Fr. William Thomas

Ordained in 1978 at age 40 for the Diocese of Lansing. Had previously been a high school teacher. Appointed in 1984 to the position of vice charge of the Holy See at the Notre Dame Jerusalem Center in Jerusalem, meant to be a five-year commitment. Appointed in 7/1986 by Bishop Povish as diocesan representative to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal; was as at the time a Lansing Catholic Central faculty member. Moved to the Diocese of Wurzburg in Germany in 1989, where he was incardinated. Returned to Lansing in 2004 and was re-incardinated. In 2005 an employee of Holy Spirit Parish in Hamburg MI, where Thomas was pastor, discovered child abuse images on a rectory computer, with multiple related websites listed and evidence of substantial time spent on the sites. One of the websites allegedly showed “boys being violated by men for the first time.” Thomas was placed on leave in 10/2005. He told the bishop that he was looking at the images for “research.” In 11/2005 the bishop sent a “Graviora Delicta” (Grave Offenses) to the Vatican’s CDF. Thomas moved to his cottage in the Diocese of Gaylord. Police found in their investigation that the computer’s hard drive had been “cleansed.” There was no criminal prosecution. Separately, a woman expressed concern to the Diocese that her 16-year-old son was being groomed by Thomas; the boy had keys to the rectory where he spent some nights and was given gifts and school tuition by Thomas. Thomas remained on leave of absence and still held the title of pastor of Holy Spirit when he died of Legionnaire’s disease 7/23/2007, during a trip to Germany. His congregation was never informed as to the reason he was on leave.