Tribute to Fr. Tom Lynch

In a day and age when many people are moving away from organized religion, especially Catholics, I am moving closer to it.  Having been born and raised a Catholic, it has always been my religion, not simply a religion that I belong to, but also one that I know the most about.  I feel that a big reason I still attend Church every week is in large part due to the community spirit cultivated in the Church that I go to.  I have been to many different Churches over the years and none have had the same type of open, welcoming community as the one I have been at since a child.  In large part, that sense of community is due to the pastor at my Church, Fr. Tom Lynch.  He is not one of those priests who holds himself above others as being "holier" than the rest of his congregation.  Rather, he is a priest who yearns to learn people's stories, their stories of struggle, of joy, and of life in general.  In large part, it is his personality, his down to earth demeanor, that keeps people coming back.  He awakens in people the realization that life is often times more than they can handle on their own and that they need God in their life to help them through it.  To him, it is not the priests that make the church what it is, it is the community of people who gather together, to support each other, to pray for each other, and to be an example to others of how God can work through their lives.  For most of my life, I didn't understand this concept either being too young or too apathetic.  Yet for all those years of not understanding, I still went to church (some years more than others), and I always went back to St. James in Stratford. 

With a priest such as Fr. Tom, whom I have never met anyone similar to yet, you have a confidant, someone who believes in you.  I have known him since I was probably 5 or 6 years old and can always remember him taking the time to listen or to stop on his way to a meeting to chat a little.  He has always been a priest for the people, blowing off important items on his agenda because someone was having a difficult day and needed advice or simply someone to talk to.  He always makes himself available to anyone who needs his help or advice and that's what draws people to him.  Yet while he offers advice and guides people on their spiritual journey, he does so with humility, being the first to admit that he struggles on his own spiritual journey as well.  He will be the first to admit that he is human and that life is not always easy for him either.  Coming from that standpoint, he wants only the best for his congregation.  What he wants is for people to go deeper in their spiritual life, to place more trust in God than they do in society.  I see the battle he is waging and it is not an easy one.  He is not one to mince words and often times grinds directly against convention because he sees it as a distraction.  There is a deep yearning within him to bring people together spiritually and to bring them closer to God.  What more could you ask for from a priest?  It is not an easy job these days to be a spiritual leader when society would have you believe that spirituality is to be found in sports, money, and work.  Yet he continues to push, both the rich and the poor, to move beyond themselves and see the bigger picture. 

Fr. Tom is one of the most down to earth priests that I know.  He is rooted in humanity and as such can relate to everyone.  He doesn't care who a person is, where they came from, or where they are going, he simply welcomes them with open arms.  Every weekend he makes an effort to meet and greet as many people as he can in Church.  Why?  Because he wants to get to know them and their story.  By getting people to open up in Church, he is providing an avenue for them to open up to others around them.  A spiritual journey is not one that is traveled alone according to him.  It is a journey that requires the support of others, their understanding, and their compassion.  For me, I think it is safe to say that I wouldn't be where I am today without his belief in me and what I am capable of.   A spiritual journey is one that is never completed as there are always areas to improve on.  I am glad that I have Fr. Tom in my life to offer assistance on my journey.  Yet it is not just me, but his community that he is there for.  He is a true example of what it means to be a priest.  For anyone who doesn't know him, I wish you did.  And for all those who do know him, take the time to thank him for all that he has done.  Here is to you Fr. Tom and your life long mission of giving, loving, and guiding people on their spiritual journey.