June 6, 2004

Photo by Dan McWilliams
THE HONOREE Father Philip Thoni speaks at the Mass celebrating the 55th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, with Vicar General Father Xavier Mankel and Bishop Kurtz among his listeners.

Told as a teenager that he would never finish seminary, Father Philip Thoni celebrates 55 years as a priest.

They might have known Father Philip Thoni as a parish pastor, a military chaplain, a teacher, a family member, or a friend, but—as Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz said—those attending his 55th-anniversary celebration came mainly “because we love him.”

The Nashville native, ordained in his hometown June 4, 1949, celebrated his golden-jubilee-plus-five Mass on the anniversary date at St. Mary Church in Gatlinburg, where he has served since 2000.

Father Thoni presided over a liturgy whose more than 20 concelebrants included Bishop Kurtz; Bishop Moses Anderson, a retired auxiliary bishop of Detroit and a former auxiliary chaplain in the military under Father Thoni; Abbot Cletus Meagher, OSB, of St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Ala., a Cleveland native; and homilist Father Paul Hostettler of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Copperhill, a high school classmate of Father Thoni.

Vicar General Father Xavier Mankel was among the many diocesan priests present, joining several Sisters of Mercy, other women religious, and more than 200 of the faithful. Father Mankel was among Father Thoni’s students when the latter taught at Knoxville Catholic High School in the 1950s. The Sisters of Mercy have a long association with Father Thoni, having taught him at the Cathedral of the Incarnation School in Nashville and supported him throughout his priesthood.

The friendship of Father Thoni and Father Hostettler dates back to the pair’s elementary school days, said the homilist, who punctuated his sermon with a few playful jabs at his longtime pal.

“The only reason I could think of when Father Thoni asked me to do this was that he felt sorry for me,” he said. “We’ve known each other since we were children. We went through grade school together, and we also went to Father Ryan High School together in Nashville, where we graduated in the same class in 1942.

“While we were in grade school, could we ever have imagined that we would be here on this date, with you as the honoree for 55 years as a priest and me as the homilist for the occasion?”

Father Hostettler, whose own 55-year anniversary arrives next June, said one of the priest-professors at Father Ryan made a prediction about the two Nashville boys’ future as priests that was somewhat less than positive.

“Just a few weeks before our graduation we were standing outside Father Ryan High School’s back door, and one of our professors, a priest, came out. He stopped and said, ‘What are you boys going to do when you graduate?’ Both of us said we were going to the seminary, and he was quick to respond, ‘You won’t either one ever finish.’”

Father Hostettler said one reason everyone came to Gatlinburg that day was to “honor the priesthood” as lived by Father Thoni. That priesthood may be extended past the in persona christi function of ordained men to the many roles laypeople play in the Masses of today, he said.

“Every Christian is a priest—man, woman, and child. Laypeople ought to realize that and be happy to come to Mass anytime they can to take part in it. That’s what we’re celebrating tonight: the priesthood.”

Father Hostettler mentioned one fact that “I believe you already know” about the honoree.

“Father Thoni is a good priest,” he said. “He always has been, and he has served the great high priest, Jesus Christ, and his church faithfully for 55 years as a priest. He has even gone around the world to serve the church as a chaplain in the Army. I wish we had more priests like him. I’m calling on all of us here to pray that we will have more like him.”

Bishop Kurtz said in his closing remarks at Mass that it was touching to have so many of his brother priests attending on a Friday, with the busy weekend of liturgies ahead of them.

“It’s a sign of the great love that all of us have for the priesthood and for Father Phil specifically,” he said, adding that “it’s amazing how we all find a way to get here to St. Mary’s in Gatlinburg because we love it so much—but in a special way because we love our priest, Father Phil.”

The bishop praised Father Thoni for having “such a zeal for everything that is Catholic. He has a zeal for welcoming people, and he has a zeal for promoting our faith in Jesus Christ within his church.”

He also acknowledged the St. Mary pastor’s “love for people who are in need.” During Father Thoni’s years in Gatlinburg, the parish has contributed more than $600,000 to benefit Catholic schools, other diocesan parishes, and area charities.

Father Thoni, 80, served in all three grand divisions of the state in his first 18 years as a priest before starting his U.S. Army career. He said he asked Bishop Joseph A. Durick five times if he could go into the military, but—even after finally obtaining permission—he had to wait an extra year so the diocese could ordain more priests. In the meantime, he served as director of the Diocesan Development Fund.

His 25-year career as a military chaplain began in 1967, and he served in Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Germany, and the Desert Storm operation, retiring with a Bronze Star and a Legion of Merit award.

“I loved the military, and I stayed until they kicked me out,” he said.

He has left retirement more than once in the years since to serve the dioceses of Nashville and Knoxville.

Several members of Father Thoni’s family attended the Mass and dinner, including his sister-in-law, Rose Hornberger of Nashville, and a number of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews from the state capital, Sewanee, and Birmingham, Ala.

Also present were 40 members of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade, where Father Thoni served from 1996 to ’99. St. Francis pastor Father Greg Neuzil was among the concelebrants at the anniversary Mass.

At the dinner Father Thoni shared memories, cracked a joke or two, and thanked everyone for coming, but the priest in him rose to the surface in his final remarks.

“Bishop said such nice things, but I want you to know I’m a sinner like everybody else. We all are. That’s why we need the grace of Almighty God to live day by day. I hope you continue to bless me with your prayers and your presence, and you’ve blessed me with your presence in coming here.”

Photo by Dan McWilliams
FAMILY PHOTO Members of Father Thoni’s family traveled from Nashville, Sewanee, and Birmingham, Ala., to attend his 55th-anniversary celebration. With him (from left) are nephew Joe Thoni, sister-in-law Rose Hornberger, great-nephew Nick Power, great-niece Meredith Power, nephew Peter Power Jr., niece Angela and husband Peter Power Sr., and niece Phylis Herrin with son Elliott and husband Clayton.