Rev. Edward Joseph Tomasiewicz, C.M., was born on December 11, 1947, to Joseph and Genevieve Tomasiewicz of Omaha, NE. After attending South High School, He began discerning a call to the priesthood. He applied to the Archdiocese of Omaha and matriculated to Conception Seminary in Conception, MO, in 1965. After several years at Conception, he transferred to St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, CO. It is here that he met the Vincentians.
He completed his BA in philosophy and his studies for ordination at St. Thomas. During this time, Fr. Tomasiewicz grew in his understanding of the Vincentian mission and became attracted to the community. He was ordained to the diaconate of the Archdiocese of Omaha in 1973 and to the priesthood in 1974. After ordination, he served for three years as the associate pastor at St. Patrick Church in Fremont, NE.
In the spring of 1977, Fr. Tomasiewicz requested entrance into the Congregation of the Mission. With Archbishop Sheehan’s permission, he was received into the Internal Seminary under the direction of Fr. Arthur Trapp, C.M. At the end of his year of internal seminary, he was admitted to temporary bond (the predecessor to Good Purposes). During these years, Fr. Tomasiewicz served at St. Louis Prep South as a spiritual director and faculty member. Later he served as Dean of Students at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis.
While working in St. Louis, Fr. Tomasiewicz continued his education in spirituality, achieving an MA from the University of San Francisco in 1982. After pronouncing vows, on August 30, 1981, he continued his studies, achieving a Doctor of Ministry degree with an emphasis in pastoral counseling from Andover Newton Theological Seminary in 1989. He was assigned to DeAndreis House in Denver, CO, where he worked with the theology students there. In 1991, Fr. Tomasiewicz moved next door to St. Thomas Seminary, where he joined the faculty teaching lay students and seminarians in the MA in Pastoral Counseling program. He became a full-time instructor in religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago in 1995, where he continued to teach a variety of courses that studied the connection between theology and psychology. When his health declining, he could no longer continue with his teaching duties and was assigned to the Apostle of Charity House in Perryville, MO, as a Confrere in Care in March 2016.
In his years at Perryville, Fr. Tomasiewicz continued to share his infectious laugh with confreres. He enjoyed sharing in the common life. As he approached the end of his life, he found comfort in quiet and prayerfully reflecting upon icons. The staff at Apostle of Charity Residence found a listening ear in Fr. Ed and very much appreciated it. The Lord of the Harvest called him home on July 21, 2022.
Eternal Rest grant unto Fr. Edward Tomasiewicz, O Lord. Let the perpetual light shine upon him!
Services:
Vigil—Friday, July 29, 2022, 7 p.m., Apostle of Charity Residence, St. Mary’s of the Barrens, Perryville, MO.
Funeral Mass—Saturday, July 30, 2022, 10:30 a.m., Apostle of Charity Residence, St. Mary’s of the Barrens, Perryville, MO.
Both services will be livestreamed on the St. Mary’s of the Barrens Facebook page HERE.