When Father Tom Millane retired from the pastorate at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish on Tucson’s northwest side in August 2006, it would be no exaggeration to state that he did so universally loved and admired by lay and clergy alike. He had founded the parish in 1980, and saw it grow to a population of 5,000 families, with a beautiful church building holding approximately 2,000 persons, and the first diocesan school to be organized in over 40 years. Not bad for a lad whose mother was asked to remove him from parochial school after the first grade, and whose pastor had ordered him out when young Tom asked about becoming a priest.
Along the way, Fr. Tom served as our fifth pastor at St. Andrew the Apostle for 6 years in the 1970s, prior to receiving the opportunity to start St. Elizabeth’s.
Tom Millane was born in April, 1936 at Clarks Summit, near Scranton, PA. His father Miles, a quiet man, was of Irish descent; his mother, Marjorie, was German-Welsh. Tom was the oldest of four children, only one other of whom, James, is still living. In 1941 the family moved to Johnson City, NY, near Binghamton.
The first grade incident Fr. Tom attributes to probable attention deficit disorder or dyslexia, a condition that bothers him some still today. In that day, of course, a child was just considered hyperactive and troublesome. Tom finished out his grade and high schooling in public school, but admittedly was not the greatest student. Graduating in 1954, Tom worked in a factory for a year, then at 19 spent a while in Arizona and Mexico. He returned to New York when a younger brother died tragically.
Two years later, now 21, Tom realized his life was going nowhere. He went to see his pastor, who hardly knew Tom. First, his pastor assumed Tom wanted to get married. Next, he figured Tom must be in trouble with the law. When Tom said he was thinking about the priesthood, his pastor answered, Fine! We don’t want you. As Tom was leaving, the old man offhandedly suggested Tom go to a monastery. Since Tom was serious about a vocation, he did just that, going to Glastonbury, a Benedictine monastery outside Boston.
At Glastonbury, Tom lived like a monk, doing menial work and studying Latin. By chance, or perhaps by God’s grace, a monsignor, John Oliver, visited one day from Tucson. Tom, who did not want to be a monk, asked Oliver about the possibility of being allowed to study for the priesthood in Tucson. The monsignor replied that Bishop Daniel Gercke would be coming the following week, and Tom could ask for himself.
After checking Tom’s records and talking to the monastery authorities, Bishop Gercke told Tom that if he could complete two years of intensive seminary study at St. Mary’s College in Kentucky, he would send Tom for theological studies at any school of his choice. Tom chose St. Bonaventure University, near his home. Tom picked up his bachelor’s degree and then his master’s degree there. He was then ordained by Walter Forrey, Bishop of Syracuse, in May 1963.
Francis Green was Tucson’s bishop by then, and assigned the new Fr. Tom to St. Thomas the Apostle parish inPhoenix. Admittedly a hothead when he was younger, Millane got crosswise with the bishop over an incident, and soon found himself reassigned to Morenci. Holy Cross parish at that time was located next to an open pit copper mine, and was pretty rugged living. After a year there, Fr. Millane was assigned to Msgr. Bernard Healy at St. Joseph’s parish in Tucson. Fr. Tom describes Healy as the toughest pastor in the diocese, but before long the two were hitting it off. Millane would be there 7 years.
Bishop Green was still not quite ready to give Fr. Tom a pastorate, and assigned him to St. Odilia’s in Tucson. There, he helped work out some tough problems. Two years later, the pastor’s job at our parish was open. Fr. Tom was at first sent here in May 1973 as administrator. Our parish had some problems of its own at the time, with the result that attendance was down and finances were nearly non-existent. Four months later, a very discouraged Fr. Tom was looking at the Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethon. There was either $27.15 or $15.27 in the parish checking account-he can’t remember which-and on impulse, Fr. Tom wrote out a parish check for that amount and sent it in. What happened next proved to Fr. Tom the wisdom about not being able to out give God. Almost immediately the parishioners started returning and before long the parish was prospering and sending church taxes in to the diocese. Bishop Green, who was never told the Jerry Lewis story, was now pleased, and Fr. Tom was on his way.
Fr. Millane was made pastor in January 1975 and served us well until the challenge of starting St. Elizabeth Ann Seton opened up. Now, 28 years later, Fr. Millane, although no longer pastor there, lives on the parish grounds and keeps a busy schedule teaching at the parish school, doing weddings, funerals and regular masses. He also serves the diocese as vicar for retired priests and still gets in some time for hunting and fishing. He will tell you that he is a happy
UPDATE: June 15, 2009
Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas announced June 15 that “four of the finest priests in our Diocese” have received from Pope Benedict XVI the papal honor of “Chaplains to His Holiness” in recognition of their service to the Church.
With the honor, Fathers Edward Carscallen, Todd O’Leary, Thomas Millane (2nd from left) and Van A. Wagner now have the title of “Reverend Monsignor.”
They are the first Diocese of Tucson priests to be named monsignor in the episcopacy of Bishop Kicanas and the first to be so honored in the Diocese since the late Msgr. Edward Ryle received the recognition from Pope John Paul II in 1988.