Soon to retire Father Thomas Gross in front of St. John Vianney Church, Kailua, which he renovated as pastor. (HCH photo | Darlene Dela Cruz)
Father Thomas Gross, who for one year had the responsibilities of Hawaii’s bishop without the status, is retiring June 30.
The cordial, reserved pastor of St. John Vianney Parish in Kailua, who marks his 40th year of priesthood this year, was administrator of the Diocese of Honolulu a decade ago for the 14-month spell between the departure of Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo and the installation of Bishop Larry Silva.
He has good memories of that challenging period.
“Most of all I remember the tremendous support and encouragement from the clergy, diocesan staff and laity in the entire diocese, and particularly St. John Vianney Parish, since the job took me away from the parish a great deal,” he said.
“Other memorable moments were the exhumation of Mother Marianne Cope’s remains on Kalaupapa and attending two meetings of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,” Father Gross said.
The Hibbing, Minnesota-native was a priest of the Crosier order, ordained in 1975, when came to the Islands in 1985.
Why Hawaii?
“Have you ever been to Minnesota in the winter?” said Father Gross, whose part-Scandinavian blood was no match for the Mainland’s cruelest season.
He remembers with detail his final winter there. “I went to the Imax movie “Behold Hawaii” on a February day that was 30 below zero. That winter we had already had 103 inches of snow. It was clear to me I had to move.”
Father Gross’ first Honolulu parish assignment was as associate pastor, and then pastor, of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, during which time he was incardinated into the Honolulu diocese. He followed that with brief duty as associate pastor at St. Joseph Parish, Hilo, before being named pastor at St. John Vianney on Sept. 1, 1996, a position he has held ever since.
In 2001, St. John Vianney was listed as one of the best 300 parishes in the country in the book “Excellent Catholic Parishes” by Paul Wilkes, the only one included from Hawaii.
“We looked for parishes that nurtured the spirit, welcomed and yet challenged, both preached and — more importantly — lived the Good News,” the author said.
The book described the parish as “energetic” and “participatory” with “quality liturgical music.”
Father Gross was vicar forane for the windward Oahu vicariate in 1997 until 2000 when Bishop DiLorenzo picked him to be vicar general, sharing the position with Father Joseph Grimaldi.
After Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop DiLorenzo to the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, the 10 priests of the diocesan College of Consultors elected Father Gross as diocesan administrator.
As administrator, Father Gross managed the diocese as any bishop would, with the exception of making permanent assignments or major changes and ordaining deacons or priests. The last time the church in Hawaii had a priest administrator was in 1940 when Sacred Hearts Father Victorinus Claesen ran the diocese for a year after Bishop Stephen Alencastre died.
When Bishop Silva took the reins of the diocese in 2005, he named Father Gross as vicar general for one more year.
Father Gross, 68, said that in his 30 years in Hawaii, he always found the church “very vibrant, friendly, open and life-giving.”
“The biggest change I have experienced is the clergy,” he said.
When he came to Hawaii, he said the corps of priests was “pretty stable” and relatively permanent.
“That is not the case today,” he said. “We are blessed with so many from other countries who come to minister here, but most stay for a limited term. This really changes the dynamic of clergy connection and support, I think.”
He sees the biggest challenge for today’s church is “keeping people interested and involved in a world with a very short attention span and very short commitment spans.”
Father Gross, who is moving to Las Vegas, said what he will miss least is the “administration and responsibility of being a pastor of a parish and school,” a job he once “enjoyed” but which has become “just too much for me now.”
What he will miss most is “the interaction with the people, especially at St. John Vianney. I have been here for so long I have experienced so much of the lives of so many. Also, since I really have no family left, I consider the people here as extended family.”
“So I certainly will visit,” he said.