Msgr. Joseph G. Cassidy, vicar general, pastor, Sacred Heart Parish, Milledgeville and Catholic chaplain at Milledgeville State Hospital tells a story about a man who had reached middle age without anyone ever really caring anything about him.

“I have to drive a little ways each day to say Mass. One morning I noticed a man sitting on a stoop of one of the hospital buildings. I waved to him and he waved back.”

“Our waving to each other after that day became a regular routine. Each morning I’d see him on the stoop and wave to him. One day, I was a little early and had the time to stop. I got out, went over, and introduced myself to the man. We became friends and I made it a point to stop and pass the time of day with every day I passed his stoop.”

“It wasn’t long before this man told me, ‘You’re the only person in the world who ever took an interest in me. If you will, I’d like for you to baptize me into the Catholic faith.’”

Msgr. Cassidy will baptize that man this coming Thanksgiving Day.

The man is just one of thousands of “forgotten souls” as Msgr. Cassidy calls the men and women he cares for at Milledgeville State Hospital.

At 67 and a vicar general of the archdiocese, Msgr. Cassidy ministers to some 250 Catholics at the hospital where some 12,000 persons are suffering from mental illness.

He took the job at Milledgeville in October of 1964. It was not his first visit to the town or the hospital. From 1941 to 1945 he served as pastor to Sacred Heart Church in town.

This work now is one of his great loves. The other was a trailer, a rolling church which he wheeled over the state bringing the teachings of the Church and the sacraments.

The white haired slight built, blue eyed priest is the last of three priests who as young men came South to do mission work. The others now dead, were Fr. Tom Brennan, Fr. Joe Smith, and Msgr. James King.

It was this reporter’s assignment to cover Msgr. Cassidy’s sermon at Msgr. King’s funeral unknowing that the two had been colleagues for a lifetime.

Of that eulogy, Msgr. Cassidy said, “It was a tough job I don’t have to tell you. We had to come down here together and he was the last of them to go.”

Msgr. Cassidy says three Masses on Sunday at the hospital, at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 2 p.m. On weekdays he says Mass on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and on other days at 6:45 p.m. He also conducts an instruction class and has other services throughout the week. The Masses are said at three different chapels located on the huge hospital grounds.

Bringing the sacraments to his “forgotten souls” is just part of his work. One of the other big chores is that of writing letters to the families of those in his care.

“We have so many forgotten souls here,” he said, “That’s the sad part of it. They (the inmates) write letters home and nobody ever writes back.”

He said, “I spend a good deal of my time just writing letters to the families of these people trying in some way to encourage them to just drop them a line to show them they do care something about them.”

The vicar general admitted that to most of his efforts he receives no reply.

“No one can realize just how much a small kindness, that of a smile, a handshake, a happy hello or a note in the mail can mean to a person in this hospital,” he said.

Msgr. Cassidy said that if the public knew how much these “forgotten souls” need care they would visit the hospital.

He said, “If they’d just come down here from time to time as individuals or in a group and see these people and what we are trying to do, it would help them and help our people just as well.”

The priest acknowledged gratefully visits by members of the Garden Clubs of Georgia.

He said, “These clubs are doing a wonderful work in teaching our people garden therapeutics. It is a fine outlet and very constructive and we are grateful for their efforts.”

Msgr. Cassidy pointed out that there is a strong ecumenical spirit at the state hospital. He said that all the ministers there representing many of the major faiths work together toward a common goal.

“Why just the other day,” he said, “one of the protestant ministers, a very fine man, called me and told me that there was a new patient being admitted and that the person was Catholic. It’s this kind of working together that makes us really feel our ecumenism.” There are seven permanent chaplains at the hospital and six intern chaplains.

One great aid to the work at the hospital, Msgr. Cassidy said, is music therapy. Inmates are taught not only to sing, but to play instruments also.

In addition to this, there is a rehabilitation building where patients are taught to work as barbers, beauticians, secretaries and many other jobs.

Msgr. Cassidy said he was thankful for the work of a group of Cuban doctors at the hospital. He called them “outstanding Catholics.” He said, “Since their arrival the population of town has been steadily increasing. The priest said that what is badly needed at the hospital is more ministers trained in working with the mentally ill.

He said, “The ordinary person in Atlanta doesn’t realize what is being done here. We have men trained for this work. We need trained persons.” He pointed out that there are courses available for any clergyman who is willing to do the work.

Of his work he said, “Of all the other assignments, personally I’d rather do this. The two big loves of my life were the trailer and the other is this.” “I don’t think a man should spend his life in it but the work is full of consolations. These people are so grateful to you.”

“Oh you’re not engaged in building programs and things like that; it’s a tangible thing. These souls are thankful for even a handshake.”

The priest said that any group or individual interested in visiting the hospital should contact him and he would be happy to arrange the visit.

He said he was thankful too for the help given him by the nuns of Atlanta. He said, “They are very good about sending us rosaries and other religious goods and magazines for our people here.”

The monsignor said he has about a dozen priests under instruction at the hospital and added that the number would be greater had he more priests to assign the work.