CLAWSON — Fr. Gary Tierney, 84, is remembered by those who knew him as a humble and kind friend and mentor to all those within his orbit.
A longtime priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit who served as a pastor, administrator, canon lawyer, vocation leader and a friend to many, Fr. Tierney passed away peacefully on Nov 30.
“He was very bright, but he didn’t come across as intimidating because of his intellect," said Deacon Christopher Stark, who first met Fr. Tierney when he served as pastor of Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson from 1989 to 1998. “He was a kind, gentle man who always encouraged me in my participation at parish functions and responsibilities."
Fr. Tierney was born March 13, 1941, in Detroit to Lewis Roy and Mary Veronica Tierney, the youngest of four children. Fr. Tierney’s extended family was quite large, and for his entire life, he was incredibly proud of his status as the 101st grandchild out of 103.
After attending Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit and St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Fr. Tierney continued his education at the University of Detroit, St. Paul Pontifical University, and the University of Ottawa.
On June 3, 1967, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Over the course of his many years as a priest, Fr. Tierney served as pastor of St. Alan Parish in Troy (1998-2007); Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson (1989-98); St. Anne Parish in Monroe (1986-89); Our Lady Queen of Hope Parish in Detroit (1985-86); and St. Clement Parish in Dearborn (1977-82). He also served as associate pastor of St. Regis Parish in Bloomfield Hills (1967-69); and as administrator of St. Colman Parish, Farmington Hills (1984).
Fr. Tierney also served on the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and, earlier in his ministry, as priest-secretary to Cardinal John F. Dearden. He also was the Archdiocese of Detroit's first director of the permanent diaconate after the ministry was re-established in the Latin Church following the Second Vatican Council.
Fr. Tierney was granted senior priest status in 2007.
Deacon Stark first met Fr. Tierney as a parishioner at Guardian Angels Parish. Deacon Stark, who was ordained a deacon in 2012 and now serves at Guardian Angels, was in his 20s at the time and excited to help out at the parish.
“I was a lector and Eucharistic minister, and also helped with the confirmation preparation for students as an eighth-grade catechist,” Deacon Stark told Detroit Catholic. “I was excited to help out, and with his guidance and encouragement, I started getting involved with the parish council and became the parish council president.”
Deacon Stark began to discern the priesthood, and, with the encouragement of Fr. Tierney, enrolled in the seminary.
“I was not called to the priesthood; however, I have since been called to the permanent diaconate, and I owe a great deal of gratitude to his ministry and friendship and encouragement,” Deacon Stark said.
Fr. Tierney was a good listener who took his pastoral duties seriously, and was also incredibly intelligent, Deacon Stark added.
“He was a canon lawyer, and he worked with the tribunal in Detroit, which was never something that interfered with his role as pastor and friend within the community at the school and parish,” Deacon Stark said. “I hope that what I learned from him was the value of listening, the love of Jesus Christ and the care for the people whom God has placed in our path."
Fr. Tierney taught the value of being present to others, and that "we treat them with great dignity and respect, to listen, to care for, and to help them on their journey toward Jesus,” Deacon Stark added.
Maryann Farrell, who served as Fr. Tierney’s secretary at St. Alan Parish during the last decade of his active ministry, remembers him not only as a kind and effective boss, but also as a dear friend who remembered everyone’s birthdays.
Farrell said she and Fr. Tierney grew closer in friendship in his later years. “We would celebrate birthdays, share a meal, have a good time and a lot of laughs together,” Farrell said.
“He was a wonderful boss — he was very gentle with everybody,” Farrell told Detroit Catholic. “He was very kind and willing to help people to do what they needed to do.”
Fr. Tierney is predeceased by his parents, as well as his brothers, Roy and Pete, and his sister Marilyn. He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated for Fr. Tierney on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Christ Our Light Catholic Church, 3077 Glouchester Dr, Troy, MI 48084. Friends are welcome to visit beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Burial will take place in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield.
