Fr. Tom Lynch served as pastor of Saint James parish in Stratford, Connecticut, for 31 years. Committed to issues of social justice and living the radical demands of the gospel, Saint James earned a reputation for bringing discipleship to life. Under Fr. Tom’s leadership, this vital, engaged community of faith was named one of the top 100 Excellent Catholic Parishes in the United States.
Fr. Tom has served as Family Life Representative for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and served as a Dean within the Diocese of Bridgeport. An experienced family and marriage counselor, he brings together a deep understanding of the spiritual and emotional components that empower the open, honest, and loving conversations loved ones need to have as they walk together.
With our podcast co-facilitator Barbara Mariconda, Fr. Tom founded the Journey of the Soul Ministry in 2011, and the two of them collaborated on a book, After the Diagnosis . . . A Guide for Living: The Transformative Power of Love During Sickness Dying and Death, which published in 2018.
In this episode, we speak with Fr. Tom about his experiences in the antiwar movement of the 1960s, his vision of the nature of the priesthood, and how he shepherded the parish of Saint James to grow to include some 3,000 families. As he tells us at one point, “It’s really all about relationships, about getting out of our own way, about vulnerability, forgiveness, healing, and letting ourselves be loved by our God.”
