Keynote
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Very Rev. Thomas A. James, S.V.D.

For more information contact:
Edwina Mallery
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
P.O. Box 2398
Lafayette, LA 70502

Lyke Conference: $175
Rivers Institute: $75
Liturgical Dance Inst.: $75

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Rev. Thomas James was born in the summer of 1942 to Mr. Collins Henry James Sr. and Mrs. Eva Anthony James.  He is the oldest of three children, one sister, Sister Geneva James and Mr. Collins James Jr.  He grew up in St. Martinsville, Louisiana and attended Notre Dame Elementary under the direction of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters.  Upon graduation from elementary he attended Divine Minor Seminary in Bay St. Louis in 1955 for four years.  After completing four years there he attended the order’s  college in Miramar, which at that time was located in Plymouth Mass.  From there he entered the Novitiate at Conesus New York from 1962-64.  This was a year of discernment. The following year he began his philosophical studies and received a B.A. in philosophy.  In 1965 he was asked to teach a year in the minor seminary in Bay St.  Louis.  He taught English and French.  After teaching for a year he went to work in a boy’s camp for the summer in Los Angeles.  From there he began his theological studies at the major seminary in Techny, Illinois.  He also had the opportunity to continue graduate studies at Loyola University in Chicago. After three years at Techny the seminary became part of Catholic Theological Union, (CTU).  As a deacon he went to do some praticum at St. Anselm Catholic Church. Then he went to work at Lutheran General Hospital with Cancer patients for six months. 

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1969 on December 18^th by Bishop Boudreaux at the chapel in Bay St. Louis Miss.  He was appointed to Verbum Dei High School in South Central Los Angeles (Watts).  His first year of teaching included French, English and I did some College career counseling.  At this time he began studies in Loyola’s Psychology department while working at the school.  These years really enriched his life, said mass on Sunday’s at a Spanish parish and then juvenile hall at Los Padrinos.  At the school he taught, became dean of students, College Career Counseling and Principal.  These years were challenging working with poor young men who were hungry for education, the gangs, the police, the city and leaders in the Universities who had tremendous resources which was a tremendous benefit to the community, in particular the Lakers and the Dodgers.

He returned to the Southern Province for a brief stay at IHM and was appointed pastor of St. Edward Catholic Church in New Iberia and Vicar of the South Region for the Diocese of Lafayette and a member of the Southern Province Provincial Council.  After spending 11 years at St. Edward he was appointed Pastor of IHM.  Currently he is on the Provincial Council as the Vice Provincial and Vicar of the Central Region for the Diocese of Lafayette.  He also serves on the Diocesan Board for the Service Center and Judge Edward Board for drug court, and is in charge of three Diocesan secretariats’, Office of Justice and Peace, Migration, Community Services and Adoption.