FR. THOMAS P. CONLEY, ARCHDIOCESAN PRIEST, DIES
Ordained May 3, 1947

Chicago, IL (April 24, 2007)—Fr. Thomas P. Conley, pastor emeritus of St. Pius X Parish in Stickney, died on Sunday, April 22 at age 85 due to complications from a lung infection, at Holy Family Villa in Palos Park.

A Chicago native, Fr. Conley was born on June 21, 1921 and was baptized at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish on the city’s north side. After attending Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School in the late 1920’s, Fr. Conley graduated from the nearby St. Hilary School in June 1935, Quigley (North) Preparatory Seminary in June 1940, and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in 1947.

Fr. Conley was ordained a priest on May 3, 1947, and the following day, celebrated his first solemn Mass at St. Hilary Church. On July 1 of that year, he was named assistant pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in north suburban Winnetka where he served until February 1962, and again between July 1963 and February 1965. In the interim, Fr, Conley served as assistant pastor of Maternity Blessed Virgin Mary Parish on Chicago’s west side. Between February 1965 and February 1967, Fr. Conley served as assistant pastor of Chicago’s St. Bonaventure Parish before serving six years as assistant pastor of the west side’s St. Peter Canisius Parish.

Fr. Conley was then appointed assistant pastor of Oak Park’s St. Edmund Parish where he remained through the end of 1979. He then became pastor of St. Pius X Parish, where he served until his retirement on June 30, 1991.Fr. Conley was named pastor emeritus of St. Pius X, and resided as a senior priest in Des Plaines at St. Zachary Parish until 2002. He relocated to the Bishop Lyne Residence for Retired Priests in Palos Park where he lived until his recent hospitalization.

Visitation for Fr. Conley will be from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 26, at St. Zachary Church, 567 W. Algonquin Rd., Des Plaines. An 11 a.m. funeral Mass for Fr. Conley, that will be presided by Fr. Joseph McGinnity, St. Zachary’s former pastor, follows. Interment will be at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines.

Two brothers, Joseph and James, and one sister, Eleanor, and many nieces and nephews survive Fr. Conley..