We invite readers to send short stories about the ways in which their lives have been personally blessed by the life and work of priests and religious in our diocese.

By Karina Fabian

Born in Anaconda on Jan 5, 1943, Father Thomas Haffey is definitely a “born and raised Montanan.” He attended St. Paul Catholic School in Anaconda, Anaconda High School, and received his B.A. in philosophy from Carroll College in 1965. After receiving his master’s in theology from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in Dubuque, Iowa, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1969 at St. Ann’s in Butte.

Over the years, Father Haffey has been assigned to Browning, Hamilton, Butte, Anaconda, Bozeman (where he was pastor of Resurrection Parish and campus minister at MSU) and Conrad. Since his ordination at St. Ann’s in Butte, that parish seems to exert a pull on him, as he is currently serving his second assignment as pastor there.

Father Haffey grew up in a family which was very active in their parish. He believes that his priestly vocation was inspired through his family, his Catholic schooling and his experiences with parish priests in Anaconda, including Father Bud Sullivan, Father Sarsfield O Sullivan, Father Bob McCarthy, and others. He thinks it was important for him to “see that priests are happy people.”

To help keep happy, Father Haffey likes to golf, read, play the guitar, and ski occasionally.


Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 19, No. 1, January 17, 2003.