Fr. Tom Fanta on keeping the faith during tough times
Even a priest can lose faith. When the Rev. Tom Fanta’s father died of a heart attack at 67, Tom’s faith fell off a cliff. It was hard to even pray. He tells people, it’s okay if you can’t pray. Fake it till you can.
Three years ago, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He went from chaplain of the chemo club to a member. He shares how to receive support, not just give it.
Father Tom also talks about seeing race as a faith issue and challenges all to reach out to love each other more deeply in ways big and small.
At the end of every day, he reflects on the moments where God peeked into his life. He goes to bed with a grateful heart so he'll wake up with one.
My takeaways:
In time, gratitude re-framed the loss of his dad: Instead of asking God, “Why did you take my father?” He started to ask, “Why was I given my father for so many years..”
Race is a faith issue. It’s our job to love each other but to do that we have to greet each other, look each other in the eye and learn each other’s stories.l
Make God the center of your life and you can get through anything.
At the end of every day, reflect on the day and look for moments where God peeked into your life.
Official Bio:
The Rev. Tom Fanta grew up the 4th of eight children in North Olmsted, Ohio. He graduated from John Carroll University with a Business Degree. He has a Masters Degree from St. Mary Seminary and a Doctorate in Preaching from The Aquinas Institute in St. Louis, MO.
He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1988 and has been pastor at St. Dominic since 2001.
Rev. Fanta is a former board member at Thea Bowman Center, West Side Catholic Center, St. Ignatius High School Board of Regents.
St. Dominic has more than 500 volunteers in their "Project Serve" initiative, which offers opportunities to serve the poor and forgotten in our local community as well as at our partner parish, Santo Domingo, in El Salvador.
The church partners with the Thea Bowman Center in the Mt. Pleasant Community, Ronald McDonald House, West Side Catholic Center, St. Herman's House, and the Warrensville Developmental center to provide both volunteers and financial support for their efforts.
More than 200 parishioners have gone on mission trips to its partner parish in El Salvador, where they sponsor a medical clinic, a teaching farm, and make it possible for 36 Salvadorans to attend college.
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