By Joanna Puddister King
GREENVILLE – For Father Thomas Mullally, SVD, 60 years of religious life can be measured in dates and places – from a small Michigan community to parishes across Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi.
But perhaps a better measure if found in the people.
They came from communities Father Mullally has served over the decades to celebrate his 60th anniversary of religious profession with the Society of the Divine Word. During the celebration, representatives from parishes in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi were asked to stand, a visible reminder of the lives and communities that have intersected with his ministry.
Looking back over those years, Father Mullally said one lesson has remained remarkably consistent: ministry begins with being close to people.
“If you are good to the people, compassionate and merciful, they love you,” he said.
He said smaller parishes have given him something particularly valuable – time to know the people he serves.
“The smaller parishes give you more time. You get to know the people better,” Father Mullally said, describing the closeness of a small parish as being “like family.”
Born Nov. 9, 1942, in Emmett, Michigan, Father Mullally was the fourth of five children born to John and Ann Mullally. His father died in 1949, leaving his mother to raise their five children.
Some of his fondest childhood memories were summers spent on his grandparents’ farm in Vassar, Michigan. Farm life helped instill lessons in hard work, responsibility, perseverance, simplicity and concern for others – qualities that would follow him into missionary ministry.
After graduating from Vassar High School in 1960, he entered Divine Word Seminary.
On Sept. 8, 1966, Father Mullally professed his first religious vows with the Society of the Divine Word. He professed perpetual vows four years later, on Sept. 8, 1970, and was ordained to the priesthood Dec. 19, 1970, in Techny, Illinois.
His ministry took him throughout the Divine Word Missionaries’ Southern Province, with assignments in Louisiana and Arkansas before eventually leading him to Mississippi.
Father Mullally came to the Delta in 2008, serving Catholic communities including Sacred Heart in Greenville, St. Francis in Shaw, Immaculate Conception in Indianola and St. Benedict the Moor in Indianola, as well as communities in Shelby and Mound Bayou and at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman.
He retired from active ministry in December 2020 but not from priestly ministry. Today, he continues serving as a priest in residence at Sacred Heart in Greenville and St. Francis in Shaw.
Nearly two decades in the Delta have given Father Mullally a particular appreciation for the faith of its Catholic communities.
Asked what the people of the Delta have taught him about faith, his answer was simple: “They chose to be Catholic.”
He spoke especially about Black Catholics who remain committed to the church while living in communities where Catholics are a small minority.
“They chose to be Black and Catholic. Now, that’s a commitment,” Father Mullally said. “They chose to be Catholic, and to remain Catholic. Now, that’s faith. That’s loyalty to the Church.”
Father Mullally has also encountered new experiences during his years in the Delta, including ministry to the growing Hispanic Catholic community. Although he does not speak Spanish beyond a few words, he said he has learned that communication in ministry goes deeper than language.
“The core of the heart is so important,” Father Mullally said. “Because they know that you love them, you have compassion for them.”
At the anniversary Mass, provincial Father Augustine “Gus” Wall, SVD, reflected on a characteristic he believes has defined Father Mullally’s missionary life – presence.
“One thing, I’m sure we’ve all experienced about Father Tom, is that he is present for us,” Father Wall said. “If you’re having joy in your life, he wants to hear it. And he will pray with you for it. If you’re going through some … trouble, he wants to hear it even more.”
Parishioners offered similar memories.
One described Father Mullally as someone who listened and offered good advice when she needed to talk. Another recalled his presence in parishioners’ homes – blessing homes, sharing meals and becoming part of the life and history of the community.
During the anniversary celebration, Father Mullally stood with a candle in hand and renewed the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience he first professed six decades ago.
Following the renewal of vows, Father Mullally became emotional as he thanked God and reflected on reaching a milestone he once was not certain he would see.
“I just thank God. I didn’t think I’d make it,” he said tearfully.
Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, who has known Father Mullally for more than a decade of his priesthood, pointed to the contrast between the young Divine Word Missionary who professed vows at age 23 in 1966 and the priest celebrating six decades of religious life in 2026.
The years have changed some things, the bishop joked, but not Father Mullally’s desire to serve.
“He doesn’t dance physically like he used to,” Bishop Kopacz said. “But he dances in his heart.”
Sixty years after his first profession, Father Mullally’s missionary journey continues – still rooted in the people, still centered on relationships and still answering the call that first led a young man from rural Michigan to the Society of the Divine Word.
