Meet our Paulists

Fr. Tom Connellan, CSP
However, Father Tom isn't merely a retired priest. Rather, he faithfully ministers to and serves the people in the diocese by celebrating the Eucharist, preaching homilies, hearing confessions and celebrating weddings and funeral Masses.

Growing up in New York, Father Tom was taught by the New York Sisters of Charity at Saint Margaret Catholic School in the Bronx. After attending the Jesuit Regis High School in New York, He studied engineering at Columbia University and then went on to the United States Naval Academy. He was commissioned as a naval officer in 1945 and served two years in the Pacific. In 1948, he went to work for General Electric in their locomotive division, before finally writing to the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle to discern his vocation to the priesthood in 1949.

After ordination in 1956, Father Tom was sent to Texas to do campus ministry. Later, he learned Portuguese for his missionary work in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Father Tom went on to become chaplain at City College of New York and director of campus ministries in New York under Cardinal Cooke. Father Tom was also pastor of two parishes, one in Knoxville, Tennessee and one in San Francisco. He was the vice-president of the Paulist Fathers for eight years and assistant novice director for nine years.

Presently, Father Tom shares a home in Vero Beach, Florida with other retired Paulist priests. Father Tom says Mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church several days a week and hears confessions. He has not retired exclusively to the golf course or the bridge table, but continues to serve and minister to the people as a faithful, prayerful, hard-working priest. Father Tom and the priests living with him exemplify the scripture passage: "You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek"
(Psalm 110:4).

Fr. Ivan Tou, CSP
With a Ph.D in computer science, an engineering degree from MIT, and five years working in artificial intelligence at Hewlett-Packard, Father Ivan Tou, associate pastor of Old St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco, might seem to be more inclined toward high tech than matters of the spirit. But his life was missing something vital. "While working at Hewlett-Packard, I was restless. I had a thirst for something more," he explains.

He considered medicine and the priesthood, but decided to earn his Ph.D at UCLA and teach. "I wanted to get the degree as quickly as possible, so I chose not to get involved with the Catholic student center," he says. But since he didn't know anyone in L.A., he volunteered to be a RCIA sponsor. From there, his involvement grew quickly. "The computer science research was interesting, but there wasn't that fire in the belly that I felt with church ministry."

When a local Paulist invited him to a vocation retreat, he thought, "I should give this one more try. Maybe God is calling me to priesthood." Six years later, Ivan was ordained. Even now, he seems a little surprised at this turn of events. "If I think logically about priesthood, the numbers don't add up. I don't like being a public person. But there is a magical flow that happens, that comes with being called, that God gives the gifts that are required."

He is keenly aware that the life of a priest is counter-cultural, but for him, it is simply where he was called. "I think we all live a mystical life. There's that divine, transcendent part we're all connected to, but we just lose touch with it." For Father Ivan Tou, answering the call to priesthood has put him back in touch with that mystery.

Fr. Ivan Tou  is now an associate pastor of Old St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco, CA.

Susan Kaderka, Pastoral Council • Saint Austin Catholic Parish, Austin, TX

Fr. Dave Dwyer, CSP
In New York City while directing television shows for MTV and HBO, Dave Dwyer pondered a vocation to the priesthood. With a young adult group from Long Island, he went to Denver in 1993 for World Youth Day with Pope John Paul II. Through that powerful experience, he heard the call more clearly.

With the Paulists, Dwyer finds a religious community where he can integrate the skills he learned in broadcast media. He's already been the on-air host for Sunday to Sunday, the video-based Scripture series produced by Paulist Media Works. His ability to speak the language of Generation X can be put to good use in reaching out to young adults. Fr. Dwyer is now the Director of Paulist Young Adult Ministries in New York City.

Fr. Ricky Manalo, CSP
Ricky Manalo first met the Paulists when he was studying as a Conventual Franciscan at the Washington Theological Union. Manalo composes liturgical music, writes books and articles and gives talks and workshops on the liturgy.

He produced an album, Beyond the Days, last year, and he is now working on a collection of music to complement the Paulist evangelization project Disciples in Mission. Fr. Manalo is now living with the Paulists in San Francisco and pursuing his doctorial studies at the Graduate Theological Union.

Fr. Brad Schoeberle, CSP
At Mass on Easter Sunday in the second grade, Brad Schoeberle first realized his vocation to the priesthood. "Watching the priest giving communion, I thought, 'This is what I am supposed to do.'" But it took 30 more years—studying for the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, working as a parish director of religious education— before he began his novitiate with the Paulists.

Seeking to live in community, Schoeberle found the Paulists to be men who take spirituality seriously and who care for one another as they dialogue with society in many different ways. Fr. Schoeberle is now the Superior at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Los Angeles, CA.

Fr. Frank Diskin, CSP
"Thanks for the Memory"

Paulist Father, Frank Diskin ordained a priest on May 11, 1946, just turned eighty-five years old. Our vocation coordinator, Leslie Firth, asked him what he would like to share with us when looking back over his years as a priest. Indicative of Father Frank's style, he began humming Bob Hope’s theme song, "Thanks for the Memory."

"Over the years," he says,"I have had a very happy life and I thank God for inviting me to be a Paulist."

"I remember the time when I was working as an Associate Pastor in Portland, Oregon, thirty-eight years ago or so, and a young child in the school yard admonished me "not to be a crab." Thus began my "apostolate of the smile" which has remained with me over the years and has brought much joy to my ministry wherever God has called me."

Father Frank Diskin was the first priest to start a Hispanic Ministry at Saint Paul’s church in New York City in 1952, for which he received a profound thank you from Archbishop of New York, John Cardinal O’Connor.

The ministry began in what was then called the Hells Kitchen neighborhood.

Saint Paul’s Church on 59th Street in New York, where it all began, remains blessed today with many wonderful Hispanic parishioners. Lucky for Father, he has retired to senior ministry status there and he continues to join these wonderful families in many special moments of their life.
Father Diskin also served in the past in Boston at the Catholic Information Center where he remembers welcoming many people to the Catholic Church through his interaction there. "If you joyfully live out the gospel day by day, you will make somebody happy and you will be happy too." reflects Father.

"I have served as a Priest in New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, Oregon, and Utah and have enjoyed the richness of my life in the service of God. I am very grateful to have touched the lives of others on this journey."

"For those discerning their call to service, I see the Christian vocation summed up in these words from Saint Francis of Asissi, "Preach the Gospel everywhere. If necessary use words."

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