“Tom was just such a gentle spirit, with a wonderful passion about life. He was a quiet guy, who formed strong friendships, life-long friendships – just a delightful guy,” said Msgr. Michael LeFevre, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and pastor or administrator of the three other parishes in its cluster.
Fr. Kirwan died May 30. He was 68.
He had served with Msgr. LeFevre at two parishes — at National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, where both were associate pastors, and then later at St. Blase Parish in Sterling Heights, where Msgr. LeFevre was pastor and Fr. Kirwan an associate pastor.
“He also had a great passion for reading, even after his stroke,” Msgr. LeFevre continued, explaining that Fr. Kirwan had suffered a stroke in 2000.
He spent the next four years in Lourdes Nursing Home in Waterford Township, but he recovered his speech ability and lived these past seven years in an assisted-living facility at Lourdes.
Fr. Kirwan not only lived there, but again functioned as a priest.
“His apartment was on the first floor, so he got to know everybody,” Msgr. LeFevre added.
Sr. Ritamary Pyzick, OSF, pastoral minister at St. Raphael Parish in Garden City, recalled its former pastor as “a wonderful, sensitive man, who was loved by the people.”
She said Fr. Kirwan “was very quiet, soft-spoken, kind and gentle,” and “always tried to do his best to serve the people and minister in a reverent manner.”
Ron Arsenault, a parish staff member, called Fr. Kirwan “a very warm and down-to-earth individual, with a bright smile and a warm demeanor.”
Born March 15, 1943, in Detroit to Thomas and Mary (Scott) Kirwan, he attended St. Vincent Grade School and Cardinal Mooney Latin School (the high school of Sacred Heart Seminary), both in Detroit.
His priestly formation was at Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth Township.
He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit June 7, 1969, and served as associate pastor at St. Blase Parish, Sterling Heights; Divine Child Parish, Dearborn; St. Matthias Parish, Sterling Heights; Our Lady Queen of All Saints Parish, Fraser; Shrine of the Little Flower Parish, Royal Oak; St. Dorothy Parish, Center Line; and Christ the King Parish, Detroit.
Fr. Kirwan was pastor of St. Dorothy Parish, Center Line; St. Hilary Parish, Redford; and St. Raphael Parish, Garden City.
He is survived by a niece, Sheila Myers.
A funeral mass was celebrated June 4 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit.
