Confession is a favorite part of his priesthood

Father Thomas Farrell serves as chaplain of Legatus’ NE Wisconsin Chapter. He grew up in rural Wisconsin in an observant Catholic home, one of four children. His father worked in a paper mill and came home to lead the family rosary nightly. Father attended Catholic schools and upon finishing high school went to work in a bakery. A devotion to St. Bridget and daily Mass led him to a seminary program with the Diocese of Green Bay, which included an opportunity to earn his bachelor’s degree.
 
He was ordained a priest in 1992 and has since served in a variety of parishes. Presently, he serves as pastor of Stella Maris Parish, which serves six church sites on the Door Peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, a popular tourist destination. He is also chaplain for the Missionaries of the Word in Baileys Harbor, WI, a community of nine sisters who work with youth founded by Mother Mary Catherine, a former member of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

What led you to the seminary?

Growing up I knew two priests who had a wonderful influence on me. The first was Fr. Norbert Verhagen, my father’s cousin, who was a Maryknoll priest in Mexico. He would visit and show videos of the work he was doing. The other, Fr. Alfred Hietpas, was pastor of the parish where I attended school.

When I was older, I began attending daily Mass and reading St. Bridget of Sweden’s reflections on the sufferings of Jesus and saying her 15 daily prayers. These prayers changed my life. I credit my priesthood to St. Bridget.
 
I entered the seminary at age 30. However, going back to school was challenging for me as I am not academic. I was ordained a priest at age 38.

Why does your parish encompass so many churches?

Because of a shortage of priests, we tried to combine the churches into one, but the people didn’t like it. Also, as Door County is a resort area, people like to come to these churches for weddings.

What do you like most about the priesthood?

I love providing the Sacrament of Reconciliation to the people. It has a tremendous power in their lives and can help them come closer to God. In my previous parish we had Saturday morning Confessions, one of the few in the area to do so, and we were hearing 60 to 80 Confessions a Saturday. I had to have three or four priests come in to help me. In my new assignment I have met similar success by offering hours for Confession; previously, it was only available by appointment.

What are some of the effects you have seen in people who come to you for Confession?

Confession helps you to form your conscience, to think about what is right and what is wrong. Fear of the Lord does not mean being afraid of God, but in being attentive to how we’re living our lives. People who come to me may be struggling, but what is good is that they know they have to be accountable to God about how they live. It makes a difference.

I love seeing the sincerity of our penitents and seeing how they have a change of heart regarding things they have done. I also know that when someone is going to Confession regularly, he or she will not be leaving the Church. I make a point of talking about the importance of Confession when I preach: we need to make ourselves right with God and be properly prepared to receive the Eucharist.

The founder of Legatus, Tom Monaghan, knows the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and makes it available when Legatus members meet.

Tell me about your involvement with Legatus.

It is a wonderful apostolate that brings God into the workplace. I’m always pleased to attend their events, and I learn a lot from their speakers.

JIM GRAVES is a contributing writer for Legatus magazine.