Fr Thomas H O’Gorman SJ died at the age of 89 on 22 November at the Jesuit Health and Wellness Center in Manila. He had served the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) for many decades.
News of his death prompted an outpouring of sympathies from people whose lives Fr O’Gorman had touched, most especially from his community at the Arrupe International Residence, where he had lived for many years. “Thank you for your service, friendship, and the laughter,” his Jesuit brothers in the community said.
JCAP President Fr Tony Moreno SJ noted Fr O’Gorman’s dedication and service to the Church and the Society of Jesus.
“Fr Tom took to heart the universal mission of the Society. Even as a novice, he eagerly presented himself to be missioned to the Philippines,” shared Fr Moreno. “Apart from his assignments in the Philippine province, he devoted nearly half of his Jesuit life of 71 years in the service of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific in various capacities.”
Born on 26 September 1932 in New York, New York, Fr O’Gorman entered the Society of Jesus at St Andrew-on-Hudson Novitiate in Poughkeepsie, NY on 20 July 1950. He first came to the Philippines in 1954 to study Philosophy at Berchmans College in Cebu. His three-year regency was in San Jose Minor Seminary in Quezon City where he served as the Prefect of Discipline, and taught English, Social Studies, Latin, and World History.
He returned to the United States in 1960 for his theology studies in Woodstock College in Maryland. He was ordained a deacon at Fordham University Chapel in the Bronx, NY on 19 June 1963, and the following day was ordained a priest by Most Rev Joseph M Pernicone, Auxiliary Bishop of New York.
After his ordination, Fr O’Gorman pursued special studies at Woodstock College. He earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1968, and a Doctor in Sacred Theology degree in Spiritual Theology from St Louis University, St Louis, Missouri in 1973. In the years in between he did his Tertianship in Auriesville, NY from 1964-1965, and professed his Final Vows before Fr General Pedro Arrupe SJ in the Church of the Gesú in Rome on 15 August 1967.
Fr O’Gorman returned to the Philippines in 1968, serving the Philippine Province and the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific in numerous roles, including as Director for the Jesuit Renewal Programme of the East Asian Assistancy from 1979-1982, East Asian Assistancy Tertian Instructor from 1981-1984, Director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute from 1984-1989, Consultor for the President of the Assistancy of Major Superiors Conference from 1982-1988, Jesuit Conference of East Asia Tertian Instructor from 1990-1999, Coordinator of the Juniorate programme from 1999-2000, and Ignatian Spirituality Animator/ Assistant for Ignatian Spirituality from 2000-2006.
In 2006 he was sent to Myanmar, where he assisted in the Candidacy House, in the spiritual formation of priests, and in spiritual direction, and taught English at Campion Institute. He would describe his two years in Myanmar as “my happiest, happiest years”.
Upon returning to the Philippines in 2008, he was assigned in the parish ministry at Mary the Queen Parish in San Juan City. Since 2013, he had been at the Arrupe International Residence as English language consultant, while also serving as Assistant Prefect for Spiritual Formation (2013-2017), and Prefect for Spiritual Formation (2017-2019). As his health diminished he moved to the Jesuit Health and Wellness Center at the Ateneo de Manila University this year.
In an interview with JCAP to celebrate his 70th year as a Jesuit on 30 July 2020, Fr O’Gorman recalled when he first expressed his intention of serving as a missionary in the Philippines, where he would spend almost six decades of his life.
“I thought to myself, maybe I want to volunteer to go to the Philippines. There I was–a first year novice–and I went to the novice master and asked. He shook his head and said, ‘Brother they only send the best men.’ Meaning you’re not one of them! So I said to myself, I’ll show him!”
Read more from that article here.
In this 2018 interview that shows his characteristic humour and insight, Fr O’Gorman shares his journey as a Jesuit.