Biography

Born in 1954 in St. Paul Minn., Fr. Tom professed vows as a Divine Word Missionary in 1977. Ordained in 1982, he was assigned to the SVD Chicago Province as instructor in theology and mission. From 1988 to1991 he served as SVD Interprovince Coordinator for Justice and Peace for the North American Provinces. From 1991 to1994 he was assigned to the Mexican Province where he worked as an associate pastor and lecturer in missiology and evangelization as well as in philosophy and pastoral theology. In 1994 he joined the SVD general administration as Mission Secretary to help encourage and coordinate mission animation activities and mission planning for the entire congregation. Twelve years later, he returned to the U.S., later becoming Provincial of the Chicago Province in 2011, serving for six years, when he was appointed president of Divine Word College in 2017.

Education

Certificate – Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan 1975 (Japanese Studies)
B.S. – Divine Word College, Epworth, Iowa, 1976 (Mathematics and B.A., Philosophy)
M.A. – Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, Illinois, 1983 (Theology)
M.Div. with Mission Specialization – Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, Illinois, 1983
PhD – The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.,1991 (Religion and Culture)

Teaching Experience

Instructor in Theology Divine Word College Seminary – Epworth, Iowa 1983 - 1984
Teaching Assistant in Religion The Catholic University of America – Washington, D.C. 1985 - 1987
Lecturer in Mission and Evangelization Instituto Teológico – Colegio Maximo de Cristo Rey, México, D.F. 1991-1994
Lecturer in Theology and Philosophy Centro de Estudios Teológicos - Conferencia de Institutos Religiosos de México 1991 - 1994

Professional Affiliations

Languages

Spanish, Italian

Intercultural Experience

Mexico, Rome, Japan, Traveled the world while serving as Mission Secretary at the Generalate of the Divine Word Missionaries in Rome from 1994 to 2006