Fr. Ty Tomson Ordination

Fr. Ty Tomson, age 26, Worthington St. Michael parishioner, was ordained a priest to serve the Diocese of Columbus on May 28, 2011, at St. Joseph Cathedral, Columbus, Ohio.

Fr. Tomson, originally from Zanesville, Ohio attended St. Nicholas School through second grade. Fr. Tomson’s family moved to Pickerington where he attended Pickerington schools and St. Charles Preparatory School.

“Attending St. Charles was life-changing for me. I loved it. I had such a good overall introduction to the faith at St. Charles with intellectual stimulation and opportunity for discernment,” said Fr. Tomson.

Fr. Tomson thought about the priesthood at a young age and he knew that in his vocation he would somehow serve the Catholic Church.

Fr. Tomson played the piano, but had a desire to learn to play the organ.

“The piano is great, but with the organ you can really shake the buildings.”

The Seton Parish organist gave him lessons in Jan., 2000. Fr. Tomson played the organ at Seton and at Holy Cross Church while in high school.

While working at Holy Cross as an organist, Fr. Tomson met a seminarian from the Josephinum who was on assignment at Holy Cross. He also met another young man who was entering seminary... Fr. Dan Dury, who was ordained a priest last year.

“People help in the discernment process,” said Fr. Tomson. “I got involved in St. Patrick’s youth group and perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at Seton Parish and a lot of people encouraged me along the way. I also began the doing the Liturgy of the Hours in high school and I had a routine of daily prayer.”

He was also inspired by priests that he met while at St. Charles. “Msgr. Bennett was so inspiring and such a witness to the faith,” said Fr. Tomson. “Every morning he celebrated Mass at the side altar of St. Joseph in the St. Charles chapel all by himself. What an example of fidelity. He had such a great love for daily Mass.”  When he passed away, Msgr. Bennett left Fr. Tomson the chalice from his own ordination.

Another spiritual influence for Fr. Tomson occurred when he began to study the Greek language in high school and in college.  He also has a Latin language background and he studied Hebrew in a summer program at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

During his senior year in high school, Fr. Tomson applied to colleges like any high school senior, but knew that the Lord was calling him to enter the seminary. “It is never wrong to say yes to God.”

Fr. Tomson enrolled as a seminarian at the Pontifical College Josephinum and majored in Philosophy and Classics (Latin and Greek).

“Meeting other seminarians is essential when you are discerning between college and seminary. You need friends who can relate directly to you,” said Fr. Tomson. “I loved many aspects of seminary life. You pray and you have the Breviary, Eucharistic Adoration and the Rosary. You wake up in the morning and first thing you think about is being a priest. You are falling in love with the Church and you realize that this is for real.”

“I think for all of us there are ups and downs in seminary life, but God gives you so much grace to align your will to His. You make sacrifices, but with grace, it is enjoyable. It is a good sweat but grace transforms it into a light burden.”

Fr. Tomson describes a vocation as a call to love, no matter what God calls you to be. “You want to return his love much like two married people when they first fall in love. You are building a personal relationship with the Church based entirely on love. The consummation of that love for a priest is the Consecration of the Eucharist.”

Fr. Tomson completed his formation at the Pontifical College Josephinum where he was ordained a transitional deacon in January, 2011. “My ordination to the diaconate was a great moment of grace for me and for so many who were able to join me that day.”

In reflecting about seminary life, he says, “It is so inspiring to have 130 men with a total love of God. It is the greatest fraternity the world has ever known, with spiritual brothers around the world.”

Fr. Tomson’s summer assignments and a school year serving at Immaculate Conception helped him to live the daily routine of parish life. “There is such a harmony in parish life with prayer, and the Sacraments and so much variety meeting the needs of the people. No two days are the same. You have the expected routine, with the Sacraments and schedule, and then you have the unexpected things with the lives of people in the parish.”

Fr. Tomson sees the priesthood as complete abandonment to the will of God. “Your relationship with the Lord has to be first and everything else flows out of that. No one gives what he does not have.”

Fr. Tomson reflects that celebrating the Sacraments, especially the Mass and Confession, is at the heart of his priestly life.  “This is what we are ordained for: to give glory to God and sanctification to man.”  He describes his ordination as a moment of particular joy: “My ordination to the priesthood will always be the best day of my life.”

“Ordination is a sublime gift, of which no one is worthy. The Church needs priests and the Lord continues to call men to His altar. It is saying yes to His will.”