"Bob married media professionalism to a passion for the Church in Asia to develop an outstanding news media channel", said Michael Kelly SJ, who succeeded Astorino.

Astorino established 14 news bureaus to cover 22 countries throughout Asia, and in the course of his ministry, he developed the professionalism of Catholic journalists in Asia, many of whom also went on to develop careers in the secular press.

Astorino was a member of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Social Communications and in 1998, the Catholic Press Association in the United States recognized him with the Bishop John England Award.

A Maryknoll priest, Robert Astorino was born in New York City on May 27, 1943. He died in a hospital near the mission society's headquarters in New York State. He was 77 years old. Read more