HIGH POINT — Father Thomas Paul Clements, one of the longest-serving priests in North Carolina who was known for his kindness, passed away peacefully on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, at Pennybyrn retirement community in High Point. He was 94.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered by Bishop Peter J. Jugis at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 23, 2023, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 375 Lumen Christie Lane in Salisbury, N.C. A reception will immediately follow at the pavilion of The Revival Golf Course at the Crescent, 220 Laurel Valley Way in Salisbury. Bishop Jugis ministered at Sacred Heart with Father Tom in the late 1980s.
Interment will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Nantucket, Mass. Father Tom will be buried with his sister and her family. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated by Father John M. Murray, pastor of St. Mary, Our Lady of the Isle Parish. Father Tom attended and celebrated Masses at St. Mary, Our Lady of the Isle Parish as well as weddings, baptisms and funerals for his family there.
A beloved pastor, family member and friend, Father Tom ministered at parishes throughout North Carolina for 45 years until his retirement in 2000. This May would have been the 68th anniversary of his priesthood.
Born in Raleigh on March 26, 1928, to the late Joseph B. and Mary J. Clements, Tom went to grade school at the Cathedral School in Raleigh before moving to Maryland to attend St. Charles High School. He later attended St. Charles College, a minor seminary in Catonsville, Md.
He continued his studies for the priesthood at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, where he was ordained a deacon in 1954. He returned to his hometown to be ordained a priest at Raleigh’s Sacred Heart Cathedral on May 19, 1955. Bishop Vincent Waters presided over the ordination that also included Father Robert Shea and the future Monsignor Joseph Showfety, the first chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.
Father Tom began his priestly ministry when the Diocese of Raleigh comprised the entire state. His first assignment was at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Newton Grove followed by St. Benedict Church in Greensboro, where he was parochial vicar for two years.
His first assignment as pastor came in 1958 at St. Mary Help of Christians Church in Shelby followed by Christ the King Mission in Kings Mountain, St. Joseph of the Hills Church in Eden, St. Joan of Arc Church in Candler, Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury, St. Charles Borromeo Church in Morganton, Holy Family Church in Clemmons and Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro.
In 1988, he returned as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. Although he didn’t know any Spanish at the time, Father Tom started the Hispanic Ministry at the parish in 1995 because he saw a need for it. He ministered at Sacred Heart until his retirement in 2000 and continued to assist with sacraments at nearby parishes.
Father Tom studied throughout his priesthood. He spent a year in Rome (1966-1967) at the Pontifical North American College. He later studied at the University of Georgia (1972-1973) and returned home to continue at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a master’s degree in social work in 1974. He was the director of Catholic Social Services from 1972 to 1986 and served as the vicar of the Hickory, Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Albemarle vicariates at different points in his ministry.
He also served as the chaplain at the W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salisbury from August 1997 until March 2010. This work was very important to him, and he touched many lives there during his tenure. He made many friends at the VA center, as he did wherever he went.
Father Tom’s family was always an integral part of his life. He was devoted to his sister, Anne, and consistently made a point to visit her for her birthday. He was there for Anne and her four children when she was widowed at a young age. He was a wonderful uncle to all of his nine nieces and nephews. He spent as much time with them as he could when they were growing up, while still fulfilling his duties as a full-time pastor of his church. He faithfully stayed in touch with his family in North Carolina, Maryland, Louisiana, South Carolina and Massachusetts. He was his family’s uncle and priest and served both titles in an exemplary way for decades.
Father Tom also had a deep love and respect for nature. He enjoyed the outdoors and was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna in whatever part of the country he happened to be. Birds had a special place in Tom’s world, and he passed that love and respect on to his family. When he would visit his sister and family in Nantucket, one of his favorite things was to walk to the beach and spend quiet time there. He would always bring back treasures from these walks.
In August 2012, Father Tom was fortunate to move into Pennybyrn at Maryfield with the help of his nieces, Soo and Diane. It was a joyful process and one that he embraced, much to his family’s delight. He settled into assisted living and lived a happy and full life at Pennybyrn. His family is forever grateful to everyone who was a part of Father Tom’s life at the retirement community. His niece, Soo, was a regular visitor there, and every visit assured her how well-cared for Father Tom was and how content and delighted he was being a part of the Pennybyrn family.
He was preceded in death by his parents Joseph B. and Mary J. Clements, brother Joseph “Doc” Clements, sister Anne Hancock Woodley, sister-in-law Edie Clements, brothers-in-law David Hancock and Jack Woodley, niece Carolyn Clements, grandniece Marnie Clements, niece Bonnie Woodley, cousin Mrs. Leo Middleton and Mr. Laurie Murray and many other loved aunts, uncles and cousins.
Those left to cherish his memory are his nieces and nephews, Soo Woodley (Ernie Oliver), Patrick Hancock (Kris), Michael Woodley, Diane Nichols, Jack Woodley Jr., Joseph Clements III (Donna), Frank Clements (Kim), Robert Clements (Susie), 18 grandnieces and nephews, 12 great-grandnieces and nephews, and many loving friends.
To quote a friend who sent a card of condolence: “Father Tom was a man who could always say so much with very few words.”
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Father Tom Clements’ name to: Sisters of Maryfield, SMG, 1315 Greensboro Road, High Point, N.C. 27260; or to Salisbury VAMC, Voluntary Service, 1601 Brenner Ave., Salisbury, N.C. 28144, where any funds donated will be used directly for the veterans.
Sechrest-Davis Funerals and Cremations in High Point is in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald
Reminiscences from parishioners and friends
“Father Tom was my pastor at Sacred Heart in Salisbury for many years. He was kind to everyone, humble and very intelligent. He also had a wisdom that could be quite astounding. Even in the most difficult situations, he had advice that would bring healing. And if you needed his help, he was there. The last time I saw him was at Pennybyrn. He could no longer remember me, but Father Andrew Draper and I went to say hello when we saw him in one of the common areas. Father Draper asked him for a blessing, and Father Tom remembered every word of it — a priest always and forever! May he rest in peace.”— Sister of Mercy Susie Dandison
“I had the privilege of working with Father Tom at Our Lady of Grace Church in Greensboro in 1987-1988 when he served as pastor there, and I was parochial vicar. I remember his humility, easygoing nature and great dedication to ministering to the sick and dying and their family members.”— Father Ron Marecki
“Father Tom was a great priest and friend. He drove to Quebec, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, to perform our marriage for my wife Colleen and me. He was there at the birth of our two sons to offer prayer and support. Anytime you had an emergency, or any problems, day or night, he was there to help. If anyone should receive his just reward and go home to Our Heavenly Father, it’s Father Tom Clements.” — Deacon James Mazur, Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury
“Father Tom held and holds a special place in my heart. When my youngest sister needed a kidney transplant, and none of us qualified, he offered to donate one of his. He did not match, but the thought and gesture are still dear to my heart.”— Sister of Mercy Martha Hoyle
“I had the pleasure of working with Father Tom at the Salisbury VA and will never forget his acts of kindness with the veterans. He brought great comfort to all he had contact with. As an RN, I will never forget when he performed the blessings of the hands and the healing that was felt from that. Although I am not Catholic, he took the time to give me a rosary and then to explain the rosary and its meaning. I will never forget his kindness.” — Sharon Taylor
“Father Tom married us, baptized our children and led us to God in the most inclusive ways possible. If we were interested in seeking God, Father Tom helped move the boulders that were blocking our path. And he did it with courage, love and laughter — even if it took a gentle kick in the behind to move you toward the light. He was a shepherd. His flock’s journey with God, the condition of our souls, came first. … While he was a well-versed theologian, he believed in social justice, community and reaching out to your neighbor in practical matters, rather than lofty verbiage. He would make St. Francis proud. Thank you, Father Tom. You have changed generations of hearts for the better. Rest in the arms of God. You earned it.” — Steve and Mary Jo Simpson
A most ‘clement’ priest
Remembering my pastor, Father Tom
Father Tom Clements was part of the family for many parishioners and often visited their homes. He posed for a photo at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury with Annie (Reilly) Ferguson, who is now a part of the Catholic News Herald editorial team, on the day of her First Holy Communion in 1989. (Photo Provided)Inclined to be merciful, mild, compassionate – that was Father Tom Clements. It’s rare to embody the meaning of one’s name so thoroughly, but Father Tom always seemed to do things right. From my vantage point, his clemency knew no bounds.
As my pastor from when I was 7 to 19 at Sacred Heart in Salisbury, Father Tom was an integral part of many of my religious milestones and present for all the celebrations in between. We were incredibly blessed to have him at our parish for so long. Between Sunday and school Masses, we’d see him at least twice a week. Anytime I had a part in the Mass, especially when I’d feel awkward (and very tall) as a teenager, he had a way of putting me at ease just by being himself – incredibly kind. He saw people’s souls instead of exterior appearances and treated each person with care. At our eighth-grade graduation Mass, I could feel his sadness over our departure from the parish school.
As I grew up, I eventually started realizing just how wonderful a priest he was. I greatly admired him for starting Hispanic Ministry at the parish in 1995, and I remember telling him so after Mass one day. In his response, I could see how important it was to him to love and minister to all of God’s people. He was 67 and didn’t know any Spanish, but he started to learn.
I most especially loved my First Holy Communion. Father Tom made time to drop by the celebration at our home afterward. Even though I heard he might come, it was truly special when he arrived. Five years ago, I found a photo from that day in 1989 and began to appreciate the depth of his ministry as I reminisced and gained new awareness of his good works, including all he did for my family.
In the days following his passing, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Father Tom through the eyes of his family, friends and people from the VA Hospital in Salisbury. So profound were the stories of his acts of mercy and healing that they took my breath away. That’s the true priesthood of Jesus Christ – a breathtakingly beautiful gift from God. With Father Tom, it felt like the Good Shepherd Himself was with us. Those years with him surely left an imprint on my soul.
May he rest in peace with Our Loving Father.
Annie Ferguson is a member of the Catholic News Herald editorial team.