By JUDY A. TOTTS

Religion Editor

LIVERPOOL TWP. — Mention the name of the Rev. Thomas R. Dunphy to almost anyone, and you’ll usually get a wide smile of recognition in return.

Dunphy, pastor of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, is a familiar face, whether he’s delivering the homily at Mass or behind the wheel of his red Buick Lucerne as he tools down the road to one of his many calls of the day. The parish bought the car for him, and thousands of miles later, he continues to make the rounds of homebound parishioners and regular visits to Life Care Center of Medina, where he celebrates Mass for the residents every other week.

Pastor of St. Martin’s since 1984, Dunphy will celebrate his 50th anniversary as a priest on Sunday with a Mass of Thanksgiving at 10:30 a.m. and a reception afterward in the parish center. He’ll be where he loves to be, with the people of his parish, doing what he’s devoted his life to.

“After 24 years here, it seems like I just came here. Life happens quickly, it’s hard to believe, and it doesn’t seem like 50 years, it’s gone so quickly,” he said.

One of nine children, Dunphy said the founding priest at his home parish of St. Martha’s in Akron strongly promoted vocations.
“Every year, at least two or three boys entered seminary and several girls decided to become nuns,” Dunphy said, adding that students were encouraged to serve at Mass or sing in the choir. “And the kids got the day off when someone entered the priesthood. It was an encouraging environment, and a significant number of students decided early on what they wanted to do.”
He attended four years of high school and two of college at St. Charles in the Baltimore Diocese and went to St. Mary’s in Cleveland for the remainder of his college and theology courses.
After celebrating his first Mass at St. Martha’s on May 24, 1958 — it’s traditional to celebrate Mass at your home parish — he served at St. Raphael in Bay Village (5½ years), followed by almost two years at St. John’s Cathedral and 14 years as chaplain of the Newman Catholic Center at the University of Akron.

“I found out about my first assignment from an article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.” Dunphy laughed. “My letter (from the Diocese) came later.”

The diocese assigned him to the Village at St. Edward in Fairlawn from 1979 to 1984, then as associate at St. Martin’s to the Rev. Francis Botzman. When Botzman passed away, the bishop asked him to remain as pastor.

“I’ve enjoyed every assignment, and I’ve never regretted any of it,” Dunphy said, a soft smile on his face. “It’s not a struggle. There are so many ways I’ve experienced the goodness of the Lord.”

Dunphy described secularization as the biggest challenge the church faced.

“It’s a big job to proclaim the gospel in the midst of cultural change,” he said, sitting at the table in his office, his short, silvery hair glinting in the light from the window overlooking the parking lot. “Only 25 percent of Catholics participate on a regular basis. It’s not that they don’t believe, it’s just that God is not primary in their lives. We pray the Holy Spirit will touch their hearts.”

And yet, he said, “they will discover that longing in their hearts beyond material things. God created us that way. People will search for something beyond the material, seeking the spiritual. I’m sure it will come around. God loves us too much. We have the means, the words, to bring us back to God.”

Not as many young men choose a vocation these days, but the shortage of priests has provided lay people with the opportunity to serve the Church more fully, Dunphy said. Even as the number of ordained clergy shrinks, many parishes, like St. Martin’s, grow. The number of families in the parish rose from 300 to 1,400 in the last two decades.

“There’s been a lot of growth, and not just from the growth in population,” he added. “Faith has grown, too. They (St. Martin’s congregation) are a very faith-filled people. We have a tremendous number of people willing to share their gifts. They are not pretentious. They are people of strong faith and good hearts.”

It’s made his ministry a pleasure, and he looks forward to continuing some of the recent programs they’ve launched, like “Generations of Faith” and a parish-wide stewardship program that encourages people to use their God-given talents “to glorify God.”

“It’s been joy-filled. The people of St. Martin’s work things out, they’re not disagreeable, and I think that’s exceptional. They always seem to work together for the good of the church. It’s been a pleasure to serve them.”

Totts may be reached at 330-721-4063 or religion@ohio.net.