Congratulations to Father Thomas McCarthy, a retired diocesan priest who is celebrating 65 years in the priesthood.
Born in Warren in 1936 to William and Lucille Heath McCarthy—one of three children—he attended St. Mary School and St. Mary High School, which was the predecessor to John F. Kennedy High School in Warren. He progressed to St. Gregory Seminary, Cincinnati, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He advanced to Mount St. Mary of the West Seminary, also in Cincinnati, where he earned a master’s degree in medieval philosophy. In addition, he took courses at Xavier University, which is also in Cincinnati.
Traditionally, he would have been ordained in 1962, but was one of two class members designated to be ordained before their final year in order to serve as prefect or chaplain for classmates during that final year. So, Father McCarthy was ordained by Bishop Emmet Walsh in August 1961 in St. Columba Cathedral.
Upon graduating from St. Mary of the West in 1962, Father McCarthy returned to the diocese, where he was first assigned to St. Edward Parish in Youngstown. After four years, he was appointed diocesan vocations director. Later that year, he assumed the additional responsibility of assistant director for Papal Volunteers for Latin America (PAVLA) and Extension Lay Volunteers (ELV).
In 1967, he was named assistant diocesan chancellor. In 1969, he became assistant superintendent of the diocesan schools. During this period, Father McCarthy attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, for graduate studies in educational administration in pursuit of certification as a principal and as a superintendent. In addition, from 1967 to 1968, he served as a theology instructor for St. Elizabeth Hospital School of Nursing in Youngstown.
Father McCarthy was appointed principal of Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown in 1971 but resigned for health reasons. The next year, he was assigned to St. Joseph in Austintown (now part of St. Blaise Parish).
At various times, he served on the diocesan Presbyteral Council.
He was appointed to his first pastorate, St. William Parish in Champion, in 1973. In 1975, he assumed the additional responsibility of pro-synodal judge for the diocesan Tribunal.
Father McCarthy became pastor of St. Michael Parish in Canfield in 1977. In 1979, he took on the additional role of diocesan priest personnel director, which he retained until 1985. During this period, he also taught adult education classes for the diocesan Religious Education Department on such topics as “What is Church?,” “Christian Concerns” and the U.S. bishops 1983 pastoral letter on peace.
He was named pastor in 1983 of Blessed Sacrament in Warren (now part of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish), where he remained until 1991, when he was elected president of the National Federation of Priests Councils in Chicago. In 1992, he was named associate judge for the diocesan Tribunal.
He served there until 1994, when he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Mantua, remaining there until 2003. In 2000, he assumed the additional duty of personnel advisor for the diocesan Office of Clergy and Religious Services and as an ex officio member of the priests personnel board. In July 2003, he was assigned the added duty of bishop’s delegate for retired priests. In 2009, he also served as dean of the Portage County Deanery.
In 2009, Father McCarthy was appointed pro-tem administrator of Holy Trinity Parish in East Liverpool and Immaculate Conception in Wellsville.
At various times, he served on the Presbyteral Council, including one term as president, the diocesan board of education, the diocesan Liturgy Commission, including a term as executive secretary, and was moderator for the diocesan pastoral council’s human relations commission.
In 1987, Father McCarthy was among two recipients of a St. Pius X catechetical award from the diocesan Board of Religious Education for his efforts to foster catechetical education at the diocesan and parish level.
Father McCarthy retired in 2010. Following his retirement, he would offer Mass at Villa Maria Teresa in Hubbard and occasionally at the Ursuline Center in Canfield. Since moving into the priest residence at Villa Maria Teresa in 2018, he continues to offer Mass there and occasionally at the Ursuline Center in Hubbard.
Anyone wishing to offer congratulations to Father McCarthy can do so at Villa Maria Teresa, 50 Warner Road, Hubbard, Ohio 44425.
