04
Meet Parishioner
TOM TORR A Life of
E
veryone at St. Philip Neri Parish knows Tom. Some even think he lives at the parish. “They kiddingly ask me if I have a cot here,” he says, with a laugh. “I do not.” No, Tom Torrese does not live at our parish. But it sure seems like he does. That’s because the longtime parishioner is always here. He seems to be involved in every ministry and event at St. Philip Neri. And in many ways, he is. Some would say he is the definition of stewardship in action. “I consider St. Philip Neri my second home,” Tom says. “I am here at the campus every day, sometimes twice or three times. I only live a 10-minute drive away in good driving conditions. I enjoy all I do here at St. Philip Neri. Everything I do, I do because God allows me the time to do it.” The stewardship story of Tom Torrese began in 2013 when the parish moved from the old church — now the Parish Center — to the beautiful new church we know today. At a ministry fair, Tom signed up to be an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and a lector, and he also signed up for adoration on Saturday mornings from 4 to 5 a.m. That was just the beginning of the journey at St. Philip Neri for Tom. His involvement continued to grow over the years, and he hasn’t looked back. He has made this parish his home away from home. “As far as stewardship is concerned, yes, I am involved in parish life,” Tom says. “I encourage everyone to get involved in parish life. If everyone would get involved with their time and talents, it would make it easier on everyone who serves in our church.” A native of Philadelphia, Tom grew up with a large extended family, attended Catholic schools with his sister, and regularly attended Mass with his family. After graduating high school, he attended a technical school and eventually moved to the Baltimore area, where he worked for Westinghouse and later Northrop Grumman for 30 years. When he
Tom Torrese and his beloved late wife, Mary, who passed away in 2007
first started his career at Westinghouse, Tom admits he was busy and sometimes would not make it to Sunday Mass. But he felt that void and said he had a spiritual awakening when he was introduced to the Catholic charismatic movement as a young man in the 1970s. “I met some Pentecostal Christians (at Westinghouse) and because of their faith, I started going to evening Mass at St. Rose of Lima and was introduced to this movement,” he says. “I had a hunger to know all I could about the Lord and the Holy Spirit, so I started attending Catholic charismatic conferences in Atlantic City before it became (a gambling town), and at the University of Notre Dame for the big yearly Catholic charismatic conference. That changed my life.” At St. Rose of Lima in Baltimore, Tom got involved in parish service for the first time in his life when he signed up to be an usher at Mass. He then met Mary,
