Catholic Press Association's award for best book of the year (youth category) for his comic book on Mother Theresa. His St. Francis comic book is Marvel Comic's all-time bestseller, with more than one million copies in print. In 1988, he received The Catholic Library Association's John Brubaker Memorial Award "In recognition for his outstanding contribution to library literature." He is survived by several nieces and nephews, 6 great nieces and 6 great nephews. Visitation will be held on Wednesday at 9:00am at St. Bonaventure Church, 174 Ramsey St., Paterson, NJ. A funeral Mass will follow visitation at 10:15am. Burial at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.