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Greetings family and friends of Fr. Tom:
Fr. Tom is back at Blessed Sacrament Priory in Seattle after a 12-day trip to see his family and friends in California, Mexicali, and Tempe, AZ. He returned to Seattle safely, albeit to a city covered in snow. The city sparkled in the light of day, but the streets were mired in treacherous white dust. Nevertheless, we were very glad to have Fr. Tom back home.
Fr. Tom celebrated the Noon Mass this past Sunday. At the end of the Mass, we commemorated his birthday by lighting the 25-foot Christmas tree early (which has almost 15,000 lights) and singing a heartfelt “Happy Birthday.” We named our Christmas tree this year after our beloved Fr. Tom. Our congregation greeted him with a boisterous applause.
In the afternoon, we celebrated Fr. Tom’s belated 55th birthday, which was sponsored by the Young Adults. We had a great turnout considering there was a snowstorm and the streets were slippery. When Fr. Tom arrived in the Parish Hall, he was again greeted by applause. Fr. Allen prayed a blessing composed by the Young Adults. Afterward, Fr. Daniel gave a touching speech about Fr. Tom. He said, “Tom is the most authentic person I have ever known. It is no wonder that so many people genuinely love him and call him a friend.” Following the speech, Fr. Daniel anointed Fr. Tom before all those present and called upon the priests who attended the party to lay their hands on him in the spirit of healing and comfort. Fr. Allen, Fr. Michael Fones, Fr. Michael Dodds, along with Fr. Daniel conferred the ancient act of laying on of hands upon Fr. Tom. It was a moving and genuinely beautiful expression of faith.
Today (Monday), Fr. Tom had a routine blood draw and a CAT scan. In a previous email, I mentioned Fr. Tom’s reference to the scan as like “being blasted into space.” He had the same reaction today and I have the pictures to prove his statement (see attached). Following his scan, we had some lunch and then traversed to Macy’s, amidst the throngs of last-minute shoppers, to buy some comfortable slip-on shoes and warm sleeping attire. Later that evening, Fr. Daniel took Fr. Tom to his oncologist for his regular check-up.
Fr. Tom at his CT, or being "blasted into space", as he likes to say.Tomorrow (Tuesday), Fr. Tom will meet with Providence hospice. He will be admitted to the hospice program in order to receive the most comprehensive support. Hospice will be able to work with the entire team of caregivers, including Fr. Daniel and his community, to ensure that Fr. Tom receives the best care possible.
Fr. Tom decided to discontinue the chemotherapy. Throughout the course of several weeks, he determined that the chemotherapy was no longer beneficial for his physical health. He stopped taking the chemotherapy pills on December 12. At this time, there are no plans to resume chemotherapy treatments.
Fr. Tom and I had a conversation today regarding the information he wanted to reveal publicly. This man, whom I have gotten to know more closely in the past few months, is a man of great integrity and of utmost sincerity. Through the course of the conversation, it became apparent that Fr. Tom desired for all of you to share these moments in his life—not only the joys and laughter, but also the trials and difficulties. He explained to me in very clear and unadorned language that although this process has been very difficult, it has also given him the grace to understand his life with peace and clarity. There was no hint of hopelessness in his speech or demeanor—only hope. Truly, it was the most genuine expression of hope.
He smiled. He smiled a lot.
It is obviously difficult to fully express the profundity of that moment in this email, but I pray that you will understand. Those of you who know Fr. Tom well and even those of you who have only met him once will understand. Fr. Tom, as Fr. Daniel noted, is the most authentic person you can ever know. He is fully alive and full of hope.
We are very blessed, indeed, to have him share his life and his faith with all of us. We look forward to celebrating these most holy days of the year with him. Fr. Tom will celebrate some of the Masses this Christmas. He will most likely concelebrate the Family Mass on Christmas Eve and celebrate the Noon Mass on Christmas Day. He will then fly over to Spokane on Friday to be with his family.
Thank you for all your prayers and overwhelming support. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.
Always yours,
Jesson
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More information at:
1. frtomupdate@bspwa.org (inquiries may be sent via this email, which people may use to request to get on the “update email list”)
2. (206) 732-7350 (pre-recorded message line with updates on Fr. Tom’s condition)
3. www.caringbridge.org/visit/frtomkraftop (Fr. Tom’s personal website, which he regularly updates with journal entries)
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