Franciscan Father Thomas Bourque misses the multicultural community of St. Joseph Church in Herndon the most in retirement, which he started this month after serving as pastor for a decade.
“It just brings so much spirituality that’s different,” he told the Catholic Herald.
Filipino parishioners celebrate Simbang Gabi at Christmastime, and the Latino population does a powerful celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. There are also Korean, Indian and Vietnamese populations. A Marian procession from the town square to the church unites the parish in May, he said, and Holy Thursday is now bilingual.
Father Tom, as he’s known, grew up in Fitchburg, Mass., living with his two sisters in the same neighborhood as their 52 first cousins because their grandfather had given building lots to each of his 13 children. He graduated from the Toronto School of Theology and spent 30 years of his priesthood in higher education. He has three master’s degrees. His doctorate in higher education from the University of San Francisco is in Catholic leadership in higher education.
It’s only in the last 10 years that he’s been a parish pastor.
But his association with St. Joseph’s dates to 2000, when he was serving as Third Order Regular vicar provincial, living in Washington as director of formation, and helping celebrate weekend Masses in Herndon.
“Our young guys studying the priesthood, they went to Washington Theological Union and Catholic University, so I was the local minister to the men,” he said. “We had 18 my first year.”
That residence has since been sold, and formation moved to Steubenville, Ohio, where the order also operates Franciscan University of Steubenville.
Father Tom returned to the parish in 2013 as a parochial vicar and was named administrator in 2015 and pastor in 2016. He also served on the diocesan finance council, diocesan pastoral council and the diocesan strategic planning committee.
Father Tom said his health has made him decide to step aside “early” at age 72. “After much prayer and discernment, I have come to the decision to retire as Pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church due to health reasons,” he wrote in parish bulletin last month.
Father Tom moved to the Franciscan eldercare and retirement residence in Loretto, Pa., a building that was constructed as a summer residence by steel magnate Charles Schwab.
The facility, which includes extensive contemplative gardens, currently houses about 30 friars on the same grounds as the order’s novitiate. They are adjacent to St. Francis University and the provincial headquarters of the Franciscan Third Order Regular.
Retirement may afford Father Tom more time for his love of cooking, lately using an air fryer to make vegetables. Italian food is his favorite, especially carbonara.
The move was simple because all his earthly possessions fit inside one car.
In a recent interview, Father Tom pulled up the end of his Franciscan cord, also known as a cincture, as a visible reminder of his vow of poverty.
He recalled that during a previous relocation, he called his father to inform him that all his possessions fit in a Honda CRV. And the front seat was still empty.
“He goes, ‘Oh, aren’t I proud of my son? Then Jesus said, “Take nothing for the journey.” ’ He hung up on me,” Father Tom said.
His father, who has since died, was playfully joking with him and immediately called back.
Tumulty is a freelancer in Centreville.
