Donor Story
Father Tom Brown grew up in Erie at Saint Luke Parish, the oldest of 8 children. Ordained in 1978 he enjoyed various parish appointments over the years. With an affinity for the small town, outdoor life, his time at Saint Bibiana Parish in Galeton, Saint Thomas and Saint Elizabeth Parishes in Corry and Saint Raphael Parish in Eldred created fond memories and lasting relationships. As he approaches his 75th birthday, Father Tom is reflecting on his life in priestly ministry. With both gratitude and hope for the future, through his estate plans he established The Reverend Thomas E. Brown Endowment for Clergy Health and Welfare as well as The Reverend Thomas E. Brown Endowment for Missionary Priest Service.
Father openly shares his health challenges. A diagnosis of cancer eleven years ago involved significant treatment that kept him away from ministry for a long time. “I was blessed to survive,” he said. Managing through very difficult side effects of treatment he lived at St. Mary’s East for five months. During that time, he kept asking with concern “Who is paying for this?” Monsignor Robert Smith, Vicar General of the Diocese of Erie at the time, reassured Father Tom when visiting, “don’t worry about that.” Many years later Father Tom still thinks about that. “I don’t know where the money came from, but the diocese took care of me,” he recalls. “That’s my motivation now,” he continues. “I want to repay them with this gift and to help make sure support like this will be available for others in the future.”
Even now, side effects of his head and neck cancer treatment and related medication are sometimes difficult to manage. Related hospital stays can keep him from his work and service as a pastor. These days his sister, Cheryl, visits often from New Hampshire. She and Laura, the parish secretary, are Father Tom’s supporters and close confidants. Father Tom and Laura both plan to retire in 2027 when he turns 75. He imagines there may not be a priest to serve at Saint Raphael Parish at that time. Looking to the future of our Catholic community Father Tom made plans to fund a second endowment to help with the expense of missionary priests serving in the Diocese of Erie to help fill the need.
Not long ago, Father Tom came to learn about the work and mission of the Catholic Foundation when individual donors from the Eldred area pooled their charitable gifts to establish multiple endowments in the Foundation to fund the perpetual care of Saint Raphael Parish Cemetery. It was a grass roots effort that Father Tom endorsed and celebrates. These funds will ensure there will always be funding for maintenance of the parish cemetery for generations to come. His experience learning about and working with the Catholic Foundation gave him confidence in its governance and sparked ideas for his own charitable giving plans.
“I don’t know where the money came from, but the diocese took care of me. That’s my motivation now; I want to repay them with this gift and to help make sure support like this will be available for others in the future.”