Fr. Thomas Joseph Beckman, M.A. passed away after a long illness, August 4, 2009 in his home in San Diego. Fr. Tom was born June 3, 1949 in New York, the fourth of four children to Henry William Beckman and Rose Alice De Martini. Upon graduating from Cardinal Hayes High School, the young Tom Beckman enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1966 at the height of Vietnam War. He was a Petty Officer assigned to the USN Elk River.
He was discharged from the Navy in 1970. Tom graduated from National University in San Diego in June of 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Sciences. He earned a Masters Degree in Educational Counseling from San Diego State University in 1990.
Tom worked for the San Diego Unified School
District as a counselor and then as a Program
Manager for Adults and Families for Fr. Joe’s
Villages in San Diego. Tom also worked in San Isidro
and San Diego Downtown Mental Health as a
Psychiatric Case Worker. Tom was respected by his
supervisors and his peers in his ability to deal
with difficult situations. He was an extraordinary
counselor with a keen insight into people.
Tom’s love for God, for the Church and for ministry
led him to seek ordination first in the Johannine
Old Catholic Church, September, 23, 1978 and then in
the Liberal Catholic Church. He was ordained by
Bishop Dean Bekken of the Liberal Catholic Church on
August 16, 1981. With permission from his Ordinary,
The Most Reverend Rainer Laufers, Presiding
Archbishop of the Old Holy Catholic Church based in
Canada, Father Beckman was assigned to work with The
Most Reverend Thomas Abel, DD for the American
Catholic Church Diocese of California.
Fr. Tom ministered at St. Francis Liberal Catholic Church, the Polish National Catholic Church, and St. John the Beloved Parish, all in San Diego.
Fr. Tom also served the Dignity Catholic Community in San Diego as a regular chaplain, presider and homilist. He will be remembered, especially by the Dignity Community, for his gentle manner and his interesting sermons, always calling the community to be more inclusive and more loving. Over the last few years, because of poor health, Fr. Tom often lamented that he missed the community and he missed presiding and preaching at Eucharist… a feeling shared by the entire Dignity Family.
Fr. Tom is survived by his brother, Henry W. Beckman of Texas; his sister Carolyn Beccarelli of New York; his companion and friend of 40 years, Ralph Mann of San Diego; Marco Corona, over whom Tom and Ralph had guardianship during his teenage years; and many friends, neighbors, priests and former workers at various social service agencies in the area.
Fr. Tom’s remains will be buried with his parents in St. Raymond Cemetery, in the Bronx , New York. May he rest in peace.
"How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good the Lord has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all God’s people. Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of God’s faithful ones. O Lord, I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds. To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the Lord." Psalm 116:12-17
Thomas J. Beckman was born in New York City on June 3, 1949 the fourth of four children born of Henry and Rose Beckman.
Father Beckman attended St. John’s University, Jamaica Queens, N.Y. for a short period of time but decided to enter the military and began his service in the US Navy. Father Beckman was honorably discharged from the Navy in April of 1971, and moved to San Diego eventually attended Grossmont College, El Cajon, CA with an emphasis on education and religious studies and graduated (cum laude) and then continued his education in Religious Studies at San Diego State University and completed his Masters Degree in
Education/Counseling at San Diego State University while continuing his
secular work and was introduced to Independent Catholicism. He studied theology
and liturgy under the mentorship of the local bishop and was ordained deacon and
later was ordained to the Priesthood
in the Old Catholic
Tradition.
Father Beckman focused his ministry on healing and proclaiming the reality of the God of love proclaimed in the Christian Scriptures; taking the church into the community, serving an undeserved population. Those marginalized, often discarded, persons that most mainstream organizations could not or would not serve.
With permission from his Ordinary, the Most Reverend Rainer Laufers, Presiding Archbishop of the Old Holy Catholic Church based in Canada, Father Beckman was assigned to work with The Most Reverend Thomas E. Abel, DD for the American Catholic Church Diocese of California. In November, 2007, Father Beckman, Priest in Residence, went on Medical Leave of Absence.
Fr. Tom, as he was affectionately known in our Dignity Community, served as a presider and homilist from the mid 1990's until a few years ago when health issues made it impossible for him to walk or stand for any length of time. Fr. Tom worked as a counselor at several social service agencies in the area, including Fr. Joe's Villages.
Tom and Ralph Mann, his partner of 40 years, lived in North Park, San Diego. Tom lamented that he missed presiding at Dignity and he missed our community very much. Fr. Tom died Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at his residence. He was 60 years of age.
Fr. Tom's life will be celebrated by the two spiritual communities he served:
- Sep 13, 2009 - Memorial Mass at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, at St. John the Beloved (chapel at University Christian Church), 3900 Cleveland Ave. across from the Hillcrest Post Office;
Fr. Tom's remains will be buried with his parents at St. Raymond Cemetery, the Bronx, New York. May he rest in peace.
May he rest in peace.
