McManus, Rev Thomas
REV. THOMAS MCMANUS
March 12, 1993
Personal Info
- Date of Birth: 12 November 1929
- Place of Birth in Ireland: Esker
- County: Longford
- Education: St Mel’s College, Longford and St Peter’s College, Wexford, Ireland
- Date of Ordination: 7 June 1953
- Place of Ordination: St Peter’s Seminary Chapel, Wexford
Diocesan Appointments
- Assistant – St Mary’s Cathedral, Wichita – 10/27/1953 to 10/26/1957
- Assistant – St Joseph’s, McPherson – 5/2/1958 to 5/8/1959
- Assistant – Holy Cross, Hutchinson – 5/9/1959
- Assistant – St Patrick’s, Parsons – 3/1/1960
- Chaplain – United States Air Force – 10/1/1960 to 1984
- Pastor – St Theresa The Little Flower, Summerville, SC – 1984 to 1986
- Pastor – St Benedict’s Church, Crystal River, FL – 1988 to 1990
- Administrator – Divine Redeemer Church, Hanahan, SC – 3/5/1993 to 3/12/1993
During the 1957 Lenten season, Father McManus sponsored a seven-week course entitled “Planning for Parenthood,” in his role of chaplain for the Padilla Club. The club is comprised of young Catholic people from the diocese; however, this course is open to all young people regardless of their religious affiliation. In describing the course, Father shared that the topics were timeless and would look at the choice of a marital partner, courtship and engagement, love and happiness in marriage, masculine and feminine psychology and more. He said “Certainly it is a very timely subject because the latter day subverter of marriage is entirely devoted to misleading the minds of men and corrupting their hearts, making a mockery of matrimonial purity, and extolling the filthiest of vices against the very purpose of marriage.”
Chaplain Thomas McManus was presented the Air Force medal for outstanding contribution to “Operation Life-Line” and outstanding performance as a base Catholic chaplain at DaNang. Operation Life-Line was a volunteer project where Air Force soldiers assumed responsibility for 600 orphaned Vietnamese children and provided food, clothing and in some instances shelter for many of them in need. Much of the food came from donations from towns, coops or company donations from the United States.
Father McManus, was among a class of 42 individuals who were sworn in as citizens of the United States in 1959.
On October 22, 1960, Father McManus received word that his father, also named Thomas, suddenly died that morning of a massive heart attack. Father was able to make immediate preparations to fly to Ireland on a jet to officiate at his father’s funeral.
When Father McManus retired from the Air Force in 1984, he became the first pastor of St. Theresa of the Little Flower in Summerville parish. He served there until 1986 when he returned to Ireland. He stayed in Ireland for a short time but then returned and took an assignment at St Benedict’s Church in Crystal River, FL for two years before returning to South Carolina as an administrator.
