I know that I don’t visit my site often, but today I like to write something about an amazing human being who was my boss for 11 years, the Reverend Monsignor Thomas P. McGettrick who recently went home to be with the Lord.
I worked for the Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi in the department that oversaw everything to do with clergy, that is: priests and deacons (Transitional and Permanent– Transitional are deacons who will be ordained priests and Permanent are men who will only be deacons for life and could be married at the time they become deacons but can’t get married after they are ordained as Permanent Deacons). The title of my boss was Vicar for Clergy. My boss was a monsignor who also happened to be a captain in the Air Force reserve. My first day in the office my boss happened to have been serving his required two weeks in the reserves and when I got to my office, there was no one to tell me what my duties were. Sometime at mid morning, a beautiful floral arrangement was delivered to my desk, it was a “welcome” bouquet from my new boss. I thought to myself: what a nice, thoughtful and kind gesture. All the other ladies working on the 4th floor of the Chancery kept coming by to see and smell my bouquet, needless to say: I felt special! Among my duties I had to deal with everything to do with priests and deacons; however, a couple years later, the title of the Vicar for Clergy was changed to Vicar for Priests only. A deacon was named to oversee everything to do with deacons. Then one fine morning my boss shared with me the news that he was being sent to another location of the diocese to serve as the Vicar of the newly created Vicariate of Laredo, which I didn’t know at the time, was going to become a brand new Diocese. I felt very sad at the prospect of losing such a great boss and having another new boss in such a short period of time.
The day arrived when my new boss came to the office to start his duties as the new Vicar for Priests; he turned out to be the most kind, generous, always smiling and gentle soul, his name: Father Thomas P. McGettrick who after being in the diocese since the late 50s, when he spoke one immediately knew that he was Irish. I loved working for and with Father Tom, as he liked to be called. We had such an excellent working relationship. As a lay person working with clergy, I felt very comfortable sharing my dilemmas with Father Tom who always gave me good advice and helped me through some very difficult moments in my life. Father Tom had been holding the office of Vicar for about two years (I’m estimating) when he was notified that he was being elevated to become the Reverend Monsignor Thomas P. McGettrick. There was a beautiful Mass and Fr. Tom became Monsignor McGettrick. The next time Msgr. McGettrick came into the office, I greeted him on the usual way but only this time instead of Father Tom I say: Good morning Monsignor; he stopped in front of my desk and told me: “Alba, I’m not old and pouchy to be called Monsignor, call me Fr. Tom”. Fr. Tom was a most caring, thoughtful and humble priest; not many like him.
As the years passed, I got to meet and know some of Fr. Tom’s family, he really looked forward to spending time with them, especially his two nieces whom he truely loved and enjoyed the time he spent with them, taking them to the mall on his day off or weekends, or doing anything the girls wanted to do. Fr. Tom will come to the office and would relate to me some funny anecdotes about the time he spent with the girls; he treasured the moments he spent with his family, so many times he related to me of his growing up in Ireland playing with his siblings, at times he would say that he and his siblings could field the side for a soccer game!!
I could share so much more about Fr. Tom, but I will keep most of it close to my heart for he was the epitome of what a priest should be: kind, considerate, faithful to his faith, a loving brother, uncle, friend but above all, a true priest.
Father Tom went home to heaven and I know the angels rejoiced when he passed through the heavenly gates. Rest in peace Father Tom and may eternal light shine upon you!!