Obituario

Chicago (Feb. 7, 2022) – Rev. Thomas J. Mescall, retired archdiocesan priest and former pastor of St. Adrian Parish on Washtenaw Avenue in Chicago, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. He was 74 years old.

He served the Archdiocese of Chicago as associate pastor of St. Terrence Parish in Alsip and St. Denis Parish on St. Louis Avenue. He was also chaplain of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago and served as pastor at St. Adrian Parish until he retired in 2018.

Mescall was born on Dec. 9, 1947, in Chicago. He attended St. Leo Catholic School and Leo High School in Chicago. Mescall attended the University of Albuquerque, N.M., and graduated in 1973 from the John Marshall Law School, now known as University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.

Prior to joining the priesthood, Mescall practiced law in Albuquerque, N.M., until 2000, serving as a judge for 17 years in municipal, metropolitan, district and probate courts. He married, had two children and after his divorce, his marriage was nullified.

Mescall always felt a pull toward priesthood and in 2000, he entered the Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis., where he earned his Master of Divinity.

Mescall was ordained to the priesthood on May 22, 2004, by Cardinal Francis George whom he met a few times on pilgrimages in the Holy Land. Mescall celebrated his first solemn Mass on May 23 of the same year at St. Terrence Catholic Church in Alsip.

The oldest candidate of the 2004 class, he told the Catholic New World newspaper prior to his ordination that “some laborers arrive early and others come late, but Jesus tells us that the wages are the same.” Mescall added we all have to do our part in loving God and neighbor. “I hope God will make good use of my talent in building up the Body of Christ. We’re never too young or too old to do that,”[1] Mescall said. 

According to his family, “Fr. Tom had a great love for the ‘little guy’ and the homeless. He was active in supporting the Brothers of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque and especially the leadership of Brother Mathias Barrett. He was Brother Matthias’ pro bono attorney and a benefactor of the community.” For the full obituary written by Mescall’s family, please click here.

Rev. John Carney, retired priest of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in New Mexico and Mescall’s close friend of 30 years, remembered Mescall’s deep devotion to St. Josephine Bakhita. “He had a very beautiful statue of her prepared and dedicated at St. Adrian's before he left the parish.” Carney noted that Mescall’s burial day falls on St. Bakhita’s feast day.

Visitation will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. CST on Monday, Feb 7, at St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, 1815 Las Lomas Rd. NE, in Albuquerque. Funeral Mass will be held at 12 p.m. CST on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at the same location. Most Rev. John C. Wester, archbishop of Santa Fe, will be the main celebrant and Carney will be the homilist. Burial will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery.

The funeral Mass will be livestreamed at noon CST at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0XHNRresBU.

We remember Mescall with his favorite quote shared by his daughter Judge Regina Ann Mescall: “You made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” – St. Augustine.

[1] From the Catholic New World, Cardinal George to ordain 14 men for archdiocese on May 22: http://legacy.chicagocatholic.com/cnw/issue/052304/priests_052304.html