 Fr. Thomas Leo Halloran, OP
Leo Halloran was born in
Bismarck, North Dakota on July 23, 1890. While
attending Conception College in Missouri he applied to enter the Dominican order, but was
unsure because of the possibility of being drafted.
He was required to show evidence that he was studying for the priesthood
before war was declared (May 18, 1917). He
also received a dispensation from Rome, because he did not complete four full years of
secondary school, due to an appendix operation. He
then worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in order to earn enough money to start
the novitiate. After his draft exemption was
granted, he entered the novitiate in 1918, taking the name Thomas.
After formation at the Dominican
House of Study in Washington, DC, (and a year of English at Catholic University of
America) he was ordained on June 29, 1925 at St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Bismarck,
North Dakota. He continued his studies for one year at St. Thomas College in Ross
after ordination. He began his ministry in
Ross as Master of Postulants and procurator. He
moved around the province, usually as procurator, becoming Procurator of the Province in
1935. He continued in that office until 1943, when he was elected prior of Ross (he
resigned just over a year later). On Christmas eve 1945, he was assigned as an
assistant pastor in Logan, Utah. While there, he was elected Socius and went to the
1946 General Chapter (electing Suarez) in Rome. Unfortunately, he did not have much
opportunity to travel since Europe had only begun to recover from the horrible destruction
of World War II. In 1947, he was assigned as
assistant pastor at St. Elizabeth’s parish in Richfield, Utah. He died there on
May 23, 1950. In 1974, a statue was erected in his memory at St. Elizabeth’s Parish.
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