Fr. Thomas N. Pelton, died on Friday, January 3, 2014, at Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center in Chicago. He was 72 years old.
Fr. Pelton was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, and attended St. Clotilde School in Chicago. He graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary and from the University of St. Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary. John Cardinal Cody, then Archbishop of Chicago, ordained Fr. Pelton on April 26, 1966. He received his Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Sacred Theology and Licentiate of Sacred Theology degrees from St. Mary of the Lake and graduated from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a Psy.D. in clinical psychology in 1991.
His first assignment was at St. Jerome Parish in Chicago where he served as assistant pastor from 1966 to 1972. He also served in other Chicago parishes as assistant pastor including St. Bernard Parish from 1972 to 1978, Holy Trinity Parish from 1978 to 1983, while also serving as Chaplain of the Alumni Catholic Club of Chicago, and Our Lady of the Angels Parish from 1983 until 1985. Fr. Pelton took his sabbatical from June 1984 until November 1985 in order to pursue studies for his doctoral degree. He then served as associate pastor at St. Anthony Parish in Cicero from 1985 to 1990. He served in the same capacity as associate pastor for Our Lady of the Mount Parish in Cicero from 1990 to 1994 and was a resident priest at St. Aloysius Parish in Chicago from 1994 to 1996. He was named administrator for Maternity BVM Parish on North Avenue in Chicago in 1996 and was named pastor in May of 1997 until his retirement in 2011 when he was named Pastor Emeritus.
Rev. James E. Flynn, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and long-time friend of Fr. Pelton said, “Fr. Pelton loved people and was loved by them in return. His passion as a priest spilled over to his work in clinical psychology at Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center where his work focused on cancer and HIV patients and their families.”
Fr. Pelton is survived by his sisters, Norine Matthews, Joanne Pitulla, Colette (Terence) McGuinness and Mary Anne (George) Hannibal.
Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Chicago.