This past weekend, the Pax Christi USA community — Pax Christi USA and Michigan members, Teachers of Peace, Ambassadors of Peace, partners and friends — gathered in Detroit to honor and celebrate the life and witness of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, our founding bishop-president and Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace.
>> Click here to see photos from the visitation, the Pax Christi USA gathering of remembrance, and the funeral mass for Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Pax Christi USA founding bishop-president, Teacher of Peace, and Ambassador of Peace, in Detroit, April 11-13, 2024.
Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv, and Mary Hanna, Pax Christi Michigan state coordinator, represented Pax Christi USA at the visitation and prayer service at Sacred Heart Church on Thursday, with each sharing words of gratitude for Tom’s leadership of Pax Christi USA and witness to the compassion and nonviolence of Jesus. You can watch the entire visitation from Thursday, at the link below. You can forward ahead to see Pax Christi Michigan state coordinator Mary Hanna speak at the 1:58:10 mark here and Pax Christi USA Bishop-President Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv. at the 2:15:18 mark here.
A beautiful memorial video was produced by Jasmine Rivera and shown at the visitation at Sacred Heart Church. You can watch the video by clicking here.
On Friday, Johnny Zokovitch, Executive Director of Pax Christi USA, attended the visitation at the funeral home, speaking with Tom’s sister, Sr. Irene Gumbleton and other family members, sharing condolences and gratitude from the entire Pax Christi USA community. Judy Holmes prepared a poster with a photo of Tom’s tattered copy of “The Challenge of Peace” and other items marking Tom’s witness.
In the evening on Friday, about 40-45 members and friends of Pax Christi USA and Pax Christi Michigan gathered at a local restaurant to share stories and memories of Tom and celebrate his life and witness together, joined by both our grief and gratitude. Special thanks to Pax Christi Michigan’s Pat Valaer, Mary Hanna, Kim Redigan and Fr. Fred Thelen for setting up the event. Special guests included past national coordinators/executive directors Sr. Anne McCarthy and Dave Robinson; Pax Christi USA Teachers of Peace Fr. Peter Dougherty, Marie Dennis and Colleen Kelly; Pax Christi USA Ambassadors of Peace Jean Stokan and Scott Wright (in addition to Marie, Mary, and Anne); and friends and partners like Kim Bergier, José Artiga, Eileen Purcell, Johann Berrigan, Mary Beth Appel, Miriam Ford, and others. See some of the photos below of folks sharing memories of Tom and see all the photos in this photo album here.
The funeral Mass was held on Saturday at the Cathedral with Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R. presiding, with a reception following. Numerous Pax Christi USA and Michigan members attended, including Ambassadors of Peace Bill and Mary Carry, former national coordinator and Ambassador of Peace Nancy Small, Ambassador of Peace Fr. John Dear, alongside Pax Christi USA national staff, council members, and others. You can watch the video of the Mass at this link.
We offer our deepest thanks to everyone who remembered and celebrated Tom this weekend, whether in Detroit or wherever you were. We look forward to continuing to honor Tom’s legacy and to build a movement rooted in the nonviolence of Jesus, a movement that embodies his spirit, one that lives up to our name as “the peace of Christ.”
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton – PRESENTE!
>> Find additional videos, photos, articles and more about Tom at this link.
Rest in the Lord own Peace!
Deep Thanks to Mary Yelenick, Main Representative of the Pax Christi International UN-NGO Delegation, for sharing this link — Bishop Tom (or Tom, as he preferred to be called 😉 was an inspirational figure for me, especially as a young college student back in the 80s… his example has remained with me over a lifetime and has helped me to stay engaged with the Church / keep the vision of non-violence.
with Gratitude, Beth Blissman, UN Rep, Loretto Community