ENCOUNTER WITH SILENCE

Father John-Mary Tompkins, O.S.B

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            Father John-Mary (John W.) Tompkins, O.S.B., a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, was born in Troy, NY, on December 21, 1959.  He is the son of Bill (William J.) and Joan H. (Bearor) Tompkins of Hermitage, TN.  His sister is Kathleen M. Fagan (Bob) of Delran, NJ, and his brother is the late Michael J. Tompkins, formerly of Nashville, TN.  Father John-Mary is the uncle of Shannon (Michael) Gallone, of Delran, NJ, and Bobby Fagan, of Delran, NJ.  His grandparents are the late John and Josephine Tompkins, and the late Bert and Mary Bearor. 

            Father John-Mary grew up in Willingboro, NJ, and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1978.  He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and graduated from the academy in 1982 with a bachelor of science degree.  He served as a military police officer from 1982 until his entrance into the monastery in 1987, with assignments in Germany and northern Virginia.

            He entered Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 1, 1987, and entered the novitiate on July 10, 1987. He made his first profession of monastic vows on July 10, 1988, before Archabbot Paul Maher, O.S.B., at the Archabbey Basilica. He professed his solemn profession of vows on July 11, 1991, before Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, O.S.B., at the Basilica.

            Father John-Mary entered Saint Vincent Seminary in the fall of 1988. He earned a master of divinity degree in May 1992, and was ordained a deacon on July 18, 1992, before Bishop Anthony Bosco of Greensburg, at the Basilica. Father John-Mary earned a master of arts degree in systematic theology in May 1993, and was ordained a priest on May 29, 1993, before Bishop Anthony Bosco, at the Basilica.

            During his monastic formation and seminary years, Father John-Mary served the monastic community as a sacristan and as a college dormitory prefect and moderator. He served his deacon internship at Saint Benedict the Moor Church in Pittsburgh (1992-1993).

            Since his ordination as a priest, he has served as a parochial vicar in Saint Peter Parish in the North Side of Pittsburgh, in Saint Vincent Parish in Latrobe, and in Saint Gregory the Great Parish in Virginia, Beach, VA. He has served as pastor in Queen of the World Church in Saint Marys, PA. From August 2006 through August 2010, he served as the Catholic chaplain in Latrobe Area Hospital.  He served as the chaplain to the City of Latrobe Police from 1998-2000, and also served as the chaplain and moderator of the Saint Vincent College Women's Auxiliary from 2006-2019.

            From 2009-2014, Father John-Mary served as the director of postulants in the Archabbey formation program. He has served as director of field education (2010-2014), vice rector (2010-present), dean of students (2014-2015), director of human formation (2010-2012 and 2015-present), and faculty member (2010-present) of Saint Vincent Seminary.

            Father John-Mary has led numerous retreats at Saint Vincent since his ordination to the diaconate, and has also led three parish missions.  He has led the “Encounter with Silence” retreat at Saint Emma Monastery in Greensburg each year since July 2010, as well as in the Martina Spiritual Renewal Center in Westview, PA, each year since 2013.