Fr. Thomas Fogarty

Thomas Fogarty was born on January 20, 1927 in Uibh Faili in County Offaly Ireland. His mother died within the year and he was raised by three devout aunts. One of whom became a nun. After graduating from high-school he eventually obtained a job in the electric industry at

Athlone Ireland. One of his supervisors introduced Thomas to Fr.Simone whom Blessed Alberione had sent to Ireland. In spite of his ill health with asthma, Thomas was accepted into the Society and entered in 1950 at Alba Italy. He soon began to suffer from his asthma but with the encouragement of Blessed Alberione persevered in his studies and was ordained in June of 1957. He was assigned to Ireland where he served for 16 years working on leaflets and parish bulletins. These met with limited success but paved the way for the Society’s very successful missalette publishing. He returned to Rome on sabbatical where he studied at the Pontifical University Antonianum. In1971 he was in Rome while Blessed Alberione was in his final days. He was seen constantly praying the rosary near Blessed Alberione’s room. He was transferred a short time to Canada and then in 1975 arrived at Canfield where he worked with Fr. Borano on Alba Paperback Books. In1979 he was made superior of the Dearborn community with its bookstore and parish exhibit ministries. He spent 1982-1983 in Staten Island on the Alba House editorial staff. He returned to Canfield in 1983, where he was novice master for two years and began his great life work developing the Holy Family Institute. At that time, there were about 5 members in the Institute and today there are almost 400 nation-wide.

His love for the members is acknowledged by all. The institute is open to Catholic married couples, married individuals, widows and widowers who are desirous of leading consecrated lives in the service of the Church. For a brief time in the early 1980s he led the Institute of

the Annunciation, an organization of consecrated lay women and the Institute of Gabriel the Archangel, a group of consecrated lay men. He passed away at St. Elizabeth Hospital Boardman Ohio on May 14. He is sorely missed by all those who benefited from his 60 years of

priesthood. Calling hours are from 7 to 9pm on Friday May 19th at the Society of St. Paul Chapel, 9531 Akron Canfield Rd, Canfield OH. The funeral mass will be the next morning in the Chapel at 11am.

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