Msgr. Thomas VillerotWhether it was serving as a parish pastor, picking the minds of seminarian interns or blessing people at Marywood Nursing Care Center, Msgr. Villerot never stopped in his role in serving Christ’s church.
Msgr. Villerot died Dec. 5. At the age of 99, he was the oldest living priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
“Clear and away, what he loved most about life was being a priest,” said Fr. Tim Babcock, associate director of international priests for the Archdiocese of Detroit who’s known Msgr. Villerot for more than 50 years.
“He was a ‘priest’s priest’,” Fr. Babcock said. “The hardest thing for him was to stop celebrating Mass. Even at the nursing home, he loved saying Mass, hearing confessions, blessing and anointing people.”
Thomas Villerot was born in Detroit on July 1, 1917, to Henry and Mary (O’Brien) Villerot. He was predeceased by his brothers, Fr. Henry and Ernest; and sisters, Sr. Mary Frances Xavier Villerot, RSM, Kathleen Lama and Anne. He is survived by his brother, Joseph; and his sister, Sr. Mary Theresa Villerot, RSM and Barbara Gardner.
Msgr. Villerot was ordained May 29, 1943, at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit by Cardinal Edward A. Mooney.
Msgr. Villerot served as an associate pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Erie (1943-47); St. Catherine (1947-52) and St. Lawrence (1952) in Detroit; and St. Mary in Royal Oak (1952-57). Msgr. Villerot taught at Sacred Heart Seminary High School from 1957-65, before receiving his first pastorship at St. Martin of Tours Parish in Detroit in 1965.
Msgr. Villerot then named pastor of St. Jude Parish in Detroit from 1970-79 and then was transferred to St. Valerie of Ravenna Parish in Clinton Township 1979-87.
Msgr. Thomas Villerot blesses newly ordained Fr. Brian Meldrum in May 2015 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. Msgr. Villerot, at age 99 the oldest priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit, loved being a priest and attending archdiocesan functions well into his retirement years, friends said. Msgr. Villerot died Dec. 5. (Photo courtesy of Deacon Mike Stewart)“He was the type of priest who did whatever he was asked to do,” Fr. Babcock said. “When he was active, he tried to put the people first. When preaching, a child would cry or be fussy, and he stopped and thanked the mother for bringing the child to church. He firmly believed that children should be in church.”
Shortly after gaining senior priest status in 1987, Msgr. Villerot was named a monsignor on March 26, 1990; during that time he was assisting Fr. Babcock at St. Mary Parish in Royal Oak, where he met a young seminarian intern by the name of Ronald Browne.
“I got to meet him and we built a great friendship,” said Msgr. Browne, who now serves as judicial vicar for the Metropolitan Tribunal and served as secretary for the recently completed Synod 16. “Some of the discussion we had was about how to share the faith, especially as a priest with parishioners, with families, what priests need to do to build up families.”
Msgr. Browne said Msgr. Villerot was a great mentor for all seminarians and young priests, and a reminder of all the joys that come with the priesthood.
“I remember as a seminarian at St. Mary’s, he was presiding at the Good Friday service that year,” Msgr. Browne said. “He was preaching with a tear in his eye, and how we should be just so appreciative of what Jesus has done for us. He just loved being a priest.”
Msgr. Villerot’s love the priesthood couldn’t stop in retirement, if one could even call it retirement.
“He was the type of priest that said, it doesn’t matter what time it is, if someone needed to be anointed, just call,” said Maureen Gorie, pastoral care supervisor at Marywood. “He was very appreciative; he loved the Lord and loved his neighbors.”
Gorie said Msgr. Villerot made a point to celebrate Mass every Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the Holy Family Chapel at Marywood and jumped at every possibility to hear a confession, do a blessing or attend an Archdiocese of Detroit function.
Probably the best example of Msgr. Villerot’s devotion to the priesthood comes from Fr. Babcock, who discovered Msgr. Villerot in retirement would wake at 5:30 a.m. in order to celebrate 6:15 Mass with the Felician Sisters at Ladywood High School before school started.
“I said, ‘Tom, you’re retired, why are you getting up at 5:30 in the morning?’ and he said, ‘I could always go back to bed.’ The sisters needed Mass, and he loved saying Mass. He just loved being a priest. If you asked Tom Villerot who he was, I’m sure his answer would be, ‘I’m a priest.’”
Msgr. Villerot’s body will lie in state on Saturday, Dec. 10 at St. Mary Parish from 10 a.m. to the celebration of his funeral Mass at 11 a.m. He will be interred at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield.
