OBITUARY | Brother Castenzio Angelo (Casey) Ferlita, SJ
Brother Castenzio Angelo (Casey) Ferlita, SJ, died Dec. 21 in St. Louis. He was 83 years old and a Jesuit for 61 years.
A visitation took place Jan. 7 in the Loyola Room of Jesuit Hall in St. Louis, followed by a Mass of Resurrection at the same location.
Brother Ferlita was born Oct. 15, 1938, in Tampa, Florida. He was the only son of Angelo Ferlita and Rose Therese Noto Ferlita.
He entered the Jesuit novitiate at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, on Aug. 15, 1960, and pronounced his first vows in the Society of Jesus on Aug. 15, 1962. He stayed in Grand Coteau in the Junior Brothers’ Program and then was assistant infirmarian at St. Charles College, 1964-65. This was the beginning of his lifelong interest in health and wellness.
Brother Ferlita earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Loyola University New Orleans.
In 1965, Brother Ferlita was missioned to Jesuit High School in New Orleans as assistant athletic director and assistant prefect of discipline. This was the beginning of a long career in secondary education. In 1967, he was named coordinator of the athletic department as well as school infirmarian.
He left Jesuit High School in 1971 to return to Grand Coteau as infirmarian.
In 1973, he was missioned to Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School in Houston. He was assigned to be the prefect of discipline and an athletic trainer. He remained at Strake Jesuit until 2016.
Brother Ferlita had an immense influence on generations of young men at Strake Jesuit. Most alumni had a “Brother Casey” story to tell.
He was relieved of his disciplinary duties and named an assistant to the alumni director in 2010, but he continued to counsel students.
Dementia eventually required Brother Ferlita to leave Houston in 2016, first for the Jesuit infirmary in Grand Coteau, where he had served early in his Jesuit ministry, then to a specialized dementia facility in St. Louis.
Burial was in the St. Charles College cemetery in Grand Coteau.