Local Resident Celebrates 50 Years as Franciscan Brother

A special mass was held Saturday to celebrate local resident, Brother Xavier Castaldo, who has been a Franciscan Brother for 50 years.

Smithtown Councilman, Bob Creighton, presented Brother Xavier with a proclamation from the town naming Aug 11 as Brother Xavier Day in Smithtown.

Castaldo, a native of Smithtown, took his final vows with the Franciscan Brothers upon graduating St. Anthony’s in Smithtown. He has lived at the Franciscan's Noviate House in San Remo since 1958.

Castaldo has been a moderator of St. Anthony's junior varsity football team for more than three decades, has coached and moderated the boys bowling team for nearly four decades and was named 2012 Coach of the Year for boys bowling.