Fr Thomas Vincent Normanly RIP

1928 - 2007

Tom was born in Buffalo on May 5th 1928 and attended Silver Creek, Bristol and St. Columbans, Nebraska. He was ordained in St. Cecelia's Cathedral, Omaha, on December 20th 1952 by Archbishop Bergan.

He did a post-graduate course at Georgetown University in French and Spanish and received his masters degree in 1956. He was then appointed to the staff of Silver Creek until his transfer as dean of the Milton College in July 1962. In April of 1963 he was appointed spiritual director at Oconomowoc and was also in charge of the language laboratory founded by a grant from the Rascob Foundation. In June of 1969 he was assigned with George Nolan to the Virgin Islands to take care of the eastern end of St. Thomas Island and all of St. John=s Island. Temporarily resident with the Redemptorists he moved into a rented house in the Tutu Estate area and founded Holy Family parish which he found Aan interesting and sometimes frustrating change from the routine of seminary life.

He was also an unofficial port chaplain to some of the tour ships (often 7 or 8 daily) calling at the port of Charlotte Amalie, with the resulting collections helping to run his mission parish.

In December 1975 he was assigned to Lima, Peru, where he served first in Santa Cruz parish and then as chaplain to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters. He also spent a year and a half in St Martin de Porres church in Lima.In October of 1979 Tom was assigned to the General Mission Office in Omaha until June of 1989 when he went to reside in Buffalo to do Pastoral ministry. In January, 2004, Tom retired to St. Columban’s Retirement Home in Silver Creek, NY.

On October 10, 2004 Tom represented the Columbans when Holy Family parish in the U.S.Virgin Islands dedicated a new parish center called "Columban Hall".

Tom passed away peacefully on 22nd May 2007.