'Break Down All Those Barriers': Remembering Bishop Tom Gumbleton
Johanna Berrigan shares memories of the former Bishop of Detroit, Tom Gumbleton, who died April 4, 2025. Bishop Gumbleton is well-loved by many Catholic Workers.
Remembering Bishop Tom Gumbleton
By Johanna Berrigan
April 4 marked the one-year anniversary of the death of our beloved Bishop Thomas Gumbleton – Tom – Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, co-founder of Pax Christi USA, and dear friend to many. The day of his death fell on the 56th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — so April 4 now marks the shared death date of two great prophets for peace in our world.
Tom travelled around the world speaking and working for peace, denouncing violence, condemning war and the preparation for war, and calling for an end to nuclear weapons. He stood with those who are poor and most marginalized and spoke out for justice. He was a prophetic voice within the Roman Catholic Church and a bishop of the people. He took his role very seriously, and he was committed to being a bishop in the truest sense of the word.
For me and for many, Tom was a humble servant who not only worked for peace, he brought peace wherever he went. Memories dance across my mind with tenderness that exemplify his peaceful presence and his extraordinary patience. He embodied compassion, gentleness, and sought endlessly to alleviate suffering.
He was a dignitary, but that wasn’t how he moved in the world. Tom never considered himself more important than others. He put his trust and confidence in others to lead and supported those efforts.
A photo that I love depicts Tom walking up an undriveable, dirt road accompanied by one of the elderly women leaders of St. Claire’s church in Port au Prince, Haiti. One of Tom’s great friends, Bill Carry (who died in September 2024), looked at that photo and remarked, “How many bishops would you ever see walking with and allowing a peasant woman to lead him?”
Together with House of Grace Catholic Worker (Philadelphia), Tom was the co-founder of the Kay Lasante clinic in Port Au Prince. He would sit patiently for endless hours during clinic meetings that required translation, often speaking very little. Together, every trip, we would meet with each staff member. His presence encouraged them. They felt his concern for their struggles and his eagerness to help. They were proud of his support.
I can still see him, following the devastating earthquake of 2010, concelebrating mass in the field of the makeshift hospital encampment on the grounds of Matthew 25 hospitality house. He walked slowly, reverently among the many disabled and displaced people to distribute communion.
I see him climbing with determination up a steep hill under the blazing hot sun to visit one of our patients who was terminally ill and too weak to walk to the clinic. We visited with the woman and her family, and as we departed, Tom gave a blessing, and then he turned to me and asked me to offer one as well.
Today, Haiti remains in a state of political unrest and violence with 85 percent of Port-au-Prince taken over by gangs. The Kay Lasante clinic closed its doors in November 2024 due to encroaching violence very near the clinic. In addition, our medical director had been forced to flee the country due to threats on his life. The inability of our board members to visit Haiti since 2020 was also a factor in bringing us to this decision.
I know in my heart that Tom would have supported this heart-breaking, difficult decision. We had faced the possibility of closure at other times – even when violence wasn’t engulfing most of the country. I would panic, but Tom seemed to take it in stride. He would offer words of wisdom, encourage me to consider the ways that all things change and pass. Then, somehow, we would work and raise more money. Because of the generosity of so many, the work continued.
Tom went wherever he was asked to go. He listened deeply wherever he was, and acted whenever he could. He was an exemplar of contemplation in action.
I think of him all of time, especially now during these tumultuous, uncertain times in our country and in the world. What would he say? What would he do? I wish I could call him; there was no one better to talk with about these issues and more.
When Tom visited our house, there wasn’t a single day that he wasn’t awake in the early morning, sitting in his chair, drinking coffee and saying his prayers. He never neglected to pray both morning and evening. He once told me he tried to say three rosaries a day. And if he couldn’t finish them, the angels finished them for him!
I believe Tom would say: pray, reflect deeply on the life of Jesus, follow Jesus, come to know the God of peace, follow your conscience and act where you feel called.
Tom found great inspiration from the life of conscientious objector Franz Jagerstaetter. In these words, Tom shares his understanding of Franz’s life: “He tells, I think, that a single act of conscience is like a seed in the ground, that whatever is done for the truth will make a difference, and that it is God that will make that difference acting through us. However small or large our acts of courage, it is God who acts through us and makes the seed grow.”
We were left with a challenging, inspiring example in this dear friend and tireless advocate for peace.
Rest in Peace, Tom. Pray for us
Prayer Card from Bishop Tom Gumbleton’s Funeral.
Break down all those barriers that separate one group from another. Go out to the highways and byways, bring in the poor, the neglected, the crippled, the blind, the lame, the rejected — bring them all in. Common sense, human wisdom, would not do that. Jesus is saying to break away from that, go beyond, leap into the reign of God, where there aren’t rules like that, for God is all-inclusive, all-welcoming, all-loving.
Are we ready to move beyond human wisdom, to try really to live according to the reign of God, the way of Jesus? Let go of what would be common sense and be like Jesus. Have a divine wisdom, a wisdom that most people think is foolish. Accept suffering rather than inflict it. Be killed rather than kill. Love to the point of laying down your life for others without condition, without limit. Are we ready to do that?
Bishop Tom Gumbleton, Homily — September 7, 2007
