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- [S5] Obituary.
Thomas James Vos, known simply as ?Fr. Tom? for most of his life, was born to Leonard Vos and Anne Roufs on September 6, 1934 in St. Paul MN. He grew up in nearby Cologne MN. After elementary school, he entered the Franciscan Seminary in Westmont IL in 1948, and was received into the Franciscan Order in 1954, continuing his Franciscan formation and his theological studies until he completed a Master?s Degree in Divinity and was ordained as a Catholic priest on June 13, 1961.
His ministry as a Catholic priest began in Chicago IL as a Teacher and Principal at Hales Franciscan High School from 1963-1971, followed by a year as Associate Pastor at St. Francis Borgia Parish in Washington MO. From there he moved to Quincy IL in 1972 where he was Academic Dean at Our Lady of Angels Seminary and Associate Pastor at St. Francis Solano Parish. His next assignment took him to Indianapolis as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish from 1977-1979, then to Dubuque IA as Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish from 1979-1985. From 1985-1988 he held an administrative position as Provincial Promoter of Missions, then from 1988-1990 he pastored St. Francis Parish in Teutopolis IL.
From 1990-2006 he ministered at numerous locations in the Diocese of Knoxville, TN, in his beloved ?Mountain Ministry.? In January 1991, Fr. Tom began an outreach program in Johnson County, establishing a ?branch office? of Catholic Social Services out of Jonesborough called Franciscan Mountain Ministries. When asked to serve as Administrator of Catholic Charities - Five Rivers Deanery and Pastor of St. Henry Church in Rogersville, Fr. Tom had to discontinue his regular ministry in Mountain City - although he continued to drop by about once a month to visit. Then on August 1, 1995, the Diocese of Knoxville officially established St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Mountain City and asked Fr. Tom to serve as its founding pastor (in addition to his pastorate at St. Henry in Rogersville). He also served at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, St. Jude Parish in Helenwood, St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville, and St. Mary's Parish in Oak Ridge, TN.
For the final eleven years of his life, he served as Senior Associate at the National Shrine of Cross in the Woods in Indian River MI, where he died on August 16, 2017.
Funeral Services for Fr. Thomas Vos, OFM will be at the National Shrine of Cross in the Woods, beginning with visitation in the church?s Gathering Space on Monday, August 21 from 3:00 until 7:00 PM, including a 7:00 PM Vigil Service. The Funeral Mass is Tuesday, August 22 at 11:00 AM, preceded by two hours of open visitation. Cremation and entombment will occur at a future date.
Fr. Tom is survived by his sister, Rosie Peitz and his brother, Nicholas Anthony Vos. He is also survived by the 175 friars of the Franciscan Province of the Sacred Heart, among whom he has been an inspiring and dedicated confrere for 63 years, and by the beloved People of God whom he has served so selflessly in cities and ministries across the country.
In lieu of flowers, condolences are encouraged in the form of memorials to the Cross in the Woods Endowment Fund, or to the Franciscan Missions at 3140 Meramec Street; St. Louis, MO 63118-4399.
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1934 - 2017 (82 years)
