The Rev. Thomas Shea

THE REV. THOMAS S. SHEA

Bloomington, Ill.

The Rev. Thomas S. Shea, 80, of Bloomington, Ill., passed away at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, 2017, at Heritage Health in Bloomington, Ill. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday, April 28, at St. Patrick Church of Merna, Bloomington, with Monsignor Gerald T. Ward presiding and Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C. in choro and leading the prayers of Final Commendation. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Bloomington.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Catholic Charities.

He was born Nov. 16, 1936, in Bloomington, the son of John J. and Mary Catherine Sorg Shea.

Survivors include his brother, Michael (Suzanne) Shea of Cedar Rapids; two nieces, Kathleen (Sam Catanzaro) Shea of Minneapolis, Minn., and Angelia Shea of Cedar Rapids; a nephew, Sam (Susan) Shea of Cedar Rapids; and eight great-nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, John L. "Jack" Shea.

Father Shea was ordained Feb. 2, 1973, for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, Ill. His first assignment was the assistant at St. Monica's in East Peoria and then vicar of the Pekin Vicariate. In 1978, he was appointed pastor at St. Paul's in Danville, Ill. After he retired in 2001, Father Shea continued ministry as a chaplain at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington and helped as an assistant at St. Patrick Church of Merna in Bloomington and St. Mary's Downs for over 10 years.

Father Shea was instrumental in starting the Jesus House on Bloomington's west side and had also been a recipient of Bloomington's Man of the Year award.