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Year for Priests: Reflecting on vocation, ministry

Name: Father Thomas J. Hart

Birth date: Nov. 10, 1947

Hometown: Gilmore City, IA

Education: Grade school – St. John’s, Gilmore City; High school – Pocahontas Catholic, Pocahontas; College – Loras College, Dubuque (B.A. History); Seminary – St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Baltimore, Md. (Master of Divinity); Post-Grad – Creighton University, Omaha, Neb. (Master’s in Guidance and Counseling, as well as Secondary Administration)

Ordination date: May 11, 1974

Current assignment: Sts. Peter and Paul Church, West Bend

Hobbies/interests: I enjoy helping farmers in the spring and fall, and I also enjoy reading.

Describe your call to priesthood: I always had an interest in church, serving and helping around the church, such as mowing lawn. I got to know and see several priests and the workings of a priest. Also, I enjoyed working with people. The two really tie together.

Did anyone or anything provide you with inspiration to follow the call to priesthood? The one who most influenced me was Father Eddie Adams who was my pastor at St. John’s in Gilmore City at the time I was in grade school.

Was it a difficult decision to make? There always was some doubt, but as I kept going in studies for priesthood, the interest always remained there, and even got stronger in the seminary years. Then I also helped out at a parish in Baltimore as I was going through seminary and this helped to confirm my decision for priesthood as well.

What do you enjoy most about being a priest? I enjoy preaching, celebrating Mass, hearing Confessions and teaching in our religious education program.

Are there any particular devotions or prayers that are dear to your heart? The Liturgy of the Hours prayed before the Blessed Sacrament.

Why do you find priesthood to be a worthy vocation? Because you can really help people who need spiritual help, who need God’s forgiveness, who need guidance and answers to life’s questions. You can help to draw people closer to Christ and the church. You see and realize that you can make a difference in people’s lives.

What would you say to a young man considering a vocation to the priesthood? It is a really interesting life’s work. There seems to be hardly any dull moments. It keeps one really busy, and there is such a variety of word one does. A person never knows what will happen each day they get out of bed; a priest may be called upon to minister in some difficult situations, to bring Christ to a crisis situation.