The following story first appeared in the Winter 1999 issue of Glenmary Challenge.  
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Father Thomas Field
25 Years Since First Oath
By Jean Bach

What most impressed a young Tom Field about the Glenmarians he met while discerning his vocation was they all had tool boxes on their trucks and most of them knew what to do with the tools inside. For this electrician and self-described "jack of all trades," this was a selling point.

Since his first profession 25 years ago, he has been working with his hands and "doing what needed to be done." Father Tom, now pastor of St. Joseph Church in Bryson City, N.C., says , "The years have definitely lived up to my expectations."

There have been a few surprises, like the note from the Ku Klux Klan which arrived in his mailbox while he was assigned in Alabama. Because he had become involved in a domestic violence case and was promoting a shelter for women and children, the KKK let him know that they were "going to get him." Nonetheless, he continued his involvement with victims of domestic violence and helped set up several domestic violence centers.

A year later he received a second note from the KKK, this time congratulating him on doing a good job on another issue which they agreed with. "I think I was more comfortable when they were out to get me," he laughs.

His expertise as an electrician has been a benefit to his ministry. He has rewired the Bryson City church hall and is hoping to do some electrical work with the Habitat for Humanity program which is kicking off in the parish.

"I can't do as much as I used to," he says. He has struggled with Parkinson's Disease and cancer and just recently underwent surgery on his shoulder.

When he looks to the future, he wonders how things will change in light of the priest shortage. "I know the future is going to be different and things are going to change. It will be interesting to see where the Spirit guides us."

Some of the experiences diocesan priests are facing now, Glenmarians have always had to deal with. Father Tom remembers calling a parishioner late on a Saturday night and telling him he was too ill to preside at liturgy the next day. The parishioner presided at a prayer service and it "all worked out fine."

"Strange things happen and you just take them in stride," he says. It's the challenges and "strange things" that have made the past 25 years interesting and rewarding for Father Tom. "But it's gone so quickly because I'm enjoying myself and having fun. It's a great way to spend my life."