About Father Tom
I was born in Streator, Illinois in 1973. My parents moved my older brother and sister and I to Springdale, Arkansas in 1977. By the time I graduated from Springdale High School in 1991, I had narrowed my vocational choices down to- 1) Priest, 2) Psychologist, and 3) Rock Star (not necessarily in that order). Thankfully, I entered seminary to discern God's call rather than discerning it as a roadie for a rock band.
Saint Meinrad College Seminary offered me four of the best years of my life as I pursued a Bachelor's in Psychology and began writing Christian music. After graduation, I entered Notre Dame Seminary and completed my Masters of Divinity. Music stayed at the forefront of my hobbies and interests throughout school and, thanks to the study and prayer offered by seminary life, its lyrics became more meaningful to me.
In June of 1999, I was ordained a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas (www.dolr.org). My first two years of priesthood were spent at two churches in North Little Rock, Arkansas-Immaculate Conception and Saint Anne. In June of 2001, I was transferred to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Fort Smith and served as the assistant pastor for one year. Saint Michael Catholic Church welcomed me as their pastor in June of 2002, and I served there for two years. I am currently the pastor of Christ the King Catholic Church in Fort Smith (www.christ-king.org).
Shortly after I was ordained, I released my first CD, From Sunrise to Sunset. This Christian Contemporary Pop CD provided a great platform for learning more about songwriting, performing, and recording. Following a concert tour around the State of Arkansas, I began working on Hope Beyond All Hope. This Christian Pop/Rock CD was released in 2004 and was accompanied by a book that explained the meaning behind the lyrics. Because of the popularity of the book, I decided to add to the website a place where people could hear the stories behind the new songs-what inspired me to write them and how I wrote them. Instead of doing this in writing, we videotaped me telling the stories.
After the release of Hope Beyond All Hope, I began working on two new CDs that I originally planned on producing as a two-CD set. The project was taking way too long, however, so I made the decision to release the first CD by itself. This CD, Rock of Souls, is musically and lyrically geared toward youth. In fact, many young people, from grade-schoolers through college students, helped create the CD by offering their vocal and instrumental talent. I am continuing my work on another CD which will musically and lyrically be focused more on the spirituality of adults.
The gifts of priesthood and music fill my life with joy, excitement, and meaning, but they only make sense through prayer. Prayer reminds me of my complete and utter dependence on God's grace through Jesus Christ. As one of the few members of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (www.ascap.com) with a severe hearing disability, I know that it is by the grace of God that I am able to share my priesthood and music with other people. I consider my disability yet another opportunity to give God all the glory for the "wonders He has done" (Acts 15:12).
In addition to writing and performing music, I am an avid motorcyclist. I currently ride a Honda VTX1800C and enjoy taking long trips across the U.S. I love the feeling of simplicity and freedom that comes with motorcycling, but I realize that it can be a very dangerous sport. I always recommend that bikers take motorcycle safety courses (www.msf-usa.org) and I caution parents not to let their children have motorcycles until they are responsible enough to ride one safely (which is usually around the age of 30)!
